In reply to Frank the Husky:
> What does "the sickest sole compound" actually mean? Are these their words or those of UKC?
Those are Scarpa's words, but having used it I can't really argue - it is seriously sticky stuff. There are a couple of caveats that come with it though, because it isn't as simple as 'sticker is better'.
On the upside, sticky rubber is obviously great, insofar as it provides more grip; however, on the flipside stickier also (as a broad generalisation) means softer and on certain holds - namely small edges or pebbles - it doesn't fare as well as a firmer rubber, as it tends to creep off/deform due to its softness.
The 'shore test' is the one that's most regularly used to test a rubbers hardness, although not every brand releases their figures, but from a quick search I found the following for Vibram, which help's put how sticky Scarpa's S72 (i.e. 72 on the shore test) actually is:
- Vibram XS Grip 2 - 78
- Vibram XS Grip - 83
- Vibram XS Edge - 84
