2nd Look: Evolv Astroman

A lot of thought went into the Astroman, and it has many features clearly designed for trad and crack climbing. While I think these features are brilliant in theory, it seems that a few could use some refinement. I also found that this shoe isn’t a great fit for my foot—the overly stiff sole made it difficult to edge and smear.

That said, I think climbers with wide feet very well might not experience these problems. (For evidence of that, check out Dave’s Astroman review.) The Astroman costs nearly $40 less than the TC Pro, and its wide toe box caters to those with bigger feet who don’t like the classic La Sportiva fit. But for someone with very small, narrow feet like me, I think the La Sportiva TC Pro might be a better option.