These shoes deliver excellent performance at an attractive price. They perform among the best approach shoes on the market, yet they are priced among the lowest. They do everything well, including hiking, climbing, and disappearing when the rock shoes come out. The only place they don't excel is on long approaches through rugged terrain, where a more burly approach shoe will provide more support and long-distance comfort. For climbers who spend most of their time approaching over relatively..." go to full review

The Katana Lace is an excellent option for women looking to find a female-specific shoe at the intermediate to advanced level. This shoe will give you the support you need for climbing pitch after pitch of difficult crack or face climbing and is relatively comfortable enough for all-day wear. It is versatile and performed well in almost all categories, and we especially love it for multi-pitches and crack climbing. For offwidth climbing or high-end bouldering, we might suggest something more..." go to full review

I like using ropes, thanks very much, and have no aspirations to become the next free soloist, but the idea of eschewing socks and having a bit of climbing-honed performance underfoot for the approaches and technical scrambles is something that interested me. And so it was with that in mind that I picked up a pair of the Sportiva TX2 Evo approach shoes, one of the more technical and lightweight approach shoes made by this Italian company.go to full review

Specialist performance in an extreme, modern package, the La Sportiva Mantra is a uniquely exceptional shoe which reimagines the limits of a soft climbing boot. Sure, this isn’t going to be your go to mountain trad shoe or the best option for small edges on a slab but for modern bouldering, indoor competitions and sedimentary rock types, you won’t find anything better. A modern classic, the Mantra is a truly special climbing shoe that I’m savouring for my next project effort.go to full review

A milestone for comfort and sustainability, the Ventic Air Lace is the nicest on-the-foot experience I've ever had from a climbing shoe and has become a valued asset to my climbing shoe collection. Sure, the Ventic Air Lace won't be your number one choice for hard bouldering or sport climbing red points but it has found a place as my super comfy go-to for easy training sessions and adventurous routes outside. A surprising delight, I can't get enough of the Ventic Air Lace, you might even see..." go to full review

Overall I was very impressed, and I’d not hesitate to recommend the Fixe Siurana to anyone. The fact that it costs a lot less than most of its peers is a bonus, but the bottom line is it’s just a really good quality rope that stands tall against offerings from the likes of more well known manufacturers.go to full review

A few years back I reviewed the ultra light Loopo Lite harness from Edelrid – a specialist harness aimed at ski mountaineering and high altitude mountaineering. Great though the Loopo Lite was, its range of applications was pretty narrow, you certainly wouldn’t use it at your local crag or a multi-pitch rock route in the Lakes. The Prisma Guide has that similar high tech Dyneema® look (Dyneema® makes up the edge binding) and a very low weight. Here though the similarities end. For alpine ..." go to full review

Overall I’ve been very impressed with the BD Method; fit, comfort, construction and performance including the rubber are excellent. It is up against some serious competition such as the well established Scarpa Vapour V (a slightly more edging orientated shoe) but it is a worthy competitor and if you tend toward a wider fit probably a better bet.go to full review

In Italian, Mago means Magician! To sum this shoe up, the new Mago is improved, feels leaner (it feels light but is it lighter than V2?), more precise, has better feel and a better fit. It edges brilliantly and excels where the footholds are small. You can really power into the footholds. It’s still more of a specialist tool for the rock but if you’re looking for shoe with the attributes I’ve described, then check it out. It’s certainly a magical “go-to” in my quiver. go to full review