Scarpa Zodiac Tech GTX Review 2024

A lightweight, hybrid hiking and mountaineering boots that is perfect for technical alpine-style terrain.

PROS

• LIghtweight
• Precise toe for technical rock moves
• Excellent construction

CONS

• A little too technical for general hiking

Footwear is a critical part of the system when scrambling, especially when the ground begins to get technical and begins to merge into alpine-style rock climbing. This can happen quickly and when it does you’ll be glad for the security that some quality footwear offers. Some in the CGR team prefer an approach shoe but I prefer a boot. Why? Well, I like the security of a boot, the way a boot ‘locks’ me in and offers me precision with foot moves. I also like the foot support that a boot offers when ascending and descending rocky ground.

The Scarpa Zodiac Tech GTX is a very versatile technical mountain boot.

I’m also grateful for the comfort at the end of a long day when I’m tired from the extra concentration levels needed when negotiating complicated terrain. Enter the Scarpa Zodiac Tech GTX, the updated version of a classic, hybrid hiking and mountain boot. It has everything you need for a day out scrambling: a full Vibram sole with a generous climbing zone and aggressive lugs (which can be fully resolved using the excellent Scarpa resole service); 1.8mm Perwanger leather uppers make them literally as tough as old boots and a full rand means that you can attack those foot-sized cracks with ease. The friction was great on technical ground and you can tell that Scarpa has used all their climbing knowledge to produce a precise feel to the front of the boot. 

The precision toe profile offered security when the terrain turned technical.

There is also an excellent heel rand that is quite high, gives the heel excellent rigidity, and seems to lock my heel in perfectly with very little heel lift (assuming I have the correct socks on). I have not had any blisters and the boots were comfortable straight out of the box. Initially, I felt the boots were a little stiff and rigid for longer walks but they have broken in after a couple of months of regular use. I usually take a size EU42 in hiking boots and the fit of the Zodiac Tech GTX has been pretty good when worn with a pair of hiking socks. I have a standard foot width and there has been enough room at the toe for a little movement. That said boot sizing is notoriously difficult to gauge so I would always suggest you buy your boots from a specialist, in person, shop so that you can benefit from expert advice. And hey you get to support your local climbing and hiking shop!

On top of all that a traditional lacing system offers a precision fit and the soft, bellowed tongue is perfect for superior comfort; there is also a nice soft heel patch that offers blessed relief for tired Achilles and as I said the heel offers a nice ‘locked in’ feel to the boots. Hiking comfort is also assured with the patented BAS adaptive system and an EVA midsole. 

Comfortable for general hiking on all terrain, from moorland to the high mountains.

The Zodiac Tech GTX is B2 rated and will easily transfer into all your winter adventures as it will take either a C1 walking crampon or a C2 semi-automatic style crampon. The plastic bale lip at the back is very discrete and sits on top of the comfortable EVA heel. The Zodiac Tech GTX benefits from a  Gore-Tex lining which offers superior breathability and adds to the premium feel of the boot. 

At 1360g per boot they are lighter and feel more responsive than my previous Ribelle HD boots and if I want a lighter day I tend to stick to my Rush Trek boots which are lighter and more comfortable on hotter days. Construction is bombproof and you can rest assured with their Made in Italy pedigree.

So, things I like about the Zodiac Tech GTX are: they are fantastically precise on technical scrambling/alpine ground; I can wear them all day on rocky ground and carry a full pack; the soft heel pack is a blessed relief on tired Achilles (I have been recuperating from a nasty Achilles injury and these have been my preferred boot). No real downers apart from: you might find them overkill for general hiking and not warm enough for winter climbing.

The Scarpa Zodiac Tech GTX is available in sizes EUR 41-48 in half sizes. There is also a specific female version in sizes EUR 37-42.

The SRP is £290 and they can be purchased directly from Scarpa UK and specialist retailers.

Disclosure – CGR reviewers and writers are never paid to provide a review and the website does not take advertising or link to affiliate sales. We are a bunch of keen climbers and travellers who accept sample products and offer an honest and independent review of the item.