In an age of increasingly specialist climbing shoes, there's a lot to be said for a single model that does everything. Climbing shoes cost a lot, so owning multiple pairs is expensive. How much of a benefit does that additional expense afford you? A good performance all-rounder is a 'jack of all trades' and whilst the old adage suggests they may be the master of none, the reality of modern climbing shoes is that they're pretty close to perfect for pretty much anything.
With their versatility uppermost in mind, our focus for this review was to test out the shoes in a wide variety of different disciplines - boulder, sport and trad - and on as broad an array of rock types as possible. Whilst the standard at which these shoes are capable varies depending on the ability of the person wearing them, we have been looking for something which would broadly be considered capable of routes up to around Font 7A, French 7a and Trad E5.
We've included men's and women's (otherwise known as high and low volume) models where available, because the single most important thing with any climbing shoe is not its tech specs, but whether or not it fits you. For this reason we have not awarded Highly Recommended or Best in Test, since the best shoe is the one you personally get on with.
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Scarpa Price: £170 One of the ultimate all-rounders, all the more popular for the various versions that are available, accommodating different volumes, widths and levels of support. The catch? A high price tag. |
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Unparallel Price: £160 The Qubit contrasts with a lot of modern performance climbing shoes in the greater level of stiffness it offers in the toe. It is particularly suited to harder single-pitch sport climbing and bouldering on more edgy rock types. |
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La Sportiva Price: £160 The Skwama is an absolute classic, and a great all-rounder. As you'd expect for La Sportiva they're exceptionally well made too. |
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Tenaya Price: £170 The Indalo is capable of doing a bit of everything, and doing it well. The downside? It is one of the most expensive shoes in this group test. |
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Boreal Price: £110 A great all-rounder, at the stiffer and more supportive end of the spectrum, but quite comfortable too. They're also the most affordable shoe in this group test, by some distance. |
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Red Chili Price: £150 A fantastic all-rounder, capable of performing on a variety of rock types over a number of disciplines. |
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Reviewed by John McKenna - Rockfax and penny.orr
The Instinct family is one of Scarpa's best selling, and this is because it's incredibly versatile. Furthermore, it encompasses more than one shoe, meaning that if you want something a bit stiffer or a touch softer, higher or lower volume, wider or narrower, then there are options available to accommodate that. This is not something that any other brand offers. Irrespective of which model you choose, the Instinct is a consummate all-rounder, tried and tested ever since its launch nearly 10 years ago. It's capable of pretty much everything, and the fact it blends that performance with a high degree of comfort makes it all the more attractive.
There are a variety of different models within the Instinct collection, and in this Group Test we're focusing on the Instinct VSR and VSR LV (low volume). Here's an overview of where they sit in the range, and where all the others sit around them:
VS & VS WMN: The original all-rounder is slightly more supportive and, as a result, slightly better suited to sport and trad
VSR & VSR LV: A softer variant, designed primarily for bouldering - or lighter climbers who find the VS too stiff
Instinct Lace: The lace-up version is the most supportive of the range, and best suited towards trad and sport
Instinct S: The most technical (and specialist) shoe in the range, with a more aggressive last compared to the others
John: I've been a long time fan of the Instinct VS, having cycled through many pairs. I tend to wear them for almost everything outside of slab climbing and long multipitch on hot days. It's a great all-rounder. The VSR is a very similar shoe, with a key difference - a softer rubber, which performs better on smears. It has also softened faster than my VS's have, which over time has meant the edging performance that I am accustomed to with my VS's has diminished. Although I've still been happy wearing these on edgy climbs such as at Tunnel Wall, it's just that the VS's may have performed even better for this terrain.
Penny: I recently reviewed the Drago XT, and despite being the softie in the Instinct range the Instinct VSR LV - perhaps unsurprisingly - felt quite stiff in comparison. They took a little longer to wear in as a result of this. I've found they actually compliment the Drago XT really well because of how different they are. The Instinct VSR LV are much more supportive, making them better suited towards steeper, edgier rock types whilst bouldering (e.g. limestone, rhyolite etc...). This support also makes them much more suitable for both sport and trad.
© Penny Orr
John: The Instinct VSR has a medium to wide fit in the forefoot, with a lower volume at the heel. Previously, narrow feet need not have applied, but now that the VSR LV is out that's no longer the case. When it comes to sizing I went down a single European shoe size for a snug (i.e. not agonising) fit. It's worth mentioning that in the VS's I have multiple sizes for different days out, and I'd apply the same reasoning to the VSRs. If you want more comfort then go up a size; if you want more performance, go down a size. Easy.
