Scarpa Moraine Mid Cut Hiker
One of the most important pieces of gear for any hiker or outdoor lover is a good pair of footwear. While shirts can be changed, footwear will typically be with you for hundreds of miles of trail and backcountry adventure. That makes picking the right footwear crucial. I was recently sent a pair of the Scarpa Moraine Mid Cut Hiker to test out. This is a waterproof hiking shoe that I put through its paces. Here is a look at what I liked and didn’t like about the Moraine.
As a disclaimer I would like to mention that I was given the Scarpa Moraine Mid Cut Hiker so that I could write this review. All opinions on this page are our own and based on our own experiences with this jacket. I am not compensated for the opinions on this review. Your experience with the Jacket may be different. This site uses affiliate marketing links. If you click a buy now button and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
From Scarpa
Before I get into my review of the Scarpa Moraine Mid Cut waterproof hiker, I like to show what the brand is saying about their product. From Scarpa’s website, they state, “Perfect for novice or veteran alike, the Moraine MID WP is a super versatile hiking shoe that delivers comfort, support and traction in a nimble package.”
Here is a bit more on the specs before the review.
Specs
Price*
$179.00 for the Mid Cut Men’s and Women’s
$169.00 for the Regular cut Men’s and Women’s
Sizes*
Men: 7-14
Women: 5-10
*based on availability
Colors*
Men: Fossil Brown, Anthracite
Women: Arctic, Mineral
Weight*
Men: 1 lb 4.6 oz.
Women: 1 lb 2.5 oz.
Features and Technology
SIZE OPTIONS : 40 – 47 (1/2 sizes); 48 – 50 (whole size)
WEIGHT REFERENCE : 585g; 1lb 4.6oz (1/2 pair size 42)
UPPER : 2.0 – 2.2 Oiled Nubuck Leather with 100% Recycled Fabric
LINING : PFAS Free Waterproof Membrane
MIDSOLE : 2D EVA
OUTSOLE : PRESA® HIK-04 / SuperGum
INSOLE : Nylon Insert
CUFF HEIGHT : Mid
LAST : RHA
PRIMARY MATERIAL : Leather
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN : Vietnam
Technology:
Recco Inserted
SCARPA is the first brand to integrate RECCO® into its trail products. The RECCO® reflector makes the wearer searchable for added peace of mind.
All information from Scarpa’s website and subject to change. Check the website for full details and options.
What I liked about the Scarpa Moraine Mid Cut Hiker
There is a lot to like about the Scarpa Moraine Mid Cut Hiker. From the waterproofing and traction to the integrated Recco, the technology in this shoe is pretty amazing. The shoe does a really nice job of protecting the foot and has a something for everyone. Here is a bit more detail about what I liked about the Scarpa Moraine Mid Cut Hiker.
Water Proofing
The first thing that I really liked about the Scarpa Moraine Mid Cut hiker is just how well the waterproofing worked. Mentioning this first might be a little bit of a seasonal bias, as I am posting this in March during the snow, melt and mud season here in Colorado. Through all of those conditions the Moraine have provided excellent waterproofing. My most recent hike was five miles in nothing but slushy and melting snow. These are the types of conditions that really test the waterproofing of a shoe because the snow sticks to every surface and melts in contact with the leather. I was extremely impressed that not a drop of moisture made it through to my sock despite walking through the slush.
I have hiked in plenty of mud and drier snow as well with the Moraine and I have not had any leaks or penetration. Due to the time that I have been testing, I have not tested in a driving rain but I am very confident that they would hold up. These shoes might be the best waterproofing that I have had in footwear. If not the best, at least in the top two. The last test, that I haven’t been able to do based on time, is how long the waterproofing will hold up. I have hiked about 30 miles in these shoes though without any hints of diminishing results so I have a feeling they will hold up very well.
How They Do It
The way Scarpa achieves this waterproofing seems to be a combination of a couple of things. First, is their PFAS-free waterproof lining. It is nice to see a brand looking for a new way to solve the problem of waterproofing without having to use PFAS. The other feature that Scarpa uses to help with the waterproofing is with the leather. According to their website they use, “Premium oiled nubuck leather. Special tanning process bond to the fibers for water-repellency, durability and breathability. Oiled finish for a nubuck-like hand”. The combo of the waterproof lining and the special tanning process of the leather work well and create a very waterproof product.
Traction
Traction might be my number one decider when it comes to a pair of shoes. In Colorado, where I do most of my hiking, traction is extremely important. The terrain can range from sandy and fine dirt, to creek crossing and boulders. It is important to have a pair of shoes that can handle all of those conditions and the Scarpa Moraine Mid Cut Hiker handles all of them and more.
My first hike with the Moraine was in a super rocky area that led up to a mountain pass. The trail started in the woods with a dirt path before switching over into more solid rock and then more of a loose rock the closer to the pass we got. The terrain was made even tougher with a misty, cloud like rain that caused a film over the rocks. The Moraine handled all of these conditions really well. The dirt was no problem with great grip. The rocks, even when they had a film of mist on them, didn’t bother the Moraine either. The thicker treads held on to both the boulders sized rocks and the looser gravel like rocks too.
More recently the hiking has been in the snow and mud. The grip in snow is really impressive. There was a bit of sliding but the tread soon caught and dug in. Mud was also handled well with deeper troughs between tread that let the traction take hold a little deeper than the average shoe.
SuperGum
Scarpa uses something called SuperGum rubber in their outsole which is a big factor with the grip. Also, the way they have designed their tread pattern really worked with my stride. They have a line of tread around the front of the shoe which work well with the way I walk on my toes, especially while moving on inclines. I was really happy with the way this grip and traction worked.
