Super-gaiter boots offer mountaineers a bit of a hybrid option when purchasing boots, and are a cross between single and double boots. Super-gaiter boots come with a non-removable inner boot area that is covered by a permanently attached outer gaiter. Having a gaiter on the boot is great since it makes your feet warm, increases the weatherproofing on the boot, and keeps laces away from abrasions.
Another nice option super-gaiter boots bring is their ability to climb well in cold and wet conditions, basically performing better in this category than single boots. If you know you’ll be climbing often when it’s wet or cold, then super-gaiter boots might be a good option for you. Many winter mountain guides in Colorado, as well as climbers in Patagonia, love super-gaiter boots since they have better protection and more features than most single boots.
If you are considering super-gaiter boots, know that they can be difficult to dry out. You can’t remove the gaiter on these boots, so you’ll get less airflow, and therefore less able to dry out the inner area of the boot. If you don’t use your boots often, this probably won’t be an issue, but if you climb several days in a row, this could annoy you. So, if you know you’ll be camping and climbing many days in a row in the snow, a double boot might work better for you than a super-gaiter boot since you can more easily dry out a double boot overnight.
Really, super-gaiter boots are another great option for mountaineers but whether you want a pair or not will depend on your mountaineering activity level and plans. So, for those of you who like to camp and hit the mountains for many days in a row, these might not be the best boots for you. On the other hand, they would work well for people that hit the mountains once or twice a week for a few hours at a time.