Penny: The Instinct VSR LV is - as you would expect - a lower volume version of the VSR, but the differences extend beyond that. It's not only narrower, both around the front and back, but it's also quite a lot softer due to the reduced level of tensioning throughout. As a result, despite looking similar to the VSR, it has a very different feel.
The Instinct VSR & VSR LV both feature a 3.5mm Vibram XS Grip II sole, which is pretty much the industry standard these days, and there's a reason why - because it works! In the same vein the Instinct's single power strap has become similarly standard, not least because it does exactly what you need it to.
At the front end the Instinct's toe patch has received an update in order to prevent it peeling, a subtle but welcome improvement.
View websiteReviewed by Tim Hill UKC and Elle Hopkins
The Qubit contrasts with a lot of modern performance climbing shoes in the greater level of stiffness it offers in the toe. As a result, it is particularly suited to harder single-pitch sport climbing and bouldering on more edgy rock types. Over time they would soften nicely for use on gritstone or sandstone, but straight out of the box they are the perfect shoe for slightly overhanging limestone, which is what the majority of our sport climbing is here in the UK.
The Qubit is designed primarily for bouldering and sport climbing on edgier rock types. It's something you'd likely use on limestone or volcanic rock types where you'll benefit from a bit of extra support, and where a softer shoe might leave you lacking in power through the toe.
It's got a 4.2mm RH sole, which is Unparallel's harder rubber compound. This is essentially 5.10's old Stealth compound, which was for many years considered the industry standard as far as stickiness is concerned. Even now it's still as good as it gets. 4.2mm is quite a chunky amount of rubber to have underneath your foot, but in spite of this the general sensitivity and feedback from the shoe is remarkably good. The Qubit also has a full length sole unit, adding support and stability under the midfoot, which helps the shoe just generally feel stiffer.
Tim: For me, the shoe is a combination of things that I want for harder single pitch sport climbing on British limestone, or bouldering in places like North Wales or the Lakes that have more edgy volcanic rock. Despite being generally stiffer than most of the bouldering shoes available, the Qubit don't quite have enough structure in them to stand around on harder trad routes trying to fiddle in that wire that just won't fit.
Tim: The Qubit has a medium width throughout the forefoot, and a narrow heel. The heel itself is quite slender in terms of its construction, which gives good sensitivity at the back, but doesn't offer a huge amount of protection. Volume-wise it's pretty average, sitting somewhere in the middle between narrow and broad. It's been designed to have your toes curled up against the end, but not completely knuckled, so be aware of that whilst you're trying it on.
When it comes to sizing, Unparallel have achieved what very few brands do in managing to maintain the size in keeping with street shoe sizing. I'm personally a UK8 street shoe, and have been successfully wearing a UK8 Qubit.
Elle: For me, they felt comfortable straight out of the box, without the clunky break-in period some models require, and have held their shape impressively well over a season of heavy Scottish sport and some Euro Limestone. My narrow foot has worked well with the fit, with a slim snug heel that feels secure. I've also found they run true to sizing, wearing my street shoe (UK 4.5). On the rock, the stiffness gives me real confidence on vertical and just-off-vertical terrain, while the hooking ability of the toe and heel also make them a solid choice for tackling steeper cave-style climbing.
The Qubit features a single power strap, with a good-sized opening so it's easy to get your feet into. The upper of the shoe is made from an unlined micro synthetic which gives quite a minimal feel to the construction and generally means the shoe feels light and low bulk on your foot.
View websiteReviewed by John McKenna - Rockfax and Elle Hopkins
The Skwama is a hugely popular shoe. It's also extremely well made, and good at pretty much everything - so much so that it's hard to find a bad thing to say about it.
Whilst the Skwama isn't necessarily the edgiest shoe out there, unlike some softer shoes it can actually deal with small edges remarkably well (as opposed to rolling/melting off edges the moment you weight them). The low profile toe and wide midfoot mean they perform well camming into cracks (although this is definitely not a supportive crack master), and their relative softness compared to some others on test means they feel great on smears. Finally they hold in well around the heel, giving them a great all-round performance.
As a result, the Skwama makes for a nice shoe to wear both for single hits on harder problems or for longer efforts on extended bouldering circuits or even UK multipitch trad. If you're on hard sport climbing/trad climbing, it depends on how much support you're used to, because that's what they slightly lack.
© Rob Greenwood - UKC
Although the Skwama are definitely at the broader end of the La Sportiva scale, we would still say they fit at the narrower end compared to other brands. For those already familiar with the Katana Lace and Miura Velcro, these are similar, but maybe a touch wider.
