La Sportiva Jeckyl VS Shoe Review

Performance-wise, the Jeckyl starts out as relatively stiff, but the midsole breaks down and the shoe winds up being soft and pliable. I like a soft shoe since it allows you to bend the sole and latch holds on steeper routes without having to endure a radical downturn, a feature that invariably turns my toenails black and causes my gallbladder to produce painful green stones. Sportiva markets the Jeckyl as a gym shoe, probably because it’s comfy and has the easy on/off Velcro closure. I think these shoes shine on multi-pitch routes for the same reason. Pull them off at belays and clip them in—the single pull tab is generous enough for carabiners and sausage fingers.