Crag rompers reviewed: the La Sportiva TX Guide

The rubber recipe—one part Mega-Grip for the heel, and one part Idrogrip for the rest of the sole—is as sticky as those pesky little burrs that get stuck to your socks and shorts and everywhere else when you tromp through the high grass. The stiffness and stickiness mean you can stand on your toes and even do some edging, while still feeling like you have good support (which is part of why they were so great for my injured foot). They work well for jamming in fist- to hand-sized cracks, too, but anything narrower and you’ll want a regular climbing shoe. Another thing going for the TX Guides is their durability. Made of an Ultra-weave Jacquard fabric, the upper is almost rough to the touch. Thus far it has great abrasion resistance, showing only minimal fuzzing and scuffing, even after wedging them in rough cracks.