I've had these boots for 5 months now so I think it's a fair timeframe to give a review.

These boots are heavy heavy. You might feel like Frankenstein in them at first as they take a couple of weeks to break in. The leather is easy to clean, the inner material is plush and comfortable and you can slide your feet into them without using your hands (a big + round here)

However, after 4 weeks wearing them the memory foam inner material wore holes in both heels making the boots too painful to walk in. I returned them to G.O. and they were sent to a Scarpa repair place where the inner heels were covered with a leather strip.

Since the repair I've worn them for two months and they get better and better as the boots mould to the shape of my feet. The outsole is excellent, it is showing no signs of wear and I walk 40 miles a week, 5 of that on pavements/ concrete.

Like anything worthwhile, there have been quite a few setbacks and doubts with these boots but they've finally shown themselves as keepers.

Have used Scarpa for many, many years & when they eventually need replacing I don't consider any other boots. SL Active provide excellent grip, ankle support and comfort.

Since I started hill walking and mountaineering in the late 1980s I have owned four pairs of mountain boots, three of them were Scarpas and one was Zamberlans. The new Scarpas are the most comfortable I've had, they are simply wonderful, they feel as if they aren't there! I am hiking in Switzerland for two weeks in July so they'll get well and truly road tested there! W.M. ??

Ive had these for just over 3 years now and its soon time to replace them. Their used for between 2 and 12 hours a day, probably averaging about 4. Like many, soon after buying them the inside lining deteriorated, I tried heel grips but gave up and after a few sore spots just go used to them. I found the insole didn't properly match with the inside shoe and my foot would find the gap in lateral movement.

More recently I have exposed them to sea water, the eyelets have not rusted but created a pink reaction which has firstly locked the lace in the eyelets then they have all started to break off. I say pink I wonder if its reacting with the colour in the brown leather treatment, and the salt water. However the locked eyelets that remained have held the shoe in place.

This sounds like a negative review and yes there are problems with the design. But I haven't had a pair of walking boots last this long since Raichle, who are now Mammut. Mammut make a nice boot but 12 months is good for the mid sole to remain in one piece from my last 4 pairs and buyers have moaned to the manufacturer about that for years and they just don't answer my correspondence. Berghaus, in my experience, are normally discovered to not be water proof in the first few months, Brashers are uncomfortable, meindl are an out of the box shoe good for one year if your lucky.
Now I live near sea I wouldn't buy this model again for fear of the eyelets breaking so quickly since moving here, but at the price you pay for premium boots, 3 years is better than expectations from experience over the last decade, They have been mostly comfortable and very supportive throughout. Whilst not exactly waterproof, my feet have never been soaked. I would probably opt for a goretex liner next time, not because goretex is waterproof, in my experience it isn't, but it is a longer lasting liner than whats in these SL Actives.

For others without sea water problems, who are happy to overcome the liner failing, this is a decent buy that should last better than most alternatives.

For anybody else thinking of buying boots like this, which admittedly look cool and are fine for the first day, my experience is as follows;

The pulley lace eyes are not necessarily such a good idea for they make differential lacing pressure difficult to achieve. The key thing about lacing is to keep you heel in the back of the boot not sliding forward. These pulley laces mean that additional pressure is inevitably added over the top of the toes. I had to add some dummy laces over the toes to stop this, and only properly laced the top 3. There is also not much volume in the boots for alternative more supportive insoles.

The rubber rand although ostensibly protective of the leather will restrict your feet from expansion or indeed the ability of the leather to become broken in to the shape of your feet in hot conditions.

These two features on any boot (my experience was with these scarpas) I think make the boot only suitable for cold conditions, or only buy them if your feet are already hot and swollen from carrying a 40 lb rucksack for a day.

After a couple of years of these Scarpas being fine after modification for day walks, but useless for anything longer, feels like I’m walking on needles, I have gone for some Alt bergs ( I might have tried the Scarpa Delta but the lacing includes the pulley system.)

I bought these boots in April 2015, I've just returned them to Scarpa. I've had the same problem as others it seems. The lining in the heels has worn away after only seven months use. I can't fault the rest of the boots as the quality is excellent. I am awaiting how Scarpa resolve the fault in my boots . If Scarpa listen positively to their Customers suggestions hopefully they will start reinforcing the lining of what could be an outstanding boot.

Bought a pair of these Scarpa SL Activ just over 15 months ago at RRP of £225, within a year the lining material had worn through on both boots at the heel. Go Outdoors kindly sent them back to Scarpa to see what they could do. Scarpa bodged the repair by sticking addtional fabric on the inside of the heel area, see photos on Facebook. This has the effect that the boots are smaller in length and cannot wear two pairs (one liner) of walking socks and the insoles need to trimmed to bed down onto the soles.
I have other pairs of Scarpa boots (Ranger and SL M3) and other makes and never had this problem with any over the last 20 years. I feel sure that this is a product issue !!! I presently have two other pairs of walking boots so these SLs haven't been used for more than half my walks over the last 15 months.