As for sizing, La Sportiva shoes generally run quite large for the stated size compared to other brands. For a snug, performance-focused fit, you'll likely need to go down around 1½ UK sizes from your regular street shoe size—possibly more if you want an even more performance-oriented fit.
John: The Skwama offer much more of an all round performance on my feet compared to the Instinct, which I also tested. I've particularly enjoyed the softness for smearing. My average if slightly on the narrow side feet work well with them, but for a little dead space around my foot arch that means I don't get the same pull and performance on edges.
Elle: It's worth noting that La Sportiva's women's shoes are no different in size/volume to the men's shoes. Instead, they feature a more relaxed tension, which gives them a softer feel. The overall difference is subtle, but it is different. My already narrow foot means that the width in the midfoot doesn't provide as much of a snug fit as the narrow Qubit that I got on well with, losing me a bit of sensitivity whilst on small edges.
The Skwama features La Sportiva's S-Heel, but is this the real deal or just another cunning piece of marketing? What we will say is: yes, it's snug; yes, it's comfortable; yes, it sits in place neatly when you're aggressively heel hooking. But is it a genuine innovation? Not to our minds. To be brutally honest, we have felt very little difference between the S-Heel and any other well-fitted heel we have used in recent years. Maybe there's something weird about our heels, maybe we've just been making the right choices on the shoes we've worn all these years, or maybe we just lack the sensitivity to notice it. Whatever the case, the heel works well!
Reviewed by Rob Greenwood UKC and EmmaHill
The Indalo is Tenaya's flagship shoe, as worn by the likes of Alex Megos on all his most cutting edge ascents. As a result it's hard to blame the shoe for your own lack of ability, because as far as bouldering and sport climbing are concerned it's got you covered. The Indalo is a unisex model with a fairly low-volume fit, and as such does not have a dedicated lower volume version. It is also one of the most expensive climbing shoes in this group test, which will undoubtedly be a factor for some.
The Indalo is capable of doing pretty much anything - and doing so to a high standard (or as high a standard as the person wearing it is able to meet). They're flexible and adaptive, which makes them ideal for bouldering, but still offer good support throughout the forefoot, meaning that they're similarly well suited to sport climbing. For trad, it largely depends on the type of thing you're doing, as some will find their relative lack of overall support an issue, whereas others might appreciate the extra sensitivity that this affords - particularly on friction (as opposed to edge) -based rock types. The fact the toe has been adapted to make it more pointy, and that they're quite low volume throughout the toebox, does mean that they excel in pockets too.
Rob: The Indalo is wider than both the Iati and Oasi, but perhaps a smidge narrower than the Mastia - particularly in the toebox, which has less volume and a more pointed profile. The Indalo is both asymmetrical and downturned, but neither are to the extreme, which is another factor boosting its status as an all-rounder, as it has quite a forgiving fit provided your feet aren't too wide.
Emma: Hats off to Tenaya, who have managed to do a true unisex fit with the Indalo. They are a low-volume shoe that gives comfortable all-around performance, whether you are bouldering, tradding or sport climbing. They are a bit softer and more sensitive than some of the other shoes on test, which makes them great for smearing on grit and sandstone, but they also still have the ability to hold an edge on limestone and mountain rock. I would personally say they suit a lighter climber, as those with bigger feet and a bit more weight might need something with a bit more midsole support. All in all, the Indalo is a personal favourite of mine and I'll continue to wear them beyond this review.
One of the major updates found in the Indalo, and something that arguably makes it a much more attractive model than the Mastia, is its fastening system. Whereas the Mastia featured a single strap, the Indalo has a much more refined 'Draxtor' system, drawing from a greater area across the top of the shoe to give a much more precise fit. The way in which its two straps are interconnected means that it just requires a single fastening point, making it quick and easy to take on and off in between attempts. It works well and is easily tailored, something that once done you're unlikely ever to have to adjust again.
The Indalo features the same split sole design as the Mastia, with 3.5mm of Vibram XS Grip across the front of the shoe. XS Grip has become the industry standard as far as quality is concerned, and therefore needs little introduction, other than to say 'it's really good'.
Reviewed by Rob Greenwood UKC and penny.orr
We reviewed the Crux and Crux LV back in 2022 and really rated them. They are the consummate all-rounder, being technical enough to match your ability throughout a wide variety of climbing styles and rock types. Furthermore, they're designed with quite a comfortable and forgiving fit. The rubber they've used - Zenith Pro 2.0 - is particularly good too, and there's a lot of it, which further adds to their stiffness and durability. And then there's the price tag, which isn't just good value, but truly exceptional value in comparison to the rest of the field in this review.
