Sizing/fit for women's ice boots (Nepal Cubes, Mont Blanc, Lowa Mtn Expert, or anything else available around 37)

I'm looking at buying my first pair of ice climbing boots and would love any advice on fit/sizing. I'm currently primarily considering Sportiva Nepal Cube, Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro, or Lowa Mtn Expert women's boots. Unfortunately trying them on in person probably isn't an option, and given the price tag I'd like to avoid the "order a bunch of pairs from Backcountry and see what fits, then return what doesn't" approach as much as possible.

I wear size 37 in Guide tennies, Katana laces, and most street shoes; 36.5 in TC Pros; 23.5 in ski boots. The last couple times I climbed ice I rented Scarpa Invernos that were I think US Men's size 5.5 and they were ok, but pretty sloppy in the heel. I have wide toes, narrow heels, and medium-volume feet, and my toes tend to run cold.

If you have experience with any of these boots, I'd love to hear any advice on fit, sizing, and/or which boot to try first (currently leaning toward the Nepal Cubes). The models listed above were the only ones I could find available around my size from retailers with liberal return policy, but I'm open to other suggestions as well. Thanks so much!

(Alternatively...if anyone in the Boston area is trying to sell a pair of boots around this size and doesn't mind meeting in person so I could try them on before committing to buying, let me know!)

 ^^^^ they are experts in fitting all these boots you mention over the phone based on your street shoe, width, etc and I think guarantee fit.

Off topic sorry, but OP what do you wear for hiking shoes/boots? My wife has similar shaped feet and is struggling to find something that fits. 

peter dickson wrote: https://www.mtntools.com
 ^^^^ they are experts in fitting all these boots you mention over the phone based on your street shoe, width, etc and I think guarantee fit.

Thanks for the tip! Have you or someone you know used their service personally? It looks like they do guarantee fit and allow returns of unused boots, although (unlike Backcountry/REI) they don't do returns of used gear.

Adrienne DiRosario wrote: Off topic sorry, but OP what do you wear for hiking shoes/boots? My wife has similar shaped feet and is struggling to find something that fits. 

I'm currently using a pair of Merrell Chameleon mid-ankle boots (US women's 6/euro 36--in my experience they run big). I like but don't love them. Out of the box the fit seemed great, but as they've broken in I've felt more just "meh" about them and prefer my guide tennies (in size 37) more often than not. That being said, they provide good support and fit pretty well, and did fine for me on a 1-day presidential traverse in NH--just feel a little tight around the toes sometimes with lengthy use.

I own both women's Lowa Mountain Expert and the women's Nepal Evo. I will have to get back to you on the exact size I have in each (compared to my Guide Tennie size, etc) but I can tell you a few things from my experiences.

• Cube, née Evo, is a warmer boot than Mtn Expert. However, Mtn Expert is still a pretty warm boot, particularly if you get it fitted well.
• La Sportiva runs narrower than Lowa and lower volume. My stats: I have an all around narrow, low volume foot and heel, and my feet are always cold, so La Sportiva works better for me. I had a problem with heel slop in the Lowa. That said, you may not if your forefoot is wide and your foot higher in volume. Or you could just get a bootfitter to fix the heel in the Lowa boot.
• Both boots were stiff and good for vertical ice. I can't recall a huge discrepancy in hiking comfort either.
• I haven't worn Scarpas. In my experience, Scarpa makes wider footwear overall in their climbing and mountaineering shoes. However, this may work well for your forefoot. And again, you could have a bootfitter work on the heel if it's too wide.  
• I often use an insole foot warmer to add warmth to my boots if the temps are low. They also take up volume a bit. Toe warmers work too although they add less heat, obviously. There are both cheap and expensive options for insole warmers. I've only used cheap.
  • https://www.amazon.com/GRABBER-WARMERS-Grabber-Warmers-Foot/dp/B000C4EEJM?th=1
  • https://www.lowes.com/pd/HotHands-5-Pack-Heated-Insole/3456060 

Will update later once I have a chance to look at the sizing in each.

Etha - yes I've used mtntools services.  They are an awesome shop.  Amazing people who care about what they do and the services they offer.  I've used their cam-resling service and ordered climbing shoes from them.  Good luck!

Oof, that's tough. You run cold and it gets pretty arctic in the Northeast. Single leather boots are gonna be for nice days.

Did you totally hate the plastics? They're cheap, warm and come in your size. You could look into a heat molded liner (e.g. Intuition) for a better fit. I know this seems totally suboptimal compared to a sexy modern boot, but nothing will ruin your experience faster than cold toes. Keep it in mind if the singles don't work out. 

Aerili--That's extremely helpful, thanks so much! Hadn't thought of taking them to a boot-fitter to further adjust the fit, definitely seems like a good idea.

Peter--Good to hear! I'll definitely check them out.

Jdejace--Unfortunately the only plastic boots I've been able to find anywhere near my size are the Invernos, and they don't go any lower than US men's 5.5, which is the size I rented. Those rentals did feel pretty sloppy in the heel, and overall I found myself wondering if I'd do better a half size down. Unfortunately, I don't think Scarpa makes them any smaller, though, so I'd be stuck with the 5.5. Perhaps with some insoles and/or work with a boot-fitter I could make it work, but I'm not overly optimistic about it....

If anyone does know of any other plastic/double boots that are available in small sizes, I'd love to hear about it! Thanks again for all the very useful help.

Etha Williams wrote: Jdejace--Unfortunately the only plastic boots I've been able to find anywhere near my size are the Invernos, and they don't go any lower than US men's 5.5, which is the size I rented. Those rentals did feel pretty sloppy in the heel, and overall I found myself wondering if I'd do better a half size down. Unfortunately, I don't think Scarpa makes them any smaller, though, so I'd be stuck with the 5.5. Perhaps with some insoles and/or work with a boot-fitter I could make it work, but I'm not overly optimistic about it....

If anyone does know of any other plastic/double boots that are available in small sizes, I'd love to hear about it! Thanks again for all the very useful help.

We have a pair of Koflach in UK 4, which is roughly USW 6 (USM 4.5). You'd have to research availability. I purchased them new about 5 years ago. 

Edit: We also have a pair of Lowa Civetta in UK 4.5

alpinejason wrote:

We have a pair of Koflach in UK 4, which is roughly USW 6 (USM 4.5). You'd have to research availability. I purchased them new about 5 years ago. 

Edit: We also have a pair of Lowa Civetta in UK 4.5

That's really helpful information--thanks! In most unisex/men's boots the smallest I've been able to find has been 38.5, so it's good to know that smaller sizes exist, even if they don't seem to be readily available at the moment. It's possible I'll just have to be more patient than I'd hoped to find the right boot.