UKC

Hi. The following is aimed at anyone who has climbed in both the old orange scarpa vapor velcros and the new limey yellow ones. if that's not you then don't bore yourself by reading on.

I loved the orange ones. Felt they were equally good on steep limestone or on grit. Loved the fit and precision.

However after exhausting all the pairs I could buy on the internet I've now had to buy the new ones assuming they wouldn't feel much different...but...they do! I think they feel far less precise and on small holds I just don't have the same sensitivity. So much so that when headpointing something hard the other day I swapped from my yellow ones with good sole to my crappy old orange ones with shagged toes and a hole in the end yet still preferred the climb in the oranges!!

So, I have three questions:
Has anyone else found the same degree of difference between the two?
Does anyone know why, from a design point of view, they feel so different?
Has anyone swapped from vapors to either another scarpa shoe or another brand and, if so, to what shoe and with what results? (I was thinking maybe la sportiva miuras might give a similar feel?)

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

Cheers
Christy

In reply to climberchristy:

I've only ever had a pair of the old orange ones but they're still a great fit even after quite a high mileage. I'll probably try a new pair at some point so will be interested to hear what others' experience of them are.

In reply to climberchristy:

I'm just in the process of breaking in my new limey Vapour V's (bought slightly second hand off here). Haven't done much in them yet, and still go crying back to my old ones because they're tight, but while I've got them on they certainly seem just as good as the old ones. Your profile says you're climbing a fair bit harder than me though, maybe I'm just less sensitive to the sensitivity than you.

In reply to Fraser:

New shoes generally tend to crush the end of my big toe, and I'm finding them a bit tougher to break in than the old ones - I assume it's because they have more rubber around the toe so are a bit more resistant to stretching. Getting there now though. Also, I think they're a tiny bit narrower towards the toe - the new ones squeeze the outside of my little toe a bit too, none of my orangey ones did that even when they were brand new. Once I've finally broken them in I think I'll like them as much as the old ones. (Which is very much indeed.)

In reply to climberchristy:

I went from Orange vapour v's in a 42.5 and bought a pair of yellow lace ups in 43 and I think I prefer the new yellow ones. Neither shoe eld me back, both great.

In reply to climberchristy:

Not an answer to one of your questions but I had my best fitting pair of Vapour Vs resoled at Feet First in Chesterfield. I would say they're to within 90% of what they were when new, so that may be an option to consider.

In reply to Removed Usergilesf:


Same here very good job easily 90%

In reply to climberchristy:
I too feel your pain. I thought the old orange vapour velcro's were the best all round boot out there. Brilliant on grit too.

The new ones feel clunky and stiff. They have swapped to Edge rubber from the the softer grip rubber which is better on tiny edges and crystals but I can definitely feel the lack of sensitivity when on smeary grit especially.

I got my old oranges resoled at llanberis resoles and I would say they are as good as new just already broken in. I hadn't gone through the rand so it was just a sole repair but they are amazing. I'm hoping I can get one more resole out of them and if I keep them for trad they should last a number of years.

It seems most boots now apart from very soft bouldering shoes are going towards edge rubber which i feel is a shame for grit climbers. I am using my new vapours indoors only really now I think once worn down I may get them resoled in a softer rubber and see how that goes.

Final note is they do get better I found them slower to break in than any other boot I have had in the past.


Cheers

In reply to kermit_uk:

Just letting you know in case it helps...it's the VELCRO Limey yellow ones I dislike compared to the old orange velcros.

However, in Needlesports the other day one of the staff recommended the lace up L imey yellow vapor. Soooo much better. It fits much more like the old orange ones than its Velcro brother. I bought it half a size smaller (41.5 instead of 42). Climbed in it twice so far and already it feels so much nicer than the lime Velcro.

So, if you not tried the lace up...might be worth a look.

Cheers
Christy