Climbing Shoe Test

Welcome

2011-09-05T12:58:00.001-07:00

Some of you may know us from Climbingholdreview, we also have another page going where we are conducting a long term test on some 5.10 shoes. Our plan is to try and cover as many brands as possible, if there's a pair of shoes you think we should test don't hesitate to drop us a line. Our goal is to provide the climbing community a deeper resource for climbing performance from a few different perspectives in attempts to balance subjectivity.

There are a number of people who will be wearing the same shoes (no not at the same time or the same pair that would be gross) so we'll get a good spread of opinions from different level and types of climbers. What we guarantee you, the reader; climber; rock god, that it'll be an impartial review, no matter what advertising we have (or don't have) on this page.
The CHR Team

UPDATES:

Noodles has reviewed 5.10's Chases

Review > Five Ten > Chases

2011-09-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

Noodles:

So my Guides died, it took a while… but not as long as I’d expected them to last. Mind you I did kick the hell out of them; what killed them was some river mud that never washed out, not matter what I did they always left my socks a funny color... so in the end they were binned.

In desperate need of another pair of shoes I grabbed a different pair of shoes, this time the Chases

Here’s what the Five Ten site says :

The word Parkour means ”The Path, or the Way Through” Freerunning and Parkour place very high demands on footwear. Whether it be running off the walls and doing back flips, landing a precision gap jump, or balancing a rail far above the ground, the new Five Ten prepare for take-off. The multi-talented Chase combines the spring and support demanded by free runners with a classic street-smart upper. The Chase is the shoe of choice for Parkour and Freerunning experts.

The shoes as usual are kicking 5.10’s rubber, this time Mystique rather than C4, so there’s a change, but what you have to remember these shoes aren’t made to hike to the cliff in they’re made to run up walls. Mystique is a brutally tough rubber designed to be lighter weight with twice the endurance of previous rubbers. Exotic ingredients get off-the-chart marks on the PICO abrasion resistance test.

5.10 Chases

What does all this mean? It means they grip and they last a long time. The problem I had with the Guides is that I just walked through the heels of them in a pretty short period of time, on a wet surface (like a Metro platform) they slipped and slid like I was wearing a pair of ice skates; the net result was the shoes are great for getting to the crag, great for a little bouldering session but in town they kind of lacked the grip I was expecting. Yeah yeah we know the Guides are a tool for a specific job, but I buy shoes and I wear them pretty well every day, if they can do everything that I ask of them then I’m happy, if they don’t then well I look for another option.

Ah options, the Chases... or another pair of Guides. I went for the Chases and here’s where a love story begins:

5.10 Chases

Weekend One:

We were playing in the forest cutting down some trees, chain saws blazing the shoes were great as we hiked to where we were cutting down stuff.

On the way back as we passed the wood back over a river (the bridge has long since fallen down so you have to stand on some slippery old wood to pass stuff over), my foot slipped and my new shoes got soaked. “Hell I think, as one foot is wet I might as well walk back down the river to get home”, so I did. In go the feet and a scrambling hike later (to the shoulders in water in some places) I emerge back at the cabin, soaked. I took the shoes off, put them on a nice warm picnic bench and in the morning I had a nice dry pair of shoes (Nope, I didn’t even stuff them with news paper) What’s more the shoes didn’t even look like they’d been in a river. So far so good!

5.10 Chases

Weekend Two:

Paintball, normally the nemesis of most shoes. I should have worn boots but I didn’t. It rained all day. End result, my feet did get a little wet (remember these aren’t really for the forest) and the shoes had more mud on / in them than you’d really want on a pair of kicks. So I hosed them down and began to wonder if the dreaded “muddy sock syndrome” would return. Nope, so far these shoes are kicking the Guides ass, and if you’re honest they look better when you’re just kicking about as well!

Weekend Six:

I’ve been wearing these shoes day in day out for well six weeks. Time for a smell test

They still smell new, something is not right here. Just for reference the only shoes I don’t wear socks in are climbing shoes.

Mr 5.10 has made a shoe that actually breathes pretty well... we’re in the middle of Summer here.

Weekend Seven:

I’m setting at the local wall and being a genius I forget my climbing shoes but remember the holds that we’re testing. Thankfully we’re setting on the boulder wall so it shouldn’t be too bad. After a 6hr session in these shoes, fore running and hiking up and down ladders my feet are feeling a little tired but nothing too bad... oh I also managed to flash a V4 in them.

