La Sportiva G5 - Best Bang for Buck?

Hi there. I know this topic has been discussed a million times but at the risk of being shamed for asking, here I am :). These are currently on sale for 50% off on Backcountry. Primary use case will be winter-spring mountaineering in Colorado,  ice climbing possibly up to WI3, and some higher altitude summer ascents such as Mt Blanc. Im curious if I’m going to find a better do it all boot for 425 dollars before tax? From my research, anything comparable is atleast 1-200 dollars more. And cheaper options such as the Trango Tower Extreme may not be insulated enough for mid winter Rockies objectives or Mt Blanc in not prime weather. Is my head in the right place here? Just looking for confirmation before I spend more on boots than I ever have. I will be trying these on in person to ensure proper sizing and fit but haven’t tried various LS boots so I’m semi aware of the narrowness comparatively. Sorry for being redundant in seeking advice but figured no harm no foul in asking ! Appreciate any insights. 

If they fit your feet well, G5s are a fantastic option for what you’re looking for. 

Cooper Stewart wrote:

If they fit your feet well, G5s are a fantastic option for what you’re looking for. 

Thanks Cooper! I know fit is paramount with these types of boots so I’ll ensure that before buying. Just wanted to make sure my head was in the right place. I’ll deal with a summer boot when that rolls around then :)

Jimmy Strange wrote:

Youll get a decent single day alpine boot.

They are not a do-it-all and LS has durability issues, but a decent boot for day use that should see you several seasons. Everyone evolves what they use and its good to skip the leather Nepals stage.

Get em, destroy em having fun, repeat. 

Appreciate the insight Jimmy! 

I like boots with integral gaiters. I tried the Sportiva versions but the Scarpa fit my feet better. My only suggestion is up size a bit so to give yerself lots of toe wiggle room. Do not hesitate to buy 2-3 pairs so to dial in the fit wear them around the house for several hours. While returning the others.

Allen Sanderson wrote:

I like boots with integral gaiters. I tried the Sportiva versions but the Scarpa fit my feet better. My only suggestion is up size a bit so to give yerself lots of toe wiggle room. Do not hesitate to buy 2-3 pairs so to dial in the fit wear them around the house for several hours. While returning the others.

• Ended up getting a pair of G5 on feet and they fit surprising well. Enough wiggle to compensate for swelling/altitude, no pain when kicking on the front, and heel stays put on incline. Will wear them around the house when they arrive a bit to confirm but hoping this babies do the job for me. They’re incredible boots, especially at 50% off currently. We shall see :). I appreciate everyone’s input !!!

That's a hell of a deal! 

Ira OMC wrote:

That's a hell of a deal! 

My bank account didn’t think so but I’ll deal with that another time

I loved my G5s for the first two years, but I've noticed recently that they're starting to leak. I can't tell if maybe they've always leaked a bit, but it's something that was mentioned in some of the gear reviews when I bought them. When taking my boots off after a full day in the alpine, my socks will be totally soaked through.

Still, for that price, you can't go wrong. 

Perry Gowdy wrote:

I loved my G5s for the first two years, but I've noticed recently that they're starting to leak. I can't tell if maybe they've always leaked a bit, but it's something that was mentioned in some of the gear reviews when I bought them. When taking my boots off after a full day in the alpine, my socks will be totally soaked through.

Still, for that price, you can't go wrong. 

Is yours the old version with the boa on the inside of the gaiter?  If so, these boots aren't waterproof, but that was updated with the recent version that has a boa on the outside of the boot.  From what I've heard from friends and experienced when I wore the g-techs (which use the same tech as the new g5 basically)  they are definitely more waterproof now. 

I think the OP will be happy with the buy.  I wore the old boots and was annoyed with the leaking issue and never pulled the trigger on the new G5s due to price tag - until now.  

My ice partner and I both bought a pair. Thanks for the heads up! 