Sturdiness
The Moraine is not an ultralight hiker. Instead, it feels like a boot that is pretending to be a shoe. For me, I love that. My style is more of a plod around and kick everything in my way. Definitely way more of a power over speed type of hiker. So the Moraine pairs up well with me from a sturdiness category.
What I mean that it is like a boot pretending to be a shoe is this. The outsole and midsole are thick and protective. I feel like I could kick a boulder and barely feel it. The thick outsole also protected my feet from every little rock and jagged edge that I stepped on. This is very important for those who hike in rocky conditions like Colorado. If you are hiking in softer grassy trails, then these might be more than you need. However, if you want to feel completely secure that your feet will be protected from natures trip hazards, these are a great option.
The only thing that I didn’t love about how sturdy these hikers were is that you the extra protection takes away from some of the flexibility. I found them a bit stiff but I write more about that later.
Fit and Comfort
As I just mentioned, the Moraine Waterproof Mid Cut Hiker is one heck of a sturdy shoe. That doesn’t mean that it is uncomfortable though. The thick rubber outsole is combined with a moderately dense midsole and then two inserts designed to add additional cushioning and support. To me, with all of the tech built into the sole of the shoe, walking on pretty much any terrain felt the same as walking on a hardwood floor. The shoe is basically immune to the grooves, debris and imperfections of the trail. Instead, they keep your foot above the fray and in a supported condition.
The toe box isn’t overly wide but was wide enough to fit my foot comfortably. I typically tend towards a wide when picking out most shoes so it is hard to find a pair that my toes can fit into which was nice. Scarpa has what they call an, “Injected TPU heel counter external molded heel counter provides rearfoot stability”. However I could have gone with a bit more to help lock my heel in place. I think this might go back to the shoe being very firm and that it can sometimes not follow the foot through the walking motion, especially in an incline situation where the foot is not in a normal position.
The cushioning is really nice where it comes to protection and keeping the foot insulated from the variations of the trail but it also isn’t overly soft cushioning. It is more of a functional cushion that I found works better for protection. With the hiking conditions that I hike in, this is the type of cushioning I am looking for. For those of you looking to “walk on a cloud” it might be a little bit more solid than you are expecting.
Overall Comfort
Overall, I think the fit and comfort is good. I definitely think it is a more purpose driven fit and comfort than a real comfort driven fit. The shoe allows you to tackle the toughest of terrains without worrying about if you catch the occasional rock or root in the path. There is no terrain that it can’t handle and it will keep in you protected and comfortable through them all.
Recco Installed
One of the coolest features of the Scarpa Moraine hikers is that they come with the Recco searchable technology already installed in the shoe. For those of you who haven’t hear of Recco before, they provide a searchable signal that can be seen from certain search and rescue teams. This makes it easier for them to pinpoint your location in an avalanche or outdoor emergency.
The equipped search and rescue teams would have a detector that they would use in an area while the user, in this case in the shoe of the Moraine, would have a reflector that reflects back that signal to the searchers. This way they have a better chance of zeroing in on the location if you are lost or injured.
This is a really nice piece of mind addition used by Scarpa. While we all hope that we will never need a rescue, it sure is nice to know that my gear is working towards making that rescue a lot easier. To my knowledge, I believe Scarpa is the first shoe company to actively incorporate this technology directly into their shoes.
What I didn’t Like
There is a lot to like about the Scarpa Moraine WP Mid Hiker but they will take my bloggers card away if I don’t find something that I didn’t like.
For me the only thing I really didn’t like was how stiff this hiker was. I know this is a very personal choice for people when it comes to hiking footwear. Some prefer a looser more flexible fit and some prefer a solid more supportive fit. I usually am somewhere in the middle on that but the Moraine was just a bit too inflexible for me.
I didn’t really notice this while I was hiking in the mountains where the sturdiness was a benefit of keeping on some bigger rocks. When I noticed it more was when I was hiking in some deeper snow and my foot was trying to slide with the snow but the shoe just didn’t have any give so it ended up with a bit of discomfort in the sides of my feet. I think my feet were just getting pushed into the sides as they were trying to react to the slippery conditions more than the shoe would allow.
Again, some people would really enjoy that extra support that the shoes provide, but for me it was just a little bit stiffer than I am accustomed to. I will also say, as a caveat, that I haven’t put a ton of miles on these shoes so there is a chance that they will loosen up a bit as I keep wearing them.
Video Review of the Scarpa Moraine Mid Cut Hiker
Before my final thoughts here is a quick video review of the Scarpa Moraine Mid Cut Hiker. If you enjoy the review make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to be the first to see my new content.
Wrap Up of the Scarpa Moraine Mid Cut Hiker
The Scarpa Moraine Mid Cut Hiker combine a ton of new technology to form a shoe that is ready for almost any outdoor adventure. The shoe has great waterproofing, really impressive traction and thick and sturdy outsole to protect your feet from anything the trails throw at you. I also liked that Scarpa is incorporating the searchable Recco technology directly into the shoe to give a bit of piece of mind for those who get out alone or into tougher terrain.
The shoe does a really good job of protecting the foot, with plenty of padding. The waterproofing is some of the best I have ever encountered and I felt very comfortable in all terrain with the traction. The only thing I didn’t really like was how stiff and inflexible the shoe was. I know that there are a lot of people who enjoy a shoe that is firm like that, but it just isn’t my personal choice and I did have a bit of discomfort with some of the hikes. This could go away the more I wear these and as the loosen up.
For now, I keep like to use these on some of my wetter adventures. Through the spring snow melt and mud season I am sure I will get a lot of use of them to take advantage of the traction and waterproofing.
More from the Fatman
For a list of other products that I have reviewed you can check my Product Review page here. If you have any products you would like me to review or any comments you can email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com or you can follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!