Yup you heard right, these shoes ACTUALLY CLIMB PRETTY DAMN WELL... more testing is in order

5.10 Chases

Weekend Eight / Nine and Ten:

Climbing indoors and out, I decide that all of my warm ups should be done in these shoes and some bouldering up to V4. Now these shoes don’t edge as well as the Guides but they do a pretty good job, and when you look at the profile or the toe box

Insert images here

You’ll see that if you get anywhere near to a crack you’ve got an advantage with the Chases, they give you more toe control so where the Guides fall down these actually do as good of, if not a better job. The only problem with the Chases as I’ve found is that they’re not as stiff as the Guides, for some people this is a good thing, for others it’s not so good; it really comes down to personal preference and the way you actually climb

Currently:

We’re at about four months in, yes I said we as the Chases have become pretty well my shoe of choice. It’s raining outside and I decided to do a little test today. I call it the slide test. With the Guides on a wet day on a Metro platform I could run and slide because the sole looks like this:

5.10 Guide Sole

Compared to this:

5.10 Chase Sole

So I splashed through a few puddles and wandered to the metro, took a nice long run up and went for a slide. Ooops did I say slide, I meant sudden stop. The Chases grip like no other shoe on the planet, they are pretty damn ridiculous.

So it seems to be all good right? Well that’s not so, I do have a couple of minor (and they are so minor it’s not even funny) problems with the shoes....

These shoes will mark the floor, the Guides would as well but you’d have to really try to get the C4 to leave a black line... the Chases will leave a nice black line if you drag your foot.

The upper isn’t going to last as long as the Guides, but so far there are only a couple of minor scuffs whereas the Guides would actually just shrug off the abuse

If you want something slightly more waterproof then these aren’t really it. They will keep your feet dry, but as they breathe really well it’s a matter of time before your feet will get wet.

That’s it! If you want something that in my mind is probably the best semi approach / go to the bar / I forgot my climbing shoes shoes then I’d say go but some Chases!

If you don’t believe me here’s the state of these shoes today at around four months and I’ve worn these shoes EVERYDAY for that period of time....

5.10 Chases Sept 2011

Things to note: I haven’t done the laces up on these shoes ever, I just knotted the end of the laces and just slip them on. They’re that comfortable and fit my feet that well. There is some wear on the outside edges of the heels, that’s because of the way I walk.... with my Guides the tread had actually worn down to the base within a month. These shoes have been in mud / rivers / had paint balls hit them / drinks dropped on them / food dropped on them and have survived bird poop

You can find the Chases here:

http://fiveten.com/products/footwear-detail/10116-chase-golden-oak

5.10 > Rock Wrench

2010-11-29T06:39:00.000-08:00

Noodles: For a while we've stuck with the same shoes, well I have. I've been bouncing between my Anasazis, from time to time my Projects. So we've been a little lax over here... thankfully I was kicking past a local store and the Rock Wrenches were on sale so I figured what the hell I'll give them a try! Why? It's not before their visual styling, it's because Chris has been rocking about in his 5.10 Prisms and he loved the toe and the way they felt... so without further ado here's the Rock Wrenches:

They're an interesting beast that's for sure, they have a chiseled toe (which we'll talk about more in detail below), they're obviously a lace up... the heel cup is (for once) really well designed and fits really well and then there is a small amount of padding under the heel. They come with a double pull tab so even when they're only half unlaced it's easy to get them on and off.

From the get-go, other than the fact that Chris had raved about the chiseled toe box I "kind of needed a new pair of shoes" as it's comp season. It was probably a brave thing for me to get them two days before the competition.. to not wear them at all and to put them on for the first time in a new gym on brand new holds without trying them on (other than in the store)
I suppose this is a "true test" of a pair of climbing shoes... totally untested and in a medium where you NEED THEM TO PERFORM :)

FIT: I have these shoes at my street size, and they fit quite well with my little toes being a little bit rolled on the outside edges. To be honest this gets a little painful after an hour of climbing or so. I could have sized them up a half size but when I tried these on at a larger size the heel cup didn't fit anywhere near as well as I like. So I'm rolling street size for these guys, putting these shoes on and off is nice and easy
RUBBER: ONYXX, it's pretty high friction but it is a little hard so smearing is something that you have to learn to do in these shoes. Smearing is also something that is a little strange because of the edges on the toe box

The main thing about these shoes is the toe box.. it's something that should be looked at a little more closely:

It's almost completely chiseled, it means that when you climb (if you climb quite toes on, which I kind of do sometimes) that you have almost an unfair advantage over other climbers that don't have that flat edge that makes the smallest edges seem like they're huge... and then look at the front outside edge again it's flat... and it means that you can just lock your foot onto that tiny thing that you'd have trouble standing on and then just laugh at how easy it is. Now edging with these shoes is also helped by the fact that the shoes are pretty stiff! If you compare these shoes to other shoes in the 5.10 range then these are the stiffest shoes that I've tried... the Projects are super soft and the Anasazis are medium hard; these guys feel like you're wearing a pair of beginner shoes when you first put them on.