Ira OMC wrote:

My ice partner and I both bought a pair. Thanks for the heads up! 

You’re very welcome! I think at that price, hard to beat the features on this boot. Hoping to see a solid couple seasons out of them and I’m sure at my level, they’ll do wonderfully. 

Lion Forest wrote:

Is yours the old version with the boa on the inside of the gaiter?  If so, these boots aren't waterproof, but that was updated with the recent version that has a boa on the outside of the boot.  From what I've heard from friends and experienced when I wore the g-techs (which use the same tech as the new g5 basically)  they are definitely more waterproof now. 

I think the OP will be happy with the buy.  I wore the old boots and was annoyed with the leaking issue and never pulled the trigger on the new G5s due to price tag - until now.  

I’m glad everyone is getting in on the deal! These are the new design so I believe from what I’ve read, they are far superior in waterproofness compared to the boa on the inside models. Look forward to getting out with these :). The G Techs felt even better on feet but I couldn’t justify the couple hundred dollars more at this point. Happy climbing everyone :)

So pretty :)

Lion Forest wrote:

Is yours the old version with the boa on the inside of the gaiter?  If so, these boots aren't waterproof, but that was updated with the recent version that has a boa on the outside of the boot.  From what I've heard from friends and experienced when I wore the g-techs (which use the same tech as the new g5 basically)  they are definitely more waterproof now. 

I think the OP will be happy with the buy.  I wore the old boots and was annoyed with the leaking issue and never pulled the trigger on the new G5s due to price tag - until now.  

Yes, that is exactly the model I have. This is great to know! I was sorta leaning towards getting some Phantom Techs, but now maybe I'll go back to G5s. I greatly prefer the BOA system over laces. 

Perry Gowdy wrote:

Yes, that is exactly the model I have. This is great to know! I was sorta leaning towards getting some Phantom Techs, but now maybe I'll go back to G5s. I greatly prefer the BOA system over laces. 

I love my phantom techs but the laces really annoy me... always loosening up , coming untied ( or I just imagine them coming untied, which is just as bad)  I'm buying these G5s as a replacement because of the boa. And the price is so low, even if I put them in the closet for a few years until the scarpas wear out it seems worth it. 

I also went for this deal. Hard to pass up $425 off an amazing boot. The price is probably so crazy good though because the G-Summits are coming out shortly, which will replace the G-5 and (in theory) offer more versatility by adding removable liner ( lasportivausa.com/g-summit.…).

Jared M wrote:

I also went for this deal. Hard to pass up $425 off an amazing boot. The price is probably so crazy good though because the G-Summits are coming out shortly, which will replace the G-5 and (in theory) offer more versatility by adding removable liner ( lasportivausa.com/g-summit.…).

Backcountry owes me a kickback

I took the bait here - great deal. Has anyone experienced the powerstrap/boa plastic digging into your shin/ankle when walking downhill or bending at the knee? This was so noticeable for me from the first wear inside that I was surprised to not see more people commenting on that. It seems like a design flaw, but maybe I'm just adjusting the powerstrap incorrectly. 

Ben Thesing wrote:

I took the bait here - great deal. Has anyone experienced the powerstrap/boa plastic digging into your shin/ankle when walking downhill or bending at the knee? This was so noticeable for me from the first wear inside that I was surprised to not see more people commenting on that. It seems like a design flaw, but maybe I'm just adjusting the powerstrap incorrectly. 

I plan to wear them around the house for 6-8 hours tomorrow while working. I will report back with any relevant findings in regards to this issue! 

Can't speak to the upgraded model, but I definitely remember my G5s giving me a bit of pinch/pain on long down hill slogs around the strap on the inside. Typical solution was just to loosen them up at the strap a bit. I'd do this by default and then tighten them up when I encountered something more technical/vertical. One of my favorite things about the G5 vs. the Phantom Tech is how easy it was to adjust on the fly with the boa system and simple strap.