Plastic boots came onto the world like a rash in the late 1970s and within a couple of years most mountaineers were infected. Koflach were first on the scene using technology gleaned from their ski boot manufacturing. Other manufacturers were quick to capitalise on the ‘outbreak’, Scarpa was one of them, their Vega an improvement on the Koflach.

Andy MacDonald, who kindly donated this pair, explains a little more.

“Hi Mick, they are known as the Scarpa Vega. This is the standard model. Scarpa also made a high altitude model which had avolite insulation inners for greater warmth. Both models had outer shells made from Pebax plastic, the same as ski boots. This is considerably less susceptible to cracking in low temperatures. Koflach used to make a boot called the Viva which was a budget version of the Ultra. People complained that their boots cracked or shattered in cold temperatures. That’s because they bought a cheaper boot not designed for their requirements. They should have gone for the Ultra – or maybe the Vega.

Cheers Andy.”

The cure for the ‘rash’ came from the mountaineers themselves in the form of euthanasia. The boots kept water out, mostly, but if it got in, it couldn’t get out again so ‘sloshing’ was the new term, and if it wasn’t water it was sweat – leading to the wrinkled prune effect on the feet. Blisters were found where they’d never been found before and the early versions literally disintegrated after exposure to sunlight and cold.

Boot flowerpots appeared on many a garden wall and by the early 2000s plastic boots were pretty much consigned to history.