UKC

The Maestro is a revolutionary new shoe from SCARPA that offers stability for standing on small edges and yet has enough flex for smearing.

Read more

In reply to UKC Gear:

Any info available on the fit of these ? are they narrow or wide, high or low volume foot? They sound just the ticket for the sort of climbing I do.

In reply to petellis:

Funnily enough I received a review pair through the post this morning.

Because it’s raining I haven’t had a chance to use them outside yet, but I have had a chance to put them on. Initial impressions are that the sizing is consistent with the rest of the Scarpa range (always a bonus, but unfrequently the case!); as such, if you’re a 41 in the Instinct (like me) you’ll be a 41 in these too. Being that my street shoe size is around 42 I’d suggest maybe a full size down will do you - maybe a little more if you’re after comfort over performance.

In terms of fit they’re maybe a fraction narrower than the Instinct, meaning that overall they’re a pretty standard/regular width. Maybe a little lower volume in the toe box too, but I suspect part of that could be to do with the fact they’re brand new. Even if the give a bit you’ll be able to adjust it through the lacing, which extends right to the end. The heel, you’ll be glad to hear, is typically Italian: narrow, well sculpted, and doesn’t put any undue tension on the Achilles.

My only criticism is that the laces are quite short. My feet are quite wide and the fit is - as a result - quite snug for the size of the shoe. This isn’t too much of a problem in terms of comfort as they’ll bed in, but the short laces mean I can’t actually tie a proper knot/bow when the laces are through all the eyelets.

Hope that’s enough detail for now. More to follow when the review is ready in a couple of months.

Shame there won’t be a great deal of tradding between now and then!!

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

I had no idea you had such delicately sized feet Rob! The short laces mean you can pretend that you're Ste Mac and leave your shoes unlaced when you're redpointing. Expect to see your grade fly upwards instantly.

In reply to danm:

The only thing Steve and I have in common is that we’ve both done routes with the letters ‘E’ and ‘a’ in the grade

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

It will be interesting to see if they sell the Mids much. UK climbers seem to have a thing for techy shoes, even though the vast majority of us (not you Rob!) could climb our routes in more comfy shoes. The Maestro Mid look rather like Sportiva TC Pros, which were (are?) the shoe to have among serious Scandi trad climbers on Nordic granite, but I don't think I've seen anyone wearing them here in Britain. I reckon those Mids would be great for Count's Crack (VS 4c), Goliath's Groove (HVS 5a) or Dexterity (E1 5b), and similar grit ankle biters!

In reply to TobyA:

I know, I've thought much the same about the mids too. The TC Pros have certainly taken off elsewhere, with it seemingly being the comfort shoe of choice for crack climbers and multi-pitch routes in North America, but less so here in the UK. Originally I'd thought this was down to availability, but what with the likes of Cold Mountain Kit and Needle Sports stocking them I don't think there's really an excuse other than to say that there doesn't (currently) appear to be an interest. Still, I suspect that can change and that the addition of an extra competitor within the field may indeed cause it to.

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

I have TC pros and used them extensively in the US last year.

I've tried them a few times here, but what I've found is that I just want more sensitivity when on shorter routes. If I was doing long mutli-pitch say on Cairngorm granite is consider it, but the vast majority of us typically climb 10-20m routes and our routes are typically much more sustained on faces and edges than in the US.

Also, those operating in the lower grades would baulk at the price and would probably just go for a middle of the road shoe.

It's a very niche target market in the UK!

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

Any idea on price?

In reply to Alasdair Fulton:

I know what you mean, I reckon as well that even lower to mid grade climbers like me want something multipurpose that feels OK standing on slopey grit holds (sometimes polished!) so something soft-ish is better for that. In the UK I also like velcro shoes because be it Stanage or the climbing wall you might be doing a lot of shoes on/shoes off as you move between lines.

Having said that I just bought some Scarpa Techno X half price from Outside - pretty rigid, lace up, flat lasted trad shoes - I guess they were half price because Scarpa has these models coming in for the spring!

In reply to Alasdair Fulton:

Funnily enough your experiences are the exact reason I've never bought a pair. I used the TC Pro whilst I was out in Tasmania and found their lack of sensitivity quite alarming on anything but cracks (particularly at the wider end of the spectrum), at which point they really came into their own.

In light of this I'm intrigued to find out whether the Maestro offers that same kind of lateral stiffness and support, whilst providing a little more sensitivity. Clearly this may not be possible, but hey - it's nice to dream isn't it...

Regarding those operating at the lower grades baulking at the price, I am sure this will be the case for a great many, but that's not to say that there's a great many more out there - i.e. those who don't operate at the highest grade but take their climbing seriously - who're after something comfortable and of a high quality. To that person these shoes could be what they've been looking for. Still, I think this assessment confirms your final remark: they are a very niche product, but one I hope will make a certain niche very happy

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

I bought them in REI in Denver and had about a week of wondering what I'd done! I got pretty pumped over gripping due to not trusting them.

After a week I started to just put blind faith in the them, basically hoping they would grip - they did! I also realised that in the past I never "inside edged" but more "front pointed" using my big toe. The TC Pro inside edges really well.

By the end of the trip I was standing on much smaller holds and trusting them a lot more, they are really quite good - you just have no idea what's going on....

In reply to Alasdair Fulton:

Looks like they're coming in at £130: http://www.scarpa.co.uk/climb/maestro-mid/

In reply to TobyA:
I'd been using those Scarpa Techno X since I developed arthritis in my big toe last year, and got a pair of TC Pros more recently. I found both of these have a lot to offer the mid grade, keen but average climber. I was wondering if these new Maestros will offer a best of both worlds from the TC's and the Technos? But what might that be?

For the TC Pros... they did indeed made Millstone a painless experience, including Dexterity (E1 5b) which went well until I lobbed off the top in the dark. Shoes - pass, arms - fail... Same for La Marie Rose (Red 22) (f6A) a problem with rather different needs; that too was 'shoes - pass, fingers - fail'. As Alasdair suggested, you can't feel your feet so much, but they do stick to things you can barely feel. And they kept me afloat on Kayak (E2 5b) when it started to rain, so thanks very much TC pros. They are spendy but they are beefy, robust and I expect them to last a long time. I keep them for outdoors, however, the one time I used them at the wall, I noticed a bit more effort was needed to judge the pressure required on my feet to keep the stiff soles from skating off the holds. It's that big boot feel - more a boot than a shoe - that makes me hanker after something a bit softer and more sensitive - like my worn in/worn out Scarpa Techno X's...

Those Techno X's, which look like a forerunner to these Maestros, were stiff enough for me a recover my climbing from the arthritic toe, working really well to edge on French limestone, stuff into grit cracks (lots of rubber to protect the foot) and totter up granite slabs. New, I probably got them a bit too tight to be comfortable, to work anything like as well as the TC Pros, so need to take them off every pitch. They are well worn in and comfy now but I get more out of the TC's, which stay on, comfortably, all day for multi-pitch weekends. The muted colours of the Maestros does address my worry about dodgy metal based dyes on the Technos - stained blue and orange feet for the first few weeks, slightly worrying, and a bit of a give away about any clandestine climbing trips

If the Maestro can work a miracle, hopefully so at £130, it would give the performance and comfort of the TC with a bit more sensitivity, which I'd expect as a trade off for durability. I'll have a wait a while before shelling out £££ on more shoes but I'll be keen to see what you guys make of the Maestros.