The crampon-compatible mountaineering boots can be used with both step-in and semi-automatic crampons. You can choose the most suitable type based on your performance and the kind of mountaineering you intend to tackle.
The mountaineering boots compatible with step-in crampons have two TPU inserts, one at the heel and the on the toe, for fastening the crampons. The automatic fastening system is the prevalent one in the case of very technical crampons designed for high-level mountaineering, for ice climbing, dry-tooling and mixed climbing activities. The mountaineering boots compatible with semi-automatic crampons have a single TPU insert on the heel, to which the crampons can be fastened. Semi-automatic crampons are usually more popular in classic mountaineering