Three things happened during that session. First, I realized that my toe was going to hurt regardless of which shoe I wore (three months later the toenail remains entirely black). Second, I realized (correctly) that I had very much underestimated the Quantix and that I might soon love them. Third, I remembered why I’d spent the first 13 years of my climbing career preferring stiff shoes.go to full review

The new Katana Lace is an edging and micro-edging beast that is notably stiffer and pointier than its predecessor (it will especially suit climbers with long, narrow feet), and that is killer for pockets, pods, and thin cracks. Its construction feels beefed up, pointing to the shoe holding its precision and withstanding resoles longer than the old version. This is a high-end, niche shoe for thin face climbing, technical slabs with micro holds (not smeary slabs), cracks up to hands or fists,..." go to full review

The Tenaya Indalo is a justifiably expensive shoe that will perform admirably across various rock types and angles. As an all-arounder, the Indalo isn’t the best edging shoe we’ve ever tried, nor does it glom onto smears like some super-soft slippers. It will, however, tackle pockets, edges, slopers, and hooks with A-grade precision, and for long, varied sport pitches you’d be hard pressed to find a more capable shoe.go to full review

The JB and TC Pro are equal, in my humble opinion, in almost all the ways that matter. They both edge on a dime, they both crack climb well through the whole range of sizes, and they both are comfortable enough to wear all day long. In this last regard, I feel both are superior to the Maestro, which has a slightly more aggressive shape, and gets uncomfortable after wearing for a while.go to full review