UKC

I've been hiring shoes for the past few months now I've started indoor bouldering and climbing. Out of the shoes that are available to hire and use I've found that the Scarpa Vantage seem to fit my foot profile the best, and with the lace design (as opposed to straps), it doesn't seem to crush the knuckle of my big toe!

So I'm looking to get a pair of these Scarpa Vantage, only thing is, are they actually any good to own? I don't know how regularly climbing centres will replace their hire shoes see. I also gather the Vantage is no longer made? Does anyone know what the current equivalent might be?

Thanks!

In reply to RJP: I have the more technical version, Visions. They're the best pair of shoes I've ever owned; better than the sazi's, boreals, red chillis, evolvs I've had but that's mainly due to the profile of my foot. I have wide feet so Scarpas work well.

They'll be a fantastic entry level shoe; especially if you have wide feet. Another option could be Boreal Jokers- fantastic entry level shoe, I liked them when I had them for multi-pitch days.

C

In reply to Chay: +1 for the Jokers.

Super comfy to wear and climb in !

In reply to RJP: sharpa vantage are great as long as you dont mind them
dying you feet blue : /

In reply to RJP: The Vantage no longer made? Noooooo...! I'm definitely getting mine resoled in that case (that's how much I love them)!

They were my first pair of shoes, and I'd second the recommendations wholeheartedly if you can find a pair in end-of-line sales. Technical enough to suit you as long as they last, but really comfortable for longer wear as well.

I've still got them, and use them for longer, easier multipitches (I have a newer pair of Scarpa Vapours (and the associated orange feet) for single pitch/indoor). Like Chay, I have medium-wide feet and find Scarpa fit my feet nicely, particularly with the laces going a long way down to give plenty of adjustment.

Equally, another recommendation for the Jokers - I don't personally like them for my feet so much, but we have them as club shoes and they seem to do the job nicely!

Cheers for the replies people. I'll have a look to see if I can find any end of line Vantage shoes, else I'll give those Jokers a look!

Thanks!

In reply to RJP: Also maybe put together a "wanted" post on here; I bet there's a few guys with a pair in decent nick kicking about somewhere. Could save yourself a few quid too...

Hope you find some.

In reply to RJP:
I'll give those Jokers a look!

I wouldn't, the Joker is an awful shoe.
Had a pair for about 5 months, and the rounded toebox, crap edging and awful rubber combine to be one great big pain in the arse.
Any are ok if your after something for having fun in the low grades, (like 5b and under) and comfy, but if your looking for anything that be secure on anything tiny then the Joker is not for you. Also for about £10-15 more you can get a much better shoe.

Sending mine to get resoled, not because the original rubber needs it, just that getting some new rubber on them might make them not so shit.

In reply to Steve nevers: Really? I climbed E1 5c on SLATE in jokers when I forgot my technical shoes a few years ago.

Almost everyone I've known have thought they're a great shoe.

In reply to Chay: They've let me down so many times i have little to no confidence in them. Mainly from the edges 'rolling'.
I actively avoid using the toe point on small ledges because it know it'll only be 10-30 seconds and the toe will pop, end up smearing my way up a lot of things to make up for the fact i feel i can't trust the joker to be stable on what i need it to be.

That said, its ok for low grades, indoor and circuit boards, but for anything more challenging i would change shoe.

In reply to RJP:
Sports Direct were selling Vantages quite recently in Nottingham and also the big Shirebrook store. In fact at one time they had them priced up at £35 and I am kicking myself that I didn't get a pair in as they were obviously mis-priced. I last saw them around £55ish in Sports Direct.

In reply to Steve nevers:

Maybe there to big, sounds like length and width is to big. The shoe just bears the brunt of the rock, your foot/toe carries the weight

In reply to xplorer: Admittedly that could be a possibility, I do have a foot that is an odd shape for rock shoes.
Its weird though, i can happily pull off F7a and overhanging problems in them but on routes above 6A they don't seem to like to stick, the outside edge does seem better than the toe and inside edge.

In reply to Steve nevers:

May just be a dodgy pair? Have you compared them to others

In reply to xplorer: Not other Joker Plus no, they don't seem to be very popular around here. I have compared them to a mates pair of knackered holey Red Chillis though and even though they were a tiny bit oversized (by about a 1/2 half) I could breeze up stuff the Jokers struggled on.

Rock shoes all fit a bit funny for me mind, my big toe always seems to find a way to stay flat while my other toes bunch, and thats in every model of shoe i can find!

In reply to RJP: Had vantages for just over a year. Fairly decent for the grades I'm climbing (up to VS outdoors, 6a+ indoors), my boyfriend keeps telling me I should get some "better" shoes but know people who climb much harder in them. Did stretch a little but can wear them all day with no problems. I think the replacement is the helix?

In reply to RJP: I've got some slightly used size 8 vantages to sell..

In reply to RJP:

GO are selling Vantages for 35 quid at the moment. I was thinking about trying a pair.
Do they stretch much after a bit of use?

In reply to RJP:

Didnt really like mine tbh. I felt they had quite a stiff sole, which was fine for edging, but gave a pretty numb, disconnected feel any other time. I've only been climbing a year mind so I could be talking mince!

In reply to RJP: I love them. They are a little stiffer than some shoes. Ultimately though, get the fit right! Try a number of pairs on from different brands, and in different sizes in a proper gear shop ... one with a wall to test them out on.

In reply to RJP: Don't bother. The Scarpa Vantage is an intermediate show at best and if you pass intermediate type climbing and starting doing the likes of VS or above, you will really struggle. I bought a pair by accident, thinking they were a replacement for a previous shoe but they really did not do me well and I really really struggled on small holds.

In reply to EeeByGum:

Really ? I would agree more with Steve nevers' earlier comment that up to around 5b the shoe isn't going to make that much difference. I am willing to concede that I may be wrong, as I have been away from climbing for nearly 20 years, but the same pair of shoes saw me through from leading HS to E2, and they were comfy, not technical. (I always wore socks with them, or they were too loose. As comfortable as normal shoes).

I would have thought that the best shoe for anything up to low extremes would be simply the most comfortable one that was a snug fit. I certainly don't remember any VS routes needing the surgically precise footwork that bog standard shoes couldn't provide.

I don't mean to appear to be having a go at you, I was just genuinely surprised at your assertion.

Rug

In reply to rug: I am sure you are right. I bought them thinking they were a replacement for the excellent (in my view) Scarpa Marathons. They did me well and I still use them indoors, but I remember sh1tting bricks on Darius at High Tor (E2 5c) because I couldn't get my toes into the small pockets that litter this route. It was only when I bought my new shoes (5.10 something-or-others) that I realised just how non-technical the Scarpas are. They are ok, but others are better, even for someone who is going to potter. I would suggest buying a slightly more technical shoe in a comfortable size and wear socks if comfort is the number one requirement.

In reply to RJP:

Scarpa Vapor V-XSG2, is a brilliant shoe for climbing/bouldering indoors and out. They are a bit pricy but well worth it in the long run. They may be a bit uncomfortable at first until you've broken them in. I think the new helix or thunder may be similar to the vantage but to be honest I don't really like them, they are like climbing in clogs.

In reply to RJP: What size are you? I've got a pair of euro43's that haven't been used much. Too big for me. If they are the right size for you then make me an offer.

Ryan

In reply to EeeByGum:

Isn't it usually obligatory at about this stage in threads like this to point out that the first ascent of Great Slab at Froggatt was done in Woolies pumps.