Once you get these on and you climb in them a little you can get used to the fact that they're slightly stiffer than you're really used to you'll notice that they're slightly down turned which again helps with when you're placing your foot onto holds. Now I like a pair of shoes that you can just slip on and then dump your foot onto anything and not worry about it... these shoes should have a small warning in the box with them and it should read "Hi, these shoes are going to feel really weird to climb in for a little while!" because they do. So weird in fact that look at the two below photos:

At the start of the comp I rocked out with the Wrenches and then later in the comp I went back to my old shoes... mainly for comfort and because I was having trouble adapting my climbing style to them whilst trying to compete. I've worn these shoes a grab number of 5 times... YES 5 TIMES and now I've actually had to put them on the side lines... why?

Ah why!

Because one of the lace loops...

... that are stitched into the underside of the upper has frayed and come completely undone meaning that when I lace the shoes I have a spot that is loose and it feels super strange. I was surprised to have this happen after less than a week, it's something that Chris has talked about with 5.10 he's been saying that 5.10's build quality has gone completely down the toilet. I don't agree with that all of my other shoes have been great, some are still in service after years of abuse, I think that this is just one of those freak things that happens... at least I hope so!

OVERALL: Although I can't use these shoes anymore due to the lace loops being broken I enjoyed climbing in these shoes; it made me climb with a completely different style to what I'm used to and it really takes some getting used to but once you do they perform really really well.
It's a shame that I've pretty well wasted money on them, I can't find the receipt so I can't return them to the store... maybe I'll pick up another pair in the future and I'll come back with more feedback.

Evolv > K Lace

2009-11-15T07:45:00.000-08:00

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.

Overview > La Sportiva Mantis

2009-10-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

Chris > I've not worn La Sportiva shoes before, but I do like velcro closure shoes. These are a little small (half size) too small for me, but Noodles says they should stretch a little bit and will fit fine... all it takes is time :P

Lets looks at what the La Sportiva site says about these shoes:
All around hook and loop closure shoe that excels at gym climbing, bouldering and sport climbing

The Mantis is built for the modern climber who transitions from bouldering to sport climbing and gym climbing. A supportive 2mm Sensi-Flex midsole gives you great support on tiny edges. The plush padded tongue feels great after an entire day at the crag and the supportive synthetic leather and leather upper wraps your foot in confidence.

WEIGHT: 8.92 oz • 253 g LAST: RLN 35 CONSTRUCTION: Slip Lasted FIT: Comfort w/ Low Asymmetry UPPER: Leather/ Synthetic Leather LINING: Unlined MIDSOLE: 2mm Sensi-Flex SOLE: 4mm FriXion® RS

One thing that is pretty impressive about these shoes from the get go is the price, they're sub $100, and given the amount of shoes that Noodles has worn from this company then let's face it they must be good! The Tour De Bloc is coming so we'll be reporting back on how these wear at our wall and all over the competitions this year

Done > Five Ten Projects

2009-10-10T19:04:00.000-07:00

Noodles > The title says it all, with over 6 months of climbing in them the Five Ten Projects are done! I can't wear them too much because they've become too sensitve for my feet. Chris has tried them on and says the same thing, and foot hold that is sharp and it's like stepping on a tack :(

Overall they've performed as well as advertised, except when I've been outside on small edges where I found there wasn't enough support for me to complete some of the problems I was trying. The heel cup is wonderful and the shoes have worn very well, there's still a little life in these shoes but they will only be used on specific projects where they'll perform as needed

If I'd brought these shoes I'd have been happy with them, they're worth a look if you climb steep overhung boulders, don't even think about cracks as you'll not have enough support for your feet!!

Overview > La Sportiva Scorpions

2009-08-24T07:15:00.000-07:00

Noodles > Well my Five Ten Project are done, they're just too sensitive for me to climb with anymore! Luckily La Sportiva hooked myself and Chris up with some new shoes! For me it's the Scorpions... lets look at what the Sportiva site says:
All around lace up shoe for every type of climbing
The comfortable entry-level shape of the Scorpion fits all type of feet. We made this shoe with comfort in mind. A padded tongue, unlined leather upper and a 2mm Sensi-Flex midsole protects your feet and lets the shoe do the work for you on small edges. The 4mm FriXion® RS sole is extremely versatile and crosses over to all disciplines.

WEIGHT: 8.74 oz • 248 g LAST: RLN 35 CONSTRUCTION: Slip Lasted FIT: Comfort w/ Low Asymmetry UPPER: Leather/ Synthetic Leather LINING: Unlined MIDSOLE: 2mm Sensi-Flex SOLE: 4mm FriXion® RS

Right now I've only climbed in them a few times, they're stiff but are loosening up and the fit is really nice considering that i've worn Muiras for years and years. This is just an overview on the shoes, I'll report back with more soon!

