UKC

Hi all,

I've had a pair of scarpa vantage for about 4 years, served me really well and I recommend them frequently.

The sole has just started to split away from the shoe.

Time for an upgrade, I am sticking with scarpa, any recommendations? Anyone using the lace up instinct?

In reply to devonsi:

I'm a bit of a Scarpa fan boy myself and have a few of their shoes. I would recommend the Vapour lace or velcro, they are my all-rounders at the moment. I have a pair of Instincts that I got pretty cheap and use them for indoor so that I don't trash my outdoor shoes. They were pretty uncomfortable for the first few sessions because of their aggressive shape, but now they have calmed down they are comfy.

David

In reply to devonsi:

scarpa fit me well.

I really like the force (velcro - the red and white model) for most stuff, upto E1, though has bagged a bit now (a year on).


The Vapor is a more technical great shoe so i wear it a bit tighter (well I borrowed and liked it - anyone want to give me a 42.5/43) and therefore not as comfy

cant comment on instincts

In reply to devonsi:
I am a fan of Scarpa ,all their winter boots and trail shoes etc are great.

Not a fan of their rock boots though. I had a pair of vantage which I thought were particularly poor and they wore out so quickly. Without seeming rude, did you do a lot of climbing in the 4 years you had them?

I need to replace my shoes soon and wondering whether to put Scarpa back on the shortlist

In reply to devonsi:

I've never before fitted in scarpa shoes or boots but recently I've bought my second pair of vapour lace (fantastic climbing shoes and lasts ages) and a pair of rebel ultra mountain boots which both fit brilliantly. If you've got vantages now I would think forces or vapours would be a better upgrade as they aren't as aggressive.

In reply to devonsi: I've got Vapour V, Vapour Lace and Instinct Lace. I prefer the Vapour V, they're a bit stiffer than the Instinct, if you like a softer sole you might want to try the Instinct. I don't buy my shoes very tight these days (I really haven't experienced much benefit), so I could use my Vapours for anything really, boulder, sport or multi-pitch trad.

In reply to lithos:

I think I have a pair of vapour, they are the ones with a large heel? Strange shape, don't fit my heel at all

In reply to devonsi: They're the ones with the totally normal heel shape, all the other heels are odd.

In reply to 9WS9c3jps92HFTEp:

Yeah, climbed lots in them. Plenty of sharp and nasty Dartmoor granite too.
They have literally just split last week.


My climbing buddy has gone through 5 pairs of shoes in the same period, evolve/red chili/la sportiva.

In reply to devonsi:

I've even considered a new pair of vantage.

They have been good on all grades

In reply to devonsi:

I've just started using the Instinct Lace-ups and love them.

As I'm still breaking thm in, I tend to stick with my Force Velcros for about 20 minutes while I warm up, then switch to the Instinct.

I'm quite flat footed so was wary of the shape being too agressive, but they seem to fit me fine in that respect. A bit more room in the toe knuckle area would be nice, but they are an all round great shoe, and well worth the money.

Given the height of the heel, you can probably go 1/2 a size higher than normal to give your toes more room, as the heel cups nicely.

Steve