The extended rubber over the toe box gives plenty of grip for toe hooking and the heel is snug and supportive for hooking, even compared to the S-heel on Sportiva shoes. At first I was a little sceptical about it’s softness, but after trying it on the wall all doubts went away. It stands on almost vertical reliefs and it’s flexibility allows to put it into incredible positions.
Below you can see the tables with the survey responses for males and females. It is very helpful to figure out which size you need for your La Sportiva Solutions depending on your foot shape and street shoe size. Whilst the Scarpa website suggests that the Booster has a narrow last, I would strongly disagree – this is not a narrow shoe. The only thing that’s narrow about it is the heel, but beyond that the rest of the shoe is – if anything – at the wider end of the spectrum, particularly around the forefoot.
Our tough-footed testers loved these sensations and raved about the confidence it gave them while utilizing micro footholds. The testers with more delicate feet also appreciated the outstanding sensitivity but lamented that the sensitivity turned to pain during longer climbing sessions. Although soft shoes can be effective for slab climbing, long low-angle pitches feel especially tiring because there is almost zero support in the midsole. Still, the otherworldly sensitivity of the Drago is reason enough to pick up our pair. The Scarpa Drago is one of the softest and most sensitive climbing shoes that we’ve tried. The only model that gives it a run for its money is the Scarpa Chimera.
Even when applying lots of weight and power to the toe edge of these shoes, the arch of the foot is supported, and the heel hardly sags. The plentiful support also keeps the feet from becoming pumped and tired. In recent years, the climbing shoe market has largely focused on the trend of ultrasoft shoes that maximize sensitivity and minimize structural stiffness. While soft shoes are good for certain kinds of climbing, the designers at Scapa understand support is required when generating power on tiny footholds. The original version of this shoe, the La Sportiva Solution ($180), is one of the most revolutionary climbing shoes to ever exist. With its egg-shaped heel cup, elastic mesh entry, and split sole, the Solution paved the way for an entire class of high-end sport climbing/bouldering shoes.
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Stiff Vs Soft
The only time I would reach for something else is to edge harder, and then the VS have that covered. I have some Miura VS for edging, but 95% of the time I will reach for these indoors. The combination of a vacuum fit, perfect heel, great sensitivity, sensible downturn and a very stable platform kind of do everything really well. The Five Ten NIAD VCS is the latest evolution of the classic Anasazi. Famously a jack-of-all-trades, this comfortable, high performance shoe…
The fit is very snug and the soft rubber provides excellent grip. Of course this comes at the cost of relatively fast wear for the soles. The Drago is a significant improvement on the toe hooking capability of the Furia which was the biggest drawback on that shoe. I have currently used them indoors for both bouldering and steep sport climbing and they have held up well in both situations. The vibram rubber gives confidence straight out of the box and the fit is very snug. Compared to previous high performance shoes, these wore in after a few hours.
That said, the heel is wide creating dead-space for climbers with small heels. Fortunately, the low-volume VS can amend this problem, all the while in a beautiful shade of teal. The Bi-Tension system, along with the synthetic design, creates limited stretch. This means that how they’re fit in store is close to how they will feel in month four.
At £145 the Booster is the most expensive shoe in Scarpa’s rock shoe range (with the exception of the highly specialist Maestro Alpine, that comes in at £220). Whilst it is subtle, the Booster does provide a degree of edging ability which the Furia Air, Furia S and Drago don’t, but with the added benefit of retaining the same degree of sensitivity. The only thing that lets them down is the heel, which does appear to be at the slippier end of the spectrum. I’m Jim and this is my place where I talk and write about climbing stuff.
Buyers Guide: How To Choose A Climbing Shoe
For single pitch techy face climbing, a more sensitive shoe will probably make you feel more secure and less likely to overgrip. Women’s shoes are often simplified to accommodate the softer contours of a woman’s feet. But Scarpa has found that women come in all shapes and sizes, so they have created climbing footwear for everyone! The brand is inclusive through their Scarpa Stands program, which brings attention and equity to people of all genders and colors in the world of rock climbing.
The Eldo Z fits snugly over the adaptive foot and remains firmly in place while edging, heel hooking, and high-stepping. While climbing thin cracks, we were impressed with how well the toe point of the Aztec pinches down and inserts into narrow fissures. Compared to other popular trad climbing shoes, the Aztec performs exceptionally well on offset cracks, laybacks, and flaring seams. Your toes must be slightly bent to maximize the specialized purpose of these shoes. When fit properly, the Boostic will channel lots of power into the point of your big toe.
Evolv Phantom Climbing Shoes Analysis
I had Evolv Pontas 44 size, Miura 43 size, Stix 43 size and I bought Dragos in 43.5 because of synthetic materials that doesn’t strech a lot ant it fitted like a glove! Maybe next pair will be 43, but the current size is comfirtable enough and works well on both micro footholds and large slopers. We put together our ‘shoeculator’ to help you find the right size in a new model, compared to your old climbing shoes or street shoes. The Scarpa shoes’s ability to absorb and disperse the impact of each step is what makes it a shoe that any climber can appreciate. Scarpa Helix climbing shoes are the perfect addition to any outfit.
Bouldering consists of climbing relatively short routes on small cliffs and freestanding boulders. This discipline is all about difficult climbing in its most distilled form. We also tested shoes on granite walls at the center of the universe — aka Yosemite Valley.
However, the broadness of the toe does limit how much of the shoe can sneak inside pockets and other small holds. Again, the lack of stiffness can make techy vertical limestone more taxing on the toes. As a general rule, Scarpa climbing shoes will begin to noticeably stretch out within 5 sessions and will be completely stretched out within about 1 month of consistent climbing.
The rubber still allows your foot to get a feel of the surface underneath. Padded Heel Cup | Hugging your heel in all the right places, the built-in heel cushioning provides a secure fit without pinching your Achilles tendon. Although not well-suited to tackling the full spectrum of climbing styles, the Drago knows what it is about. Have any of you have experienced this with Drago or other Scarpa shoes? When you click on links to buy products we may earn money to support our work.
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