Evolv > Kaos 2

2009-08-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Noodles > Intro: Now Dustin's been off of the radar for a while, he's not been answering emails or any of my calls *sniff*; why? Well because he's been kicking the sh*t out of these shoes below and writing another well informed review on Evolvs new Kaos II. Enjoy the read, he's making some big claims that I'm going to need to look into.
Dustin > Kaos II:If anyone remembers the first version of the Kaos you probably remember a bulky heal cup, sensitive smearing and some yellow synthetic material that after a couple of solid sessions, becomes more of a mustard and dirt colour and smells so bad that every time you bring them to the gym or crag, you think that federal authorities are going to arrest you for possession of biological weapons.

Evolv has truly improved upon the design of the original Kaos with their new K-2s. At first look, they're a pretty bland pair of shoes. I mean, looking at the rest of the Evolv line you've got some line of some pretty flashy shoes and then...you have the very simple, black and grey K-2s. Don't let simplcity fool you though, these shoes may not have all the pimped out graphics of other shoes, but what Evolv didn't spend on graphics, they put into R&D, I won't spoil the conclusion of this review but, I can tell you this, these shoes are awesome.

Now, I'm a big fan of heel hooks, I won't lie. Any shoe that can't give me a solid technical heel hook, on plastic or on rock, isn't worth my time. The K-2s heel cup fits perfectly while providing sensitive technical heel hooks. The first time I put it on my heel slid so easily in that I thought for sure it was going to slide out heel hooking but I was happily disappointed. The heel cup fits comfortably, while still allowing for a aggressive pulling and torquing.

One of the coolest things about these shoes, which I'm finding out is standard on all Evolv shoes, is that the fabric on the shoe is a perforated synthetic. Now I know what your thinking, because when Buck said that to me, I could only stare at him blankly and wonder 'say what now?'. The long and short of it is this, the perforated synthetic allows the shoes to breath more, which means that no longer will you have shoes so rancid that when you open your pack at the crag or the gym, you wonder what died in there.

Let's talk about edging. At first try I thought the edges were bomber, the shoe is stiff enough that it will perform well for edging and allow some sensitivity for smearing. The reality, as it went for the month that tortured, tested and abused these shoes for (believe me, I did terrible things to these shoes in the name of informed reviewing) that these shoes only become better at edging, even after the break in period. After two weeks the shoes began to simply stay, on everything, on every angle. I don't even like flat soled climbing shoes, I haven't put on a pair of non-downturned toe shoes since my first pair of Kaos but these shoes perform like down turned shoes while keeping all the benefits of an edging-based design. Even after the edges wore down, I found that the shoe still managed to stand on itsy bitsy dime edges. Smearing I will admit, took two weeks to really meet the level of expectation I had for this shoe. When I see flat soled velcros I think of a smearing shoe, ones perfect for walking my feet up the wall to hand foot match but out of the box... I found they really needed some breaking in.

The true beauty of this shoe however comes from Evolv's philosophy of shoe fit. I will admit that I was one of those kids that crammed my toes into shoes way too tight for me just to accommodate the stretch of shoes but no longer. Brothers and Sisters, I have seen the light! Evolv's synthetic upper stretches at most a 1/4 of a size and after a month of me doing awful things to them (I will admit, I drove over them with my truck a couple of times...) they still fit the same as when I got them out of the shipping box.

So here's my closing note. These are a great shoe. They're all-around shoe. For those who don't like down turned shoes, these are the shoes for you. Evolv, I believe, has finally made a shoe that is, if not comparible, then better than all the other classic, all-around shoes. I would say that finally Evolv has put out a shoe that can sit on the same shelf as the Miura or the Anasazi and out perform them. This company has got it's sh*t together, and I think it's time we all take a good look. The K-2s are bad ass and brand new. I would recommend them to anyone who wants a high sensitivity edging shoe...that will never wreak. Peace all. K-Lace review on the way.

New 5.10's coming: 26/08/09

2009-07-22T17:09:00.001-07:00

New Five Ten shoes are coming, no details as of yet... but they're a coming

Andrea Boldrini > Apache > Overview

2009-07-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

From the Andrea Boldrini website, we've not heard of the maker... so we picked up some of their shoes to see whats up!
Designing and manufacturing slipper rock climbing shoes is not an easy business.
Would it come under an unfeasible matter to design and manufacture innovating slippers in the traditional pure spirit, most particularly in France?
We are in a position to assert that it is achievable, the Boldrini collection meets an unprecedented success towards knowledgeable experts and with the wealth of this successful challenge we announce the improvement of our production outputs of our Romans site in the department of Drôme.
We are proud and excited to unveil our new 2007 fashion show enriched by even more innovations and more than ever aimed at the “performance-precision-comfort” triad.

