Särmä TST Alpina Trapper 4-Tac Boots

Here's a pair of robust and waterproof combat boots for all kinds of demanding use, especially in arctic environments and all Nordic seasons - three seasons in warmer areas. Featuring improvements of our own over the basic model, this boot offers maximum protection for your feet thanks to better material and insulation.

We deemed the Alpina Trapper a promising platform to turn our visions of this kind of boots into reality. The main material is now mil-spec box leather that offers superior strength against stretch and tearing forces and has a better finish. Special insulation inside the sole was swapped from polyester to an insulating gel by PrimaLoft to prevent heat convection from your feet to the ground.

The result is a high-quality piece of footwear, designed according to real-life experience and demands from the end-user perspective, and made in Europe.

Country of manufacture: Slovenia.

Size information

Manufactured in true UK sizes. The last is fairly regular, not narrow nor wide. The boots have clearance for double socks.

The conversions from UK to EU are made about half a size up; for example, UK 8.5 is actually EU 42 but labeled 42.5 by Alpina. This makes about 3 mm of a difference (1/8") but the boots have proper toe clearance - long story short, you can safely choose the boots in either size system.

The US-size? Simple: UK-size +1, e.g. UK 8.5 is US 9.5. Note! The labels on the boots and box indicate only a half-size difference between UK and US sizes. That's not how shoe sizes work, pay no attention to that. The difference between UK and US shoe sizes is one full size.

Alpina size table

Materials and construction

The 4-Tac suffix is not just a decoration tacked on but comes with improvements specified by us:

• Top: Mil-Spec Box Leather
• Midsole: Injected PU
• Sole insulation: A-1000F PrimaLoft Gold Insulation Aerogel
• Sole attachment: molded, not glued
• Insole: Included, and it's a good one
• Weight: 1.9 kg / 4.18 lbs (size EU 42 / US 9, pair)

The Sympatex membrane ensures complete waterproofness and is also a very durable membrane, which is good considering the level of stresses inside the boot. Sole attachment: molded.

On the usual stiffness scale from 1 to 4, the Trapper 4-Tac is level 3. It's a rigid hiking boot with a coarse tread, made for moving on difficult trails while carrying heavy loads. It is not, however, a super-stiff mountain boot. Thanks to the sole shaping, it rolls well over hard surfaces as well.

Care of Gore-Tex etc. Boots

We recommend that you read our shoe and bootcare article. You should not use the regular shoe polish for waterproof membrane boots and shoes, instead use the stuff specifically designed for them. Regular grease/polish can block the holes in the membrane after which they won't breathe anymore.