A cluster of workshops in the foothills of the Dolomites. Over a century of craft knowledge. Here is why we went there, and what it made possible.

The best mountain boots in the world have come from the same place for over a century. A cluster of workshops in the foothills of the Dolomites, where people learned to make boots from the craftspeople who learned it before them, in buildings that sit at the foot of the mountains their boots were made to climb.

These craftspeople have been making mountain boots for three and four generations. Craftspeople who started on the factory floor and spent decades learning exactly how leather behaves across a last, how a sole bonds under pressure, how a stitch holds when it matters. This knowledge does not exist in a manual. It accumulates. It passes from hands to hands over time.

We knew this is where we needed to go when we decided to make boots.

Where the best footwear is made

North-east Italy has been producing serious mountain footwear for over a century. The craft knowledge in that region is specific to it, built up through generations of making boots for people who make serious demands of their footwear. That is not something you can replicate quickly or elsewhere. The level of technical understanding available in that valley was a direct product of its history, and we needed what it had.

Working with a factory that already understood technical footwear gave us a very different starting point. They challenged our specifications. They knew the outcomes from experience rather than theory. Those conversations took the design somewhere we could not have reached without them.

Some lasts are designed around regional morphology: that's the idea that foot shapes vary by population, and that a last should reflect where most of its wearers are from. Ours is designed around activity. Decades of refinement based on what serious mountain use actually demands: an asymmetric shape that follows the natural curve of the foot, a heel that holds, volume placed where the foot needs it rather than where it is easiest to put it. Accessing a last with that development history behind it is part of what working with this factory makes possible.

Multiple prototype iterations. Real testing on real ground: the Lakes, Scotland, the Alps. Feedback fed into the next iteration, which went back to Italy, which came back better.

Distilling Italian design expertise into our boots

A handful of decisions determine how a boot actually performs. We made each of them deliberately.

We chose hydrophilic membrane technology across the range for its superior breathability when wet, consistent breathability over time, and lower environmental impact. They are PFAS-free. The performance case and the environmental case pointed in the same direction. For a detailed comparison of waterproof membrane technologies differ, see our guide to Gore-Tex vs Sympatex.

On the technical end of the range we use Vibram soles, specifically the XS Trek compound, selected for its balance of wet traction, flexibility and durability on unpredictable terrain. With an ABS skeleton shank providing torsional rigidity without unnecessary weight, we have been able to bring B2 compatibility into the range from day 1. At the trail end of the range, our REACT sole unit: dual-density PU, manufactured in Europe, engineered for cushioning and responsiveness on longer days where ground conditions vary.

The upper materials span split leather, nubuck and suede depending on the intended use, each chosen for specific performance characteristics. In our guide Leather vs Synthetic Walking Boots we look at the pros and cons available. Where the construction allows it, B2 crampon compatibility extends the range into early winter and mixed conditions. Find out more about B1 and B2 Mountaineering Boots.

No two feet are the same, and the boot itself cannot fully account for that. The insole is the critical interface between your foot and the shape of the last. It adds structure, provides support, and determines how your foot sits and moves within the boot. We think of it as part of the fitting conversation rather than something settled at the factory. Our work is not finished when the boot leaves Italy which is why our store fitting stations are Sidas accredited and can advice on improving comfort and performance with Insoles for Walking Boots.

Why it matters

Nothing connects you to the mountain more directly than your boots. Comfort on the approach, confidence on the descent, reliability across a full day in changing conditions. When it is right, you stop thinking about it entirely. That is the point.

With footwear, heritage matters. Who makes it and what they understand about making it is part of what the boot actually is. The Dolomites are not a provenance claim. They are a reason our boots are as good as they are.