Boreal > Falcons > Overview

2009-07-12T07:44:00.000-07:00

Noodles > Since we climb alot and as I need something to compare my longterm shoes (5.10's Projects) Mike sent me on over a pair of Boreal Falcons. They're similar to the Projects, I've only had them on a few times but they're performing very well, have a watch

5.10 > Jet 7's

2009-06-04T07:15:00.000-07:00

Jacky > Jet 7: This climbing shoe is nothing new, but it had been on my list for a while so I gladly spent a few bucks when 5.10 showed interest in a review. Considered as a high performance bouldering shoe, the Jet-7s inspire nothing but praise.

Evidently, this shoe will make a bigger difference for high caliber climbers. Since I’m a V5 climber, I probably won’t be able to push this shoe to its limit but I will do my best to give you a detailed and exact account of my impressions on these shoes when I use them. Mostly because of school, my climbing schedule gets limited to a couple of sessions a week and I therefore take more time than Muckle or Noodles, like 6-8 months, to destroy shoes.

My first steps in these shoes were made at Val David, during an outdoor bouldering session. Since we were climbing at night, we had to look carefully and find footholds with our headlamps before getting on the boulder. Once the enemy identified, we were ready for attack! On the first problem, I had to heel hook the rock. I found my heel slipping out of the shoe, and I was uncomfortable with the move. I tied up the upper velcro some more and that sufficed to solve the problem. On the next problem, I was pleasantly surprised by the toe work. The toe of the shoe is very precise and natural. On my first try standing on this crimper for the feet, I was shocked by the shoe’s adherence to the rock. The cut of the shoe is such that the tip gets a good contact with a ledge of only a few millimeters and the sensitivity allows for precise work without hesitation. I must have told Muckle ten times how precise my toe work had become…well, enough times to make him want to try them! He tried them… but I took them back quickly enough! :P I also noted the rubber’s tenderness, rendering the sole a very useful tool when it comes to smearing. The only damper, is the interior of the heel of the shoe. Since we were outdoors in a damp area, I had to change between my hiking and climbing shoes quite a bit. By the end of the night, I had nice irritation marks on both feet right below my Achilles’ heels. Since they are brand new shoes, I can’t tell if it’s the fabric’s roughness or the stitching that chafes… We’ll see in time if this goes on!

My second run with the Jet-7s was on the boulder at the local gym. Since the Tour the Bloc competition just passed by our gym (Allez-Up), there were a few serious problems left to work on. That was pure delight! The most technical move in my whole session was one where I had to bring my entire weight back to a vertical position while avoiding a slip with a toe-hook. I was therefore able to use the Stealth Paint covered top for the first time. My hook was placed on a fairly slick part of the module I was climbing and I do think the textured covering helped the movement by increasing my adherence. Moreover, the combination of the fabric and the rubber gives such an aggressive shoe a more comfortable feel. Note: since it was a short session, I had no irritated heel.

Evolv > Predator

2009-06-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

Noodles > A Brief introduction: Dustin is a new member to Climbingholdreview and he's our only sponsored climber :) We met him at the Tour De Bloc finals at Allez Up and over the course of the weekend found out that he's a straight shooter, says what he thinks and follows up on what he promises. Dustin is sponsored by Evolv, so you'd expect his opinion of the shoes to be a little one sided, even bias, read on people... read on. If honesty is your best policy, then what you're getting in this review, from a seasoned competitor and sponsored climber is what he thinks of a pair of shoes that he wears all the time! Welcome to the team Justin, it's going to be a fun ol'ride

What the Evolv site says:

*PROFILE	Asymmetrical downturned toe profile (KDA-1 last)
*SOLE	4.2 mm TRAX® XT-5 high friction rubber
*RAND	2.2mm TRAX® duro-rand
*UPPER	Non-stretch Synthratek synthetic upper
*LINING	Microfiber lining
*MIDSOLE	MX-1 1mm sensitive teardrop half-length midsole

Dustin > Predator: Above are the specs. To me, specs are simply numbers and words. Yes I guess it is important that the Evolv Predator, the shoe I'm reviewing, has 4.2 mm of TRAX XT-5 high friction rubber on its sole but really, none of these numbers or words tells you, the people who want to know about this shoe, how it feels and most of all, how it performs. This is where I come in apparently; I'm Dustin Curtis, and I've been selected by the team here at CHR to give you the break down on the Evolv Predator.

The Predator has been in the Evolv line since the beginning of this shoe companies youthful existence, tried, tested and true, this shoe has been the back bone of the company's Downturned Toe line. The easy access velcro straps make it a favorite among the gym and outdoor boulderers alike while the non-stretch synthetic leather and asymmetrical toe box make the Predator appealing for those lengthy, footwork dependent sport climbs. What I just gave you, was the very diplomatic, conservative and to be perfectly honest, the same bullshit you'd get out of every review. I'm more a pro's versus no's person anyways so let's start there. (Editors note: That's why we sponsored Dustin, he's a no b/s kind of guy and we love that!)