Bought these after lots of reviewing and trying on of every brand I could find. I'm 6'3" nearly 20 stone and am just back from wearing these walking across some of the toughest terrain I've encountered in iceland, the boots handled everything and still look like new, yes the ankle can slip a bit but adjusting how you pull the lacing has stopped that for me, you just have to take your time putting them on, but once they're on I didn't really notice I had them on! I destroy boots normally within 6 months, I'm a big guy with a heavy footfall... These up until now (a year in) have been brilliant.

Very very comfortable and supportive. I've not had them long enough to comment on wear and tear but I'm very pleased I invested in these. They are built like a brick .....outhouse!

I have worn these boots for 12 months now,I am an experienced walker and demand the best gear available,I thought I had it with these boots,how wrong.The heel liner has all worn away leaving a big hole giving me blisters.scarpa have repaired for free but still giving me blisters, I have sent them back to scarpa and told them to keep them.How can a liner depict the life of a boot!! Besides that they have been the best boot I have ever worn but come on scarpa you need a leather liner!!Built to last yes apart from the liner,,

One word " Superb"Got these boots after a lot of research and not disappointed.Straight out the box did 40 mile hike carrying 20kg no problems ! Got a great deal from GO Outdoors.
Recommended retail price £240 on offer for £220. Found them online for less than £150. Not only did GO outdoors match this they took a further 10% off no quibbles!

BACK AGAIN... Well the new SL Actives lasted a pitiful 14 months and as we speak are on there way back to Scarpa for examination. This time the rubber rand has come detached from the leather but as its done this has taken some leather with it so now they leak like a sieve. I only walk the dog in them in the evenings and occasionally go for a bit of a hike at the weekends so they don't really get abused. Its so frustrating because these boots did give great support from new but in a few weeks the right boot was clearly not the same leather as the left and lost its stiffness and became too supply and lost all the properties a good strong boot should offer. It will be interesting to see what Scarpa have to say this time.

Waterproof, great in mud, scree and snow, excellent ankle support and straight out of the box comfort. As with any boots try them on before you buy them and only buy them if they are a comfortable fit. And when you use them wear sock liners and good quality outer socks, then you don't need to "struggle" with them or try fix them and then feeling you have to give a negative review because you bought something that doesn't fit you.

These boots were purchased 3 months ago, price matching online saved me £50 off RRP.

They are worn on a daily basis in snow and I'm quite satisfied with most of their features however, the lining in one boot has come away from under the sole in the heel area which is definitely not what I was expecting from a pair of Scarpa's at this price, within 3 months. My last Karrimor KSB's lasted 10 years!

The sole is good on ice and snow and I have had no issues, the boots are warm too.

As has been mentioned, I too can see and feel a difference between right and left boot, though I believe this may be due to the different way in which my right foot 'hits and rolls' compared to the left (snow tracks reveal this clearly).

I would agree with the comments regarding heel fit though, there is a lot of space in the heel which does allow the heel to slip. This has not been an issue for me yet, but on a longer hike it may well become one.

Personally, I would have preferred the boot leather on the sides of the ankle area to have extended all the way from the heel to calf, rather than being cut away to allow for the black, soft-leather, ankle padding (visible in the photos).

This is a nice design feature from an aesthetic point of view and may have seemed like a good idea from a practical perspective too however, I find it allows for too much twist and flex, the padding is too high to cushion an ankle, doesn't keep the ankle in place and the lacing is less secure and subject to stresses from more directions than necessary. Essentially, the whole boot top is less stable as a result, having only one solid securement, that being the leather strip that rises directly behind the heel.

I'm only 3 months into trialling these boots so far, and they have only been used in Alpine conditions too (2,500m). So, the jury is still out as far as I am concerned. They aren't a bad boot if one can purchase them at a discounted price, but I was hoping for better quality and attention to detail from a name like Scarpa to be honest.

La Sportiva reigns here, perhaps that is for good reason.

I bought these Scarpa SL Actives thinking they were a good solid boot but how wrong I was, after just seven weeks the leather split where the boot creases above your toes. I got a full refund for the boots but I will not be buying Scarpa again after reading that other people have had the same problem.

I love them
Winter waling in the lake district they are perfect - I tend to go off the beaten track.

I wore them walking Dorset coast and rough camping. I was carrying over 25kg on tough ground - I was coastal fishing and left the pathlike routes frequently - and these boots held up nicely.

I wear them for shooting and stalking in winter when it isn't so wet as to need wellies, or I'm walking so far that wellies won't do.

I'm off to Iceland in a weeks time - I'll be wearing crampons on glacier ice - I think the boots will do just fine.

Very comfy, lets my feet sweat out OK - I do get sweaty feet ALWAYS so to see it coming out of the boot is a good thing.

I love them.

I have had many boots over the years and decided to try the Scarpa. Built well, look good and I had them measured up for my feet. 10months I am still struggling with these boots and I have never had a problem before. I have tried insoles 4 different types, seen a biomechanic and we have come to the conclusion the boots just are a strange fit. I have spoken with others who have worn them and they have had problems with the toebox which is another problem I have had. Best place for these boots now will be ebay!