Outdoor Gear Lab
Our overall impression is that we love this rope! It is graceful and smooth when handling and presents no obvious user frustrations. It is fairly light, of a versatile diameter, and extremely flexible. It was a close contender for our Editors' Choice award, but lost a couple of points to the Mammut Infinity, which manages to be lighter weight and more durable at the same diameter...." go to full review
The name Infinity does a good job of indicating the outstanding level of durability that you can expect from this slim cord. But it is also the solid performance it offers in low weight, catch, and handling that make it such a well balanced rope and our Editors' Choice winner. There are many other ropes out there that might surpass the Infinity for one particular application, but none of them can match the consistent benefits across a range of disciplines. If you can only have one rope..." go to full review
The Siren is a comfortable, affordable, versatile shoe, but it is not our favorite performer. If you are in the market for an all-around shoe, we recommend something that you can grow into and can help you improve your footwork, such as the La Sportiva Miura - Women's, which is more agile and precise...." go to full review
We like the Elektra as an affordable climbing shoe option. Ultimately we gave the Best Buy award to the leather Tarantulace which is a little more comfortable, fits slightly better, and costs $9 less. However, if you prefer the fit of the Elektra or would rather have a synthetic shoe, we think this is a decent shoe for the price.go to full review
We gladly give the Tarantulace our Best Buy award. This shoe is the most inexpensive model in this review, yet more comfortable than other budget climbing shoes we have tried, and it delivers higher performance. It is hard to find a shoe of this quality at this price point, and we think La Sportiva did an excellent job with this design. We anticipate that first time climbing shoe purchasers and climber's on a dirtbag budget will be happy with these versatile and durable shoes...." go to full review
We think this shoe is ideal for moderate all-day multi-pitch climbs and for people with exceptionally narrow feet who have a problem fitting climbing shoes. In these two applications, these shoes really shine. This is not the pair to use for overhanging pockets or tiny edges.
When purchasing these shoes, keep in mind that they are unlined leather, so they stretch a lot. You may want to go down a size than you normally wear in climbing shoes.go to full review
We have had multiple female traddies report that they absolutely love this shoe. Unlike the soft and sloppy Mythos, the Techno X is a technical crack climbing shoe that can be worn all day, but that can handle difficult terrain. Many men and women love the unisex La Sportiva TC Pro for long routes, but the Techno X is a low volume shoe specifically for women that competes even with that classic. We happily give a Top Pick award for long routes and crack climbing to the Techno X, and would..." go to full review
The La Sportiva Miura VS is an all-around technical master. We recommend these shoes for any form of hard climbing — from sport climbing to bouldering — where the difference between sending and failure could be as simple as a botched foot placement. The Miuras can edge on granite razor blades and toe in on slippery limestone pockets with ease. Though they can be painful to break in, the Miura VS willl perform with the best of them.go to full review
This aggressive shoe is works well on the steep stuff, but is not as comfortable as other aggressive women's models. We would rather climb in the Top Pick winning La Sportiva Solution.
Be forewarned, these shoes run extra small. Five Ten does size their shoes so that you can wear your street shoe size, even in climbing shoes, without down-sizing them. However, comparing your size to other models of Five Ten shoes does not cut it. Try them on first or buy a size larger than you..." go to full review
After an initial adjustment period, we fell in love with these shoes, and that surprised us. The Shaman LV surpassed our expectations in many ways. We think they are comfortable, adequately aggressive, and keep you on your toes for difficult climbs. However, we had to give our Top Pick award for sport climbing and bouldering to the even more aggressive and more sensitive La Sportiva Solution, which is insanely comfortable for such a downturned shoe. We think you can't go wrong with..." go to full review