My gear part 1: (shoes) La Sportiva Solution Comp
Gear shoe and tell go! (see what I did there...)
Here is a common question that I always get:
What are your shoes and what size?
La Sportiva Solution Comp EU 40
I am actually EU 43 in street shoe size meaning that I downsize by 3, I'll explain why later on the in the post I also included a picture of my foot compared to the women's version of the shoe that I am currently using, want to know why I got the women's version? Read more to find out.
This is my main weapon of choice and for multiple reasons, I am in love with its versatility over both bouldering and sport climbing; this is a definitely a shoe that I would always pick given the question if I had to pick only one shoe to bring with me to a deserted island.
Why the hell are you downsizing so much!?
La Sportiva actually recommends downsizing between 2 to 3 EU sizes although it is up to you how you want it to fit; I just happen to feel comfortable (after some breaking in) downsizing this much and I can feel confident that I am drawing the best performance out of these shoes. Keep in mind that climbing shoes also stretch overtime as well, up to half a size actually from my own experience and trust me, it feels like I am at one with my shoes at that point.
Wait there is a men's and women's version, what is the difference and why did you take the women's one now?
I'll be honest I actually could not find a place that did the men's in my usual size at a reasonable price and I needed a pair since my old one's were due to be resoled. From what I am aware, the midsole is softer meaning that it is a tad bit more flexible and should break in faster, the toebox also feels the same as the men's. The shoe is actually aimed at a lighter climber (according to la sportiva <65kg)
I will give a more updated review after I give them a proper go, no regrets so far :P
I have uploaded a picture of the men's version on the left and the women's on the right side by side to compare; I do have a weak spot for the colours of the women's version!
There are loads of characteristics of a shoe that I do take into account, I do have a lot of shoes that I use for different purposes, stay tuned since I will be going over those as well as other pieces of gear!
If you are curious about climbing shoes and their characteristics, I do highly recommend this video by legendary climber Adam Ondra:
Electronic-terrorism, voice to skull and neuro monitoring on Hive and Steem. You can ignore this, but your going to wish you didnt soon. This is happening whether you believe it or not. https://ecency.com/fyrstikken/@fairandbalanced/i-am-the-only-motherfucker-on-the-internet-pointing-to-a-direct-source-for-voice-to-skull-electronic-terrorism
Interesting, and how much do the shoes costs roughly?
Right so this is the interesting bit, it is RRP £145, however I have only seen this price at most brick and mortar places on the high street. With online climbing shops and shops within climbing gyms, I have seen them lower than that (£117 - £130) consistently; so better to get them at a place where the staff are knowledgable
The shoes are so small, it almost seems like the historical chinese tradition of foot binding. How long do the shoes last? I would imagine they get beat up quite a bit.
Great follow up question! The shoes will last depending on what you climb and how often; climbing outdoors e.g. on sharp rock like limestone or something rough like gritstone will definitely speed up the deterioration. Although I do like to bring multiple pairs of shoes (one of the being relatively new and broken in).
I climb about 10-12 hours weekly indoors, assuming that I only use that single pair of shoes, it would last me about a month and a half before a resole is needed. I usually resole my shoes 3/4 times before retiring them for good, so give or take about 6-7 months in total.
I do get the comparison of foot binding a lot, but the shoes will mould perfectly to my feet despite the fact that my feet are too wide for it slightly...eventually.