Jeff probably what the person you talked to meant about being in shape enough to use those boots on Ranier was an issue of warmth. To use single boots like that on Ranier without risking frostbite would require you to keep moving fairly fast at altitude in order to keep your core generating enough warm blood to warm your toes. There is a lot more than that to keeping your feet warm climbing but it is part of the issue.
Those Vetta lites are designed for a different type of "summer mountaineering" entirely, climbs that require a lot of moving on steep rock where the low-profile sticky sole and rands, combined with the ankle flexibility, will be an advantage.
Climbing Mt. Ranier is never really "summer" as compared to summer in the rest of the Cascades, it takes a winterish gear set up even in August. You will probably end up slowed down enough by altitude that your extremities will feel it, don't skimp on the boots and gloves.
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