The Predator is amazing for toeing into small feet on steep overhangs. This is where I would say the shoe excels the most. Even after the edges wear down and the shoes has molded to your foot after countless sessions of your feet pooling inside them, this shoe will still allow you to make that dynamic move, and keep your on this itsy bitsy little nothing that you know the route setter put there just to make fun of your awful foot work. Like wise goes for when your on the rock. The predator will allow you to keep the tension to stay on those tiny divots even when you know that the first accensionist didn't use that beta because he was wearing steel toed hiking boots that made his footwork look much like an elephant enacting swan lake.
On the other side of the it, and the shoe actually, is one of the Predators major downfalls for me personally. The heel is weenie. I know that's not an official review term but seriously, the sling back heel allows for the least amount of rubber in a place where you actually want rubber! This heel particularly doesn't allow for a lot of technical heel hooking where you can kind of finesse and roll your heel onto holds, making it stay and allowing you to make those awful holds, marginally better. Instead, the Predator offer a heel that requires you to slam it on the hold, and pray to whatever deity you believe in that the heel hook that is keeping you on, and in some situations, keeping you from peeling off and taking a very long tumble down a hill riddled with jagged teeth-like rocks (we've all seen these kind of problems don't lie to yourself) please stay. I'll also state that the heel cup is thin, so if you have a thicker heal, you might have trouble squeezing it in there.

Now some people can disagree with me if they want, frankly I really don't care, however, I find that the rubber to be one of the Predators greatest strengths. TRAX rubber is as sticky, if not stickier than every other brand on the market. To be honest, I don't notice that much difference in rubber when you're on the rock. On plastic, there are some differences but I would say that the TRAX rubber out performs a lot of other shoe companies rubber and perform just as well as the rest. Also, if your footwork is really that dependant on your rubber's stickiness, dude, take three months, and work on your footwork.
Although the Predator is one of the best toeing-in shoes on the market, I would say its toe-hooking, is something to be desired. The downturned camber of the shoe, matched with its low profile toe rand, makes toe hooking a little bit of a challenge. Doesn't mean it still can't be done, further more if you were looking for a specific way to train yourself to become a toe hooking ninja, get a pair of Predators and toe hook everyday, on everything, then switch over to the Talon and watch how even the tiny ripple keeps you underneath those bad ass slopers.
Another plus for the Predator is it's price. Call me shallow, but there are thousands of dirtbag boulders and gym rats out there right now agreeing with me. Not all of us can afford the La Sportiva budget my friends and for those of us that want a high quality, steep pulling shoe, this is the one.

Overall, I love the Predator. I'll be completely honest and say that, as a competitor, it's one of my favourite shoes. It performs well on vertical, despite being a downturned shoe, and it excels at steep pulling. The velcro closer is important for any competitor, because there is nothing fun about doing laces up while your sitting on the chair for the next problem except, when your heel comes out when your heel hooking on a finals problem, which usually happens with slippers. As a rock climber, the Predator's simplicity and design make it a good shoe for specific steep climbing while allowing it to still perform on technical vertical routes. Evolv's Predator is a solid shoe, nothing industry changing or trend setting, but it does perform at level higher than most shoes, and on par with the rest. If you were thinking of getting a pair, I would say go for it. They're durable, dependable and on occasion, they exceed your expectations...sounds like the exact opposite of the CHR computer.

La Sportiva > Miura

2009-05-23T08:02:00.001-07:00

What the Sportiva site says: A high performance shoe for edging control and pocket climbing performance In the line for over 10 years, the Miura is the perfect tool for performance footwork whether it be on slabs, vertical or overhanging steep rock. The high tensioned slingshot rand is tied into the powerhinge on the sole so that when small edges are weighted the shoe stretches in the back half of the shoe and not in the front. This allows you to stick on the smallest edges you can find or imagine! The multi-paneled lining gives you the perfect fit and the speed lacing system laces up in a cinch

Jeremy: I've had Miura's for a long long time; I started with these when they came out in the UK around 8 or 9 years ago. These shoes have been my go to shoes for a long long time; these and my Anasazi's were my go to shoes when I was trying anything that needed exact precision footwork.

Now for a little confession, I wear the ladies version of these shoes, not the mens! There is a reason for this that some people may or may not know, let's look at the stats:

Mens: WEIGHT: 8.43 oz • 239 g LAST: PD 75 CONSTRUCTION: Slip Lasted FIT: Performance w/ High Asymmetry UPPER: Leather LINING: Dentex MIDSOLE: 1.1mm LaspoFlex (forefoot only) SOLE: 4mm Vibram® XS Grip

Womens: WEIGHT: 8.22 oz • 223 g LAST: Women’s PD 75 CONSTRUCTION: Slip Lasted FIT: Performance w/ High Asymmetry UPPER: Leather LINING: Dentex MIDSOLE: 1.1mm LaspoFlex (forefoot only) SOLE: 4mm Vibram® XS Grip

That will tell you that the ladies shoes are actually lighter than the men's shoes; the rubber is the same, the only difference is the last. To be honest as I've worn both I cannot tell the difference between the lasts at all; what I do know is that where the back of the shoe (where it rests upon your achilles heal) that has the tabs you use to pull them on has extra padding to stop them from digging into you! We all know that when you get a new pair of shoes, especially climbing shoes, that having something dig into the back of your heel sucks; in this case it's actually comfortable!

