Evolv > K Lace

Noodles > Intro: We're hooking up with Dustin at the TDB at Burlington, I think these shoes are what he's going to be climbing in

The KLACE is a new comer to the EVOLV line up, rounding out the flat lasted, lace up, edging line. I'm not afraid to admit that when I pulled these shoes out of the box I was not looking forward to even putting them on, let alone climbing in them. I'm not a big fan of flat lasted shoes and even less of a fan of stiff lace up, edging shoes. The last pair of flat lasted, technical edging shoes that I wore felt like rubber bricks on my feet and performed in roughly the same manner. That's why it took me so long to write this review, procrastination and persistence to not even look at these shoes and pretend they didn't exist in the back of my closet, sitting, waiting to be tried out, lasted so long. I finished my review of the K2's and went back to wearing my Talons, shoes that I trusted, that were comfortable and always performed. But after time, the calling of the KLACE finally got the best of me. I opened the box and removed the plain, grey shoe, thoughts of the last flat lasted, edging shoe that made false promises of making even the smallest edges into a portaledge.

The KLACE surprised me. This shoe is not your typical edging shoe. It performs with much more sensitivity than any other edging shoe I've ever worn, while still providing powerful, laser accuracy edging. This was one of the features of this shoe that was so cool. The only way I can describe my entire reaction to this shoe is that it performs exactly like a lace up slipper. I know, I know, that makes no sense but it has all the pros of being a highly sensitive, bad ass smearing slipper while rejecting all the down falls of the general slipper design. What am I talking about? Well, the laces on the KLACE keep your heal snugly in the shoe and allow for technical heal hooking but, despite having laces and being made for technical edging, you still get all the sensitivity of having a non-lace up shoe. Believe me, there are ultra thin condoms out there weeping because they will never provide the sensitivity that these shoes provide.

Now, that we've covered the sensitivity of the shoes (which still boggles my mind because frankly, flat lasted, lace ups are like the teases of climbing shoes, they lead you on with promises, provide you with a false sense of security, they only do what they want and they always leave you wanting more) let's move on to the other aspects of this shoe.

Again Evolv has given us better than we deserve. Brothers and Sisters! Again we see how gracious Evolv is to us, offering their perforated synthetic upper, that makes sure your shoes are never the embarrassing best friend who doesn't shower but does become a complete lush after only a couple of drinks. Seriously, it's embarrassing. Sizing down your shoes so that they'll stretch out to just the right fit, while after only a month they stink worse than the sandwich that's been at the bottom of your day pack since that trip to the Adirondacks in 2003. Evolv has made it possible to avoid the entire situation and simply buy shoes that fit and won't stink.

Now for some blunt honesty. If I was going to session on a 45 indoors, this would not be the shoe of choice. Come on, they're designed for slab to slightly overhung. As a consolation prize, I would choose these shoes if the only thing I climbed on was an indoor horizontal flat roof. I'm actually very surprised to say that these shoes can in fact toe very well. I wouldn't say that they perform the same way outside on horizontal roofs, but when the holds are all three dimensional and even the smallest edge can be bicycled they've got enough flexibility to make that desperate toe hook stay just a little longer.

All in all, I was surprised. Not by the fact that Evovl keeps putting a non-stretch, perforated synthetic upper that doesn't stink on they're shoes. Not but by the fact that these shoes are actually good at edging (come on, they're a flat lasted, lace up, if I said that an alcoholic was good at drinking, would you be surprised?.) What I was surprised at was the sensitivity of the shoe. I know I keep mentioning it but seriously when was the last time a lace up, edging shoe performed with all the pros of it's exact opposite and none of it's cons. In all honesty, if all you do is boulder, I'd say your better off with Down turned toe shoe, like the Predator. If you boulder and climb routes and are looking for something more in an all arounder, I'd turn your gaze to the K2s. However, if you're looking for something in the performance line of slightly overhanging with the ability to smear just as well as edge, or you if this is your first pair of shoes and you want something that bridges the gap between rental line, and high performance, stiff mid-sole shoe, I'd say these are your shoes.