UKC

Hello!

I’ve been using these shoes for a while now, mainly on my home board and it was all fine and amazing. But when started to  climb outside again (mainly sport) I noticed that the Velcro’s can come undone very easily when it’s a bit closer to vertical and the rope can touch your shoes or when stepping through... anybody has similar issues? Any workaround (other than taping )?

In reply to AnnJ:

The thing is, Evolv is garbage. Long ago they were a low-price brand of marginal quality, but you knew what you were paying for. They switched marketing tactics, but made no changes in production at all. Same cheap shoes, but the same price point as real shoes, such the Italian brands. The trick worked, and now the high, comparable price to the real brands hides the dramatically different design, material, and production. Keep these for your home wall and training and get some real shoes for climbing that matters to you.  Velcro will always get a little dirty and annoying, so if you’re sport climbing (and your shoes are on your feet a bit longer duration than if you’re training or bouldering) get lace ups. Not from Evolv. 

In reply to AtLargesse:

I think that the shoes are really good, they have amazing toe box and are at good spot with regards to the sensitivity/ stiffness balance.  So far are they also  feel more durable then la sportiva shoes that I’ve used before (and I’ve used many of them). I never had an issue with velcro opening while sport climbing....

In reply to AnnJ:

Ignore the above. A classic example of a sweeping statement without any experience to back it up.

Over the last couple of years Evolv have been bought by a larger company and they have really gone to town on development. Shoes like the Oracle and Phantom are amazing shoes with some great features and the new Geshido and Zenith are a step up again.

Perhaps with the velcro don't have it so far down or vice versa (I believe you can extend the velcro?) And try different positions. Otherwise, yes, tape. The shoe is predominantly designed for steep ground so on vertical it may rub against a rope etc. Never tried them but they look awesome. 

In reply to Euan McKendrick:

Cheers Mate! The toe box is really really good and they are super comfy (if not for the closure I would recommend it), I would want to stick to these shoes but is kind of annoying when at you RP you shoe is coming undone halfway up 🤣. I already tried different ways to do it, but it didn’t quite work. I’ve cut the excess material from the velcro tab which helped a little bit but didn’t solve it completely.....

In reply to AnnJ:

Sadly, that was always going to happen. That's why 99% of velcro shoes go outwards with the strap (at least the top one).

It was the one flaw that know-it-alls like myself will say should have been spotted a mile off by the developers.

My only idea of a "fix" would be either tape them or get a big postal rubber band to put over it like a sleeve.

In reply to Euan McKendrick: The Oberalp group has been hands off with Evolv, as they admittedly have no one with climbing shoe experience in their company. Much like their acquisition of WildCountry, it is part of an effort to acquire a brand for every product you could sell to a climber — not a mission to improve or change the products of the brands, which were taken to be high end, fully functioning, and popular aleady. At the oberalp conventions the last two years, Evolv has reported vague efforts to rip off competition specific stuff, Ashima street wear social justice shoes, and products for new climbers. I’ve been to their LaBrea factory and r&d room. The only high quality materials you’ll see there are the dissected carcasses of Scarpas and Sportivas, as they attempt to remake them cheaper. Every brand will always have its diehards, and certainly there is a toe for every box. But among climbers who pay full ride* (edit typo) for their footwear, most move on from Evolv, and for good reason. 

In reply to GHawksworth:

The rubber band idea sounds interesting! Might try it if I can get one,  for now they are just going to be bouldering/ board shoes...

In reply to AnnJ:

I have a pair myself and I really love them. I've not found this myself to be a problem but I do have to make sure I have them super tight when fastening and they can become loose when putting them on and off again (when resting). I have found the straps to be pretty steady, well as much as my Scarpas have been anyway.

I bought them for Indoor bouldering but have now found them to be my main shoe indoor and out.

In reply to BenSends:

So maybe it’s only me... are you using them for sport climbing or bouldering outdoors? Maybe it makes a difference where the velcro seats on top of the furry thing...?

In reply to AnnJ:

Does the top velcro strap go beyond the bottom, leaving a flappy bit? I had this with my Scarpa Vs. Just do them up tight and cut the excess off with a pair of scissors so there is no bit of velcro which isn't sticking to the bottom bit of velcro. Then use a lighter to seal where you cut so it doesn't fray. You'll find they undo themselves a lot less, as nothing (e.g. the rope or your other foot) will get caught under them. 

In reply to PaulJepson:

Already did that actually (I cut off the white overhanging bid) didn’t make massive difference though, but thanks for suggestion anyway! 

In reply to AnnJ:

I'm using them for sport climbing indoors and bouldering indoor and outdoor. I think I've caught them a couple of times and it's usually because I've not pushed the velcro strap down properly. I do have it so the velcro fastener is tight and quite low If that makes sense?