I have had my Cresta's for over a year now and have used them on several backpacking trips. A great comfortable fit and a solid boot. My only concern is the lack of toe bumpers. The terrain in the Sierra Nevada, California is very rocky and the trails are strewn with granite. As a result the top fronts of my boots have taken a beating. Although not a structural problem (at this point), and there are no fashion police in the back country, it would be nice if they had rubber toe bumpers to take the beating. Otherwise I will continue to use my Cresta's until either the soles wear out or they start to leak. This may not be an issue for hikers/backpackers in more wooded areas of the country.
ProsDurable, Great Value, Comfortable, Performing as Expected
I needed a Black pair for work. It took me 4 pairs to find a good fit/quality combination. It was some what of a hassle as 1 pair was purchased online and the others from 2 separate stores because of a lack of stock. Pair #1 Obvious lumpy/painful seam in the tongue. Pair #2 had a residual rubbery skin/film around the entire boot where the sole was attached. Pair#3 had an upper lace hook mounted about a 1/4" off. Pair 4 I kept. With that said at this price point I'd like to see a cork or alike insert (like a Meindl) The insert is average at best. Example: The Super-Feet inserts are around $40.00 bucks which puts these boots close to $250.00. Excluding Bean's superior return policy there are a lot of Hi-End boot choices in this price point... Years ago (10+) I had pair of the fabric version Cresta's. I'm pretty sure they were made in Italy. I remember these to much more form fitting. Maybe it was the lack of leather, maybe the Italian construction ?? My feet do tend to sweat & become overheated in the all leather. If this is an issue for you go with the Fabric version. Overall given LL Beans outstanding customer service you can try them with confidence.
May be too soon for this but I just got my first pair of Cresta's today. Love them they fit like a glove straight out of box. Reading other reveiws and by my first impression I think Ihave found me a pair of boots I am going to continue to purchase. LLBean is a great company that stands behind their product 100% and I will continue to use them.
ProsDurable, Great Value, Comfortable, Performing as Expected
Bought these for 1 week trip hiking in Bryce/Zion NP's; broke them in for 6wks doing garden work; overall very comfortable-I'm 3A narrow and bought narrow size; used llbean hiking socks and fits true to size;good traction,easy lacing,nice color;only minor issue is they scuff easily,mine look beat up already;some issues with sweaty feet but not sure if that's the goretex lining or thick socks;weight not excessive for size;I looked at at lot of boots and very few are not made in China;it's essentially these versus Lowa or Alpina but these are much cheaper and so far comparable quality.
