Rock and Ice

The Corona, made in China, strikes a balance between an edging shoe and an aggressive one. If you are looking to get into the world of down-turned shoes, especially if your toes are weak, or you are a heavier person who needs support, the Corona is a great choice.go to full review

The Myo features a sole that has been sculpted with a laser. A pattern of grooves is etched into the rubber. Millet claims that this micro grooving facilitates mechanical deformation of the rubber and enhances stickiness. This might be true, but the etching is too far from the edge of the boot and only comes into play when you’re standing on wide holds or big smears. The etching needs to be brought toward the front of the boot where climbers stand.go to full review

I’ve worn the Lotus while sport climbing on both limestone and granite and while training in the gym. They’ve excelled on all overhanging terrain, and can heel or toe hook as well as any shoe I’ve ever worn. The extra flange of rubber on the heel cup didn’t improve my heel hooking ability, but it stayed comfortably in place. The Science Friction 3.0 rubber performed well on all surfaces, with average durability.go to full review

America’s least expensive shoe, the Drifter, is a no-nonsense, flat-soled slipper. Two Velcro closures snug up the mid-foot area and a lined toe-box keeps the shoe from stretching at the toes. Out of the box these shoes felt medium stiff, but the compressed polyester insole quickly softened up. The Drifter excelled at smears and I wore them on granite slabs to 5.13a. On its website, Mad Rock claims that the shoe has been worn to climb problems up to V15.go to full review

I sized the Falco the same as my street shoe and they fit great right out of the box. Surprisingly, after several months of use, they still fit great. The lined upper doesn’t stretch. The shoe is slightly downturned, but after a few weeks of use the downturn flattened out a bit. Lowa describes the midsole as medium stiff, but after using them for almost a year, I’d say the Falcos are soft. I liked the way these shoes broke in. The workmanship is top-notch and they seem to get better with use..." go to full review

The Anasazi, a favorite among sport climbers and boulderers because of its grabby rubber, down-turned toe and lightweight yet supportive design, now comes in a women's version. A lower-volume variation of the original, this narrower shoe utilizes the same thin, synthetic uppers, giving it the lightness of a slipper with the performance of a shoe. The two Velcro straps, padded for comfort, make this high-performing shoe easily adjustable. A tensioned rand snugs down the stiff heel, which..." go to full review

The VXi’s gummy-bear-like qualities come from its radically soft and sticky MI6 rubber sole. The back story: The producers of Mission Impossible 6 asked Five Ten rubber alchemist Charles Cole if it was possible to make a rubber that could be used to climb glass—something that Tom Cruise does in the movie. Cole said he thought it was, locked himself in his laboratory, and Eureka! Several weeks later he emerged with MI6—so gummy that it does indeed stick to glass.go to full review

Many Five Ten models dig into my Achilles tendon and this one was no different. With time, however, the shoe stretched to a more comfortable fit. I got the Dragons in the same size as my street shoe. The slightly narrow heel cup molded better to my foot, and the synthetic leather over the toe box gave just enough to keep my toes curled but comfortable.go to full review

For all intents and purposes, the Blackwing fits like the Dragon lace-up with one crucial improvement. The Blackwing's heel is lower volume, and doesn't feel as baggy as the Dragon lace-up. Based on the same design used in the Five Ten Team shoe, the Blackwing's heel has less rubber than the Dragon, allowing you to feel your foot better on the rock, improving heel-hooking performance. That said, I think the shoe's heel could be even lower volume, for my foot at least, and..." go to full review

I gave the Pink 3.5 stars because it’s an improvement on a shoe I loved, and remains one of the most powerful edging shoes ever made. However, I feel that Five Ten could have tweaked the lacing and last to make the design even more modern.go to full review