Editors' Choice 2019: Scarpa Instinct SR Review

The shoes in the Instinct line—especially the “orange slippers,” the original Instinct S—have for a decade been my redpoint weapons for vert and overhanging terrain, both bouldering and sport. I have a high-volume foot and climb short, highstepping and driving my toe onto holds to extend my reach; with their mild downturn and hyper-precise edging (odd for a slipper, but it’s true—I’ve climbed 5.13 slabs in them), the Instinct S suited my style. The new SR keeps the same Bi-Tension active rand that funnels power into your big toe but steps things up big time in the heel and toe departments, adding a built-up, lower-volume heel and extending the toe-hooking patch over the forefoot—think of the SR as a “slipper-plus” jessery machine.