Despite all the new technologies flooding the climbing shoe world, sometimes you just want a simple, inexpensive shoe. The La Sportiva Tarantulace is exactly that. For less than half the price of a high-end shoe, you get a quality-made Italian shoe fitted with sticky rubber that would make the Stone Masters of a bygone era madly jealous. Sure, better shoes do exist, but for plenty of folks, the performance benefits of a top-scoring shoe won't be worth the added costs. The affordably priced..." go to full review

2 years later and the Mystix is still an incredibly attractive, contemporary proposition, aimed at the high-end bouldering market with technically specific design features to streamline performance on modern, indoor problems. Powerfully downturned and rather stiff for a modern shoe, the Mystix felt like a weapon on my foot right out of the box with a pronounced point at the toe end of the shoe to dominate holds on overhanging terrain. This was where the Mystix truly thrived, clawing..." go to full review

In conclusion a brilliant stiff shoe that is in its element outside especially on longer routes where the support it gives will reduce fatigue. Probably not the best choice indoors or for smeary slabs and if you’ve never climbed in a stiff shoe there may be a short period of adaptation – but stick with it as the benefits a worth it. I wore the Magnet in an 8.5 UK size (same as my Voltage Lace) and I usually wear a 9 UK in trainers. I’m also a very wide foot (2E) and these still proved..." go to full review

In the end, like most all-arounders, the Crawe is basically an intermediate shoe. Designed for bouldering and sport climbing, its most devoted wearers will be primarily gym climbers who want a shoe that can perform equally well on sub-vertical volumes, steep board climbs, and those end-of-day romps up the autobelays. For more specialized climbers, or climbers who care to invest in a quiver of shoes, the Crawe can play a solid role as a training shoe, but it is unlikely to be your go-to. As..." go to full review

First, about my testing: I used these shoes for two steady months of mainly granite crack and face climbing, with a couple days of techy limestone, quartzite, and gneiss thrown in to round things out. Throughout this time I also tested the new Katana Lace, a fantastic edging shoe itself, and I often climbed the same pitch twice wearing both pairs. The Katana Lace is stiff, downturned, and, most importantly, has a very pointed and low-profile toe. In Squamish, where I primarily climbed, many..." go to full review

The Instinct S nails the sweet spot for slipper fans who thrive on sensitivity and feedback, but who also want a solid dash of edging support for technical face, kneebars, and longer pitches. They are not as stiff and precise as the original (all-orange) Instinct S. But to offset this, the new Instinct S are much better at grabbing, heel-hooking, toe-scumming, and heel-toes: There’s a lot of glommy rubber that deforms into weird crevices and angles—the kind of funky footwork you find in..." go to full review

The Cirrus is built not only for top impact, like most climbing helmets, but also for side and rear impacts as well, making the Cirrus a viable option for ski-mountaineering (there is currently no rating system for ski-mountaineering helmets). Expedition mountaineers, riggers, and other users will appreciate the toughness of the Cirrus as well. When traveling for expeditions, I have often carried my lightweight helmets in my carry-on for fear of them getting crushed in the underbelly of the..." go to full review

The Ocun WeBee is a great addition to the lineup of harnesses specifically designed for big wall climbers because it bridges the gap between a common trad or sport climbing harness and the big wall models that are almost too burly. It could easily serve as a trad climbing harness for climbers who want to bring a lot of gear and find the extra gear loops useful. Durability was my main concern with the WeBee, but it still looks great after I used it on Tangerine Trip (VI 5.6 A3) and Zodiac (VI..." go to full review