Salewa | Alpine Mountaineering Boot Wins ISPO Gold Award 2021

January 25, 2021

725-GRAM GOLD: AWARD FOR FULLY CRAMPON-COMPATIBLE MOUNTAINEERING BOOT SALEWA ORTLES COULOIR

South Tyrolean mountain sports manufacturer SALEWA is driven by pure mountain experiences and the desire to engineer intelligent solutions for like-minded mountaineers. The new crampon-compatible Ortles Couloir mountaineering boot weighs just 725 grams per pair and is a high-tech product that further underlines SALEWA’s alpine competence. The Ortles Couloir combines traditional bootmaking expertise and advanced technical materials. The 27 members of the ISPO Award panel evaluated the “ultralight, high-end mountain boot for mountaineering and ice climbing” in December at the ISPO Award jury meeting and granted it the prestigious ISPO GOLD Award 2021 in the category Outdoor Equipment/ Mountaineering Boots.

The new Ortles Couloir has a pedigree and bears its name with pride. At just under 3,905 metres, the Ortler (Italian: Ortles) is the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps and offers technical, alpine routes and demanding terrain. With the lightweight Ortles Couloir, SALEWA is presenting a progressive mountain boot that supports mountaineers in precisely this type of terrain. Its compact, sturdy and agile construction with a narrow toe box ensures climbing precision on rock and in ice. The lightweight, strong, carbon fibre frame at the heart of its construction is connected to the boot by a hinged joint and simultaneously gives flexibility for walking and stability for climbing. “This boot is inspired by our home in the Dolomites. Its sleek design is an innovative first for mountain boots and offers high precision, full freedom of movement and excellent stability for mountaineering and ice climbing. For the technical construction, we use best-in-class, hardwearing materials to ensure a long service life. The Ortles Couloir is taking the mountaineering concept to the next level.” William Starka, Senior Product Manager Footwear & Equipment SALEWA. The Ortles Couloir is made in Europe. Its proprietary midsole system is designed to offer additional warmth and comfort for cold, winter approaches and long days climbing in crampons.

ISPO Gold Award 2021 for SALEWA Ortles Couloir mountaineering boot

The internationally leading sports business network ISPO honours the best products of the sports industry every year with its ISPO Award. The independent award panel is composed of 27 members from ten countries and the entries are assessed according to carefully-defined criteria. In the ISPO Award category Outdoor Equipment/ Mountaineering Boots, the jury were impressed by the new SALEWA Ortles Couloir. Alexandra Schweikart, jury member and textile specialist, explains: „At just over 700 grams, the Ortles Couloir Boot is in the absolute lightweight class of crampon-compatible mountain boots. An outer shell made of carbon provides additional stability for ice climbing. The joint at the ankle, the Velcro closure on the lower leg and the combination of inner boot and outer boot are inspired by the touring ski boot category. Goodbye cold feet: the toe box is additionally lined and mineral particles in the sole reflect body heat. To sum it up: An ultralight, high-end mountain boot designed for mountaineering and ice climbing.”