La Sportiva designed this burly boot for forest management work and post-fire cleanups, but the Roughout leather upper and Vibram Ice-New sole make it worthy for our burly treks with heavy backpacks over rugged trails. The steel shank and Aircushion heel ensure proper support whether you're packing a bag full of fire gear or backpacking essentials. Customer feedback suggests this shoe runs small, we would suggest sizing up if you are unused to a tight performance fit.