Scarpa Furia

“World-class, mega-dank! Thanks to perfectly soft edges, Ryan Gosling in ‘The Notebook’ sensitivity, and a delightfully comfortable fit,” one tester said. So comfortable that he wore them on the 13-pitch Yankee Clipper (5.10b) in El Potrero Chico, Mexico, and was still grinning and singing after a full day of edging on micro-nubs. The same tester onsighted three 5.12s in the Furia at crags around Chattanooga, Tennessee, choosing them because of their versatility and performance on verticals, steeps, pockets, smedging, edges, slopers, and everything in between. The baby-fuzz softness comes from having no midsole, which famed shoe designer Heinz Mariacher removed to increase sensitivity and that supple feel. The midsole is also responsible for helping keep the aggressively downturned shape of a shoe, so instead Mariacher used a piece of tensioned rubber that runs from the ball of the foot to the front of the heel, called the PCB-Tension System (Power Connection Band). This piece of tensioned rubber (it’s stretched before being applied to the shoe) helps you transfer power directly into the toe. This means that your entire foot is working to help you edge on a dime, instead of just your toes. As the softest shoe in Scarpa’s line, the Furia is a versatile and surprisingly comfortable high-end rock shoe.