Rock and Run

Overall, if it wasn’t obvious already, I’m very impressed by the latest addition from La Sportiva. Soft, sensitive, supportive and wrapped in a No-Edge bow, it’s hard not to be excited about this gift to the climbing world. For those looking for their next crushing companion, I would get yourself to a fitting and find out for yourself if the Mandala is meant to be.go to full review

A shoe for the many, not the few. The V6 is a superb example of the recent strides Evolv have taken with their shoe design, creating a shoe in the V6 that does the impossible - fit, suit and support pretty much everyone. It really is a shoe that can do it all. Sized appropriately, the V6 is so versatile it could be anything from a sturdy, comfortable all day trad shoe right through to a high performing, outdoor bouldering shoe. The only thing you’ve got to decide is, what are you going to..." go to full review

The Zenist has undergone some serious Frankenstein level surgery during its upgrade to the Pro version. Now a lean, mean gym climbing machine, Evolv have taken the Zenist’s simplistic beginnings and transformed them into a world beater. The combination of seriously impressive edging performance with sensitive Zenist DNA has created the ultimate all-rounder. Need one competition ready shoe that can do it all? I’ve found it.go to full review

Ok, so they're perfect on indoor terrain but, it's outside where I've been most surprised by the Souped UP. Performing terrifically on coarser rock types like grit, granite and sandstone with their unrivalled smearing ability, the Souped UP thrives through overhanging terrain too, making the most of a decent downturn and tonnes of flexibility to claw through steeper terrain. Although a pretty limp edger, the sensitivity on nuanced footholds is an understated super power of the Souped UP's,..." go to full review

So, how come they are so light? Simply put, the Aero has thinner tube wall thickness. It's the thin wall design that allows for a lot of the weight saving. When you look down the barrel of a Blue Ice Aero and for example a Petzl Laser Speed and the difference in wall thickness is noticeable. On top of this they have a wider diameter than other screws on the market. At first this isn't really that noticeable but I certainly found I get used to placing the Blue Ice screws and then pulling..." go to full review

Peak performance power wrapped up in a premium package of new technology and features, the Shaman Pro is an impressive development from Evolv. Like a best hits album, the Pro is an awesome amalgamation of Evolv's leading climbing shoe models, combined to create the ultimate all-rounder. However unsuited the Shaman Pro might be to longer sessions or a day of routes, I've never experienced limit power like it. Want to turn your foot into a handsome talon? This one's the shoe for you.go to full review

Perhaps the most versatile shoe in the Scarpa range, the Vapour S is the first climbing shoe I've ever worn that can truly transform. Like Bumblebee, the Transformers character with whom the Vapour shares a very similar colourway, the Vapour S has the underpinnings of a Chevy Camaro-style performance weapon with that unique, Autobot ability to metamorphose to any climbing scenario, terrain or discipline at the tightening of a strap.go to full review

From easy-going, summer trails to soggy coastal walk ins, the Mission Leather Lows from Black Diamond have been a revelation. Like a best hits album, the Mission Leather Lows combine a lot of the essential underfoot features of Black Diamond’s superb approach shoe range with the best bits of a sturdier leather walking boot to produce the ultimate approaching machine.go to full review

The Cuesta is a super light  option for rock climbers, and if you get on with the fit then I would recommend it very highly. You might want to size up from your usual size. It is well specified for trad climbers, and the feather weight design will put it on the radar of sport climbers looking for marginal gains. Every part of the harness feels high quality, and it sticks well to its brief by only including features rock climbers need. go to full review

Without doubt the best Red Chili shoe we've seen in a long time, giving the range a facelift and hinting at a brilliantly bright future under the tutelage of new parent company, Edelrid. A true weapon of the indoor climbing world, the Sensor is absolutely up there with the best comp style shoes out there and I've loved every minute with it. What a shoe! go to full review