Evolv Shaman (2016) Review

The Shaman is an awesome rock climbing shoe that surpassed my expectations. I think it’s Evolv’s best shoe to date and an important step forwards for them in terms of top-shelf climbing shoes. Doing something new is always risky and the Love Bump is a bold move. That said, I think it’s a good innovation and likely to stick. I’m not completely sold on Trax rubber, and I’m not the only one. I find it to perform great on gritty rock but not as well on slippery stone and plastic. Obviously it’s not holding Sharma back any (or Kai Lightner or Ashima Shirashi), but I’ve heard enough similar critiques and criticisms to make me wonder if there isn’t some room for improvement there for Evolv. One of the best selling points for the Shaman, and for me, is the price. In terms of value, it’s one of the best sport climbing and bouldering shoe on the market.