If you perfer velcro shoes, then this model also comes as your weapon of choice. The only difference between these and the normal mens Miura is the weight, adding the velcro straps (and subsequent stitching) does make them a little heavier; but for a high performance velcro shoe that can be pulled on a off easily, it's not so much of an issue! We've not tried them, but we'll get a pair of these in very soon so we can make sure that they perform like the lace ups.

Above is how my 4th or 5th pair of Miura's looked when I retired them, they took alot of abuse and I was climbing 4 or 5 times a week, they were used for an entire summer outside, mainly in cracks before the toes started going through and I switched to my Anasazi's

Mike: Unfortunately I don't look quite as good in women's shoes as Jeremy but I'm sure the whopping 16g difference between the men's and women's Miruas justifies prancing around in feminine footwear (Sorry J, couldn't resist...). All kidding aside, the Miuras are a milestone in climbing shoe design. I can't think of any other shoe I have seen on more feet in the gym and the crag. What I think makes this shoe a classic is they are truly a solid all around shoe, excelling in every discipline from bouldering to sport to trad.

For me the Miura represented a transition in my journey as a climber. I don't mean to get esoteric but something clicked when I started climbing in these shoes. I can remembering breaking into my first 5.11 which felt hard but natural. The shape of the last places the foot in a very powerful but natural position. Foot placement is intuitive, stiff but not too stiff yet remained sensitive to a broad range of surfaces. I didn't like the idea of laces initially however the design of the closure system is genius. Tightening is fast and provides excellent degrees of securing throughout the shoe. Another noteworthy feature is the heel which is brilliantly simple yet functional in its design allowing for very aggressive heel hooking with little to no pain or worry feel that the shoe is going to tear off.

The Muira is truly groundbreaking through the simplicity and balance of design. Although my Miuras have since been replaced as primary work horse I still like to go back every once and awhile for a climb to remember what a truly great shoe they are.

Boreal > Blades

2009-05-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

Mike: Similar in concept to the Evolv Optimus Primes, Boreal has designed their new rock shoe utilizing a rounder, wider toe box (which is a godsend for us folks with wide feet). At first glance your attention is drawn to the massive hook and loop double Velcro closure and fire engine red body. I found the initial fit comfortable and didn't feel the need to down size for optimal performance. The heel is nice and deep with no dead space and the ankles are the perfect height and flexibility. The Blades feels light and agile with minimal bulk. They are also canvas lined to minimize stretch which is a smart idea in my book.

Putting these through the gears at the gym I found they were most at home perched on vertical dime edges. They are quite stiff, yet retain a level of sensitivity and precision. Accuracy seemed to come naturally and didn't' require much in regards to placement checking. Boreal's new Quattro rubber isn't the most tacky in relation to other shoes I have tried however its apparent after a few days of abuse these shoes are build to last. The less than tacky rubber and stiffer tendency of the mid sole lead to less than idea performance on steep bouldering problems that required smearing or negative friction. However when it came to aggressive heel hooking I have to commend Boreal for making one of the best heels in the business. The "IRS" heel which comes standard on most top Boreal modes has an excellent design with asymmetrical friction pattern down the spine along with a positive incut shelf at the base of the heel for a little extra pull.

After a few weeks of gym use I found the Blades really shine on hard 5.11s routes with small, sharp crimps and edges. I could put a huge amount of weight on my big toe with little to no effort or stress. I don't think these would be my first choice for cave bouldering however I don't think that was Boreal's intention when they designed this shoe. All in all I'm very impressed with the quality and performance of the Blades and look forward to getting them on some real rock once the black flies die a slow death...

Happy New Gear!

2009-05-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Mike: Here is a sneak peak at some wares coming down the pipe. We are keeping our fingers crossed that some of these shoes will be finding a new home on our feet!

Five Ten Rockwrench - Haven't received word if these are out of prototype phase. Completely square toe box madness!

La Sportiva Speedster - Giving the old Mantra's a massive overhaul! Designed for extreme bouldering and sport sessions. Looking forward to these ones!

Evolv Defy SE - Tweaking one of their most popular shoe with a new heel and increased sensitivity. Competition for the Predator?

Evolv RED Bandits - Revitalizing an excellent all-arounder plus they look hot as hell.

Red Chili Matador - Flagship shoe. Designed and test by the Red Chili team. Enough said...

Evolv > Optimus Primes

2009-05-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

What the Evolv site says: The Optimus Prime climbing show is the fourth instalment of the Sharma Signature Series of shoes. Who else better to design a climbing shoe than one of the strongest, most well acclaimed climbers in the World. Designed on a down cambered last, the Optimus Prime has a deeper fitting heel and a much stiffer heel cup than the Optimus.

Designed on a completely different last than any other climbing shoes, the Optimus Prime offers a symmetric shoe box (round toe box) It also has the oval grid pattern rand for added protection and for improved toe hooking while the hook-and-loop fastener maintains the shape for a tight fit

Chris: The Optimus Primes are the latest installment of signature shoes designed by Chris Sharma. The aggressive down turned last is great for steep terrain and bouldering. These are the first pair of down turned shoes that I've owned and it took a little time before I could get used to them. When I first got them on my feet, I couldn't believe how well they hooked. At that time I wasn't too comfortable using my heel and I would do rounds on the boulder wall using my heel exclusively. Even after weeks of practice I didn't gain much confidence with hooking, but it all changed with these shoes. For some reason every time I put my heel on a hold, I could crank out the move (and they say shoes don't make a climber ;). What these shoes don't do very well is edge, the down turned toe throws your body dynamics way off. The best way to describe it is that I need to stick my butt way out when my feet are on crimps. Chris and the guys at Evolve must have had a really good night prior to designing these shoes to get the idea of enclosing the shoe with rubber. If you're like me and like your shoes tight, the rubber around the shoe doesn't allow for much expansion and they are as tight as the day I got them. The rubber also serves a couple more obvious reason: 1-gives more protection when toe hooking and 2-it looks really cool. I'm still waiting for them to turn into a robot

Mike: It seems to me that the industry is starting to realize that climbing shoes don't have to fit tight and require severe toe cramming to obtain maximum performance which is a welcome development for us folks with wide feet. At first glance you can immediately tell the Primes are moving towards new shoe shaping utilizing a symmetrical (rounder) toe box. Initially when I was sizing these I found them very similar to other brands of Evolv and managed to get them snug without any pain spots right off the shelf. The heel is deep and fitted with very little dead space which means awesome control when the heel is need for a little action. I also found the cut around the ankles soft and low which means little to no digging.

On plastic I found them to work well on both horizontal and vertical terrain. They felt quite a bit stiffer than other Evolv models which means they held weight well on micro edges plus with the benefit of a symmetrical toe box not a lot of concentration was required to place the shoe in an optimal position. Because of the generous width I was able to keep these on for long periods of time before my feet needed a break which is a nice change. The split uppers and double hook loops made for quick on and offs plus I found you could really crank the hell out of them for a secure fit.

After about a dozen climbs in the gym I'm still enjoying these shoes however they aren't the first weapons I reach for a route or bouldering session. I found they lack the sensitivity of the Predator or Talon likely due to the stiffness which also negatively impacted their smearing performance. On occasion I found myself double having to double check foot placement because I couldn't get a good read of the feature through the shoe. Also because these shoes are a thick(er) synthetic with generous rubber webbing pattern I found they have had little to no stretch since I bought them, so head the warning, don't downside these animals. I'm looking forward to giving these guys a work out on real rock to see if my initial reactions still hold true.

Jeremy: When we were sent some Evolvs we were pretty happy, as Chris and I both have the same size feet it means we can switch between shoes pretty quickly, we had a set of Pontas (which I ended up getting) and the Optimus Primes that Chris climbed a lot in. From the outset I found the shoes didn't smear all that well and that really put me off, so I chucked on the Pontas to see what the difference was... the answer? The Pontas are easier to smear with than the Primes, but the Primes are far superior on overhung terrain.

The hook-and-loop closure, does make for easy on's and offs which I found useful as I found my toes being pretty cramped up in the toe box of these shoes, strange as the toe box is actually pretty wide!! Overall, if I now had a choice between the Primes and the Pontas, I'd take the Primes... because I know where I'd use them, I'd get them out into the water for some DWS as there is a lot of rubber and not too much fabric... so they'll dry out nice and quickly!

One thing I did notice about the shoes was when Chris had had them for a good long time and he went away to HP40 for some Christmas climbing... Evolv says that there is "added protection" on the toe box.... I say hmmm; there is added protection sure, but the little area of fabric that sits between the rubber was completely destroyed and ended up looking like a teddy bear with its stuffing hanging out after a week out on the rock bouldering. I doubt that it was from Chris overusing toe hooks over the period of time he had the shoes (you very rarely see him do this) but he did use this move a lot on the rock..... the top of the toe box was pretty well mint when he left... when he got back it was time for some new shoes due to the damage..