Rob: I've used the Crux for just about everything: adventurous trad, hard (for me) sport, and bouldering on both friction-based and edgy rock types. Indoors it probably isn't my go-to shoe, as I tend to favour something a little softer, but this isn't to say that it isn't capable - it's just that it probably isn't where it's best suited (and I've got a fair few alternatives that are).
The Crux has a good level of support, which helps make it a good edging shoe. Whilst it isn't the softest out there, the split sole means that it's supple enough to embrace the smears too - especially once worn in. I've used it on a wide variety of rock types, including edgier ones such as rhyolite and limestone, as well as rounder rock types such as gritstone and sandstone. It's performed well on each, partly aided by the fact that it's comfortable - a really under-rated characteristic.
Penny: My own usage has primarily been for bouldering, both indoors and outdoors, and sport climbing on limestone. It's got a good edge and, like Rob says, is also impressively comfortable, which has meant I've used them both for redpointing, where I really need performance, and for traversing around outdoors, or doing a circuit down the wall too, where comfort is essential.
Rob: The Crux features a slightly downturned, moderately asymmetric last. It's at the wider end of medium up front (i.e. a little wide, but not significantly so) and whilst the heel is slightly narrower than your average Boreal shoe, they're still quite broad compared to other brands. Volume-wise they sit somewhere in the middle, not particularly high, but neither particularly low (there's the LV version for that).
Penny: As you'd expect, the women's version are indeed lower volume and a little bit narrower. Realistically this doesn't have too much to do with whether you're male or female and everything to do with whether or not you've got higher or lower volume feet. It's certainly nice to have the choice, especially if you sit somewhere in the middle like me. Much like Rob, I've found the Crux to be technical, but also quite comfortable too. It's not radical in terms of its asymmetry and has a fairly relaxed fit, with a bit of a curve, and the end result is something that I too have liked.
Boreal have used 4-4.5mm Zenith Pro 2.0 rubber throughout the sole, varying the thickness by size. In smaller sizes, thinner rubber is used to make them more supple; in larger sizes, thicker rubber is used to make them a little more supportive. The Zenith Pro 2.0 rubber really feels like a step up from the brand too, being noticeably stickier than previous compounds, and feeling on a par with the likes of Vibram XS Grip.
In recent years 4-4.5mm represents the thicker end of the spectrum, but it's what gives the Crux its edging ability. It's also why it doesn't feel quite so sensitive; but a balance has to be struck somewhere. Many brands achieve this by using 3.5mm rubber, but that too has its strengths and weaknesses (more sensitivity, less support and durability).
View websiteReviewed by Rob Greenwood UKC and penny.orr
The Voltage 2 is primarily marketed as a high end bouldering shoe, but that belies its potential, because as a sport climbing and high end trad shoe, it shouldn't be written off. It is - thankfully - a shoe with a good level of support, meaning that when you use an edge the shoe doesn't just fold up and collapse, it accentuates the power pushing through it, allowing you to use small footholds with relative ease (well, as easy as it ever is using small footholds).
The Voltage 2 is much more than 'just' a bouldering shoe. If anything, the level of support it offers makes it just as applicable for sport climbing, because it's something you can use on small holds. From a trad perspective the Voltage definitely sits at the performance end of the spectrum.
Whilst clearly it can be used indoors - and it performs well - we wouldn't say that this is a shoe that has necessarily been designed specifically for indoor use: it just happens to be good at a lot of different disciplines.
Rob: The general fit and feel of the Voltage is around the mid-volume range. The pre-formed midsole used on the Voltage provides a good level of support, balancing the shoe's support with its sensitivity. Whilst it is undoubtedly a soft midsole, the overall last and shape mean that there's still a whole lot of power being transferred through to the toe. Furthermore, this isn't being done at the cost of your achilles tendon, with the Voltage - assuming you get the fit right - being a comfortable shoe. Size-wise, I went down a single UK shoe size for a performance fit.
Penny: The Voltage LV feels comfortable straight out of the box, with the elasticated tongue - in particular - adding to this. They're not outright narrow, but are maybe a bit narrower than medium, and the volume is low, but not super low. Size-wise I went down a half UK size for a good fit, which differs a little from Rob's experience, but worked perfectly for me.
The use of Vibram XS Grip means it's ideally focused on the more sensitive rock types such as gritstone, granite, and sandstone, but that's not entirely the full picture, since it performs well on the likes of limestone and rhyolite as well, courtesy of the fact it's got a relatively large amount of rubber - a generous 4.0mm, as opposed to the more standard 3.5mm that some other models here feature.
When you put on the Voltage the first thing you're likely to notice is the luxurious feeling of the sock liner. The material used is extremely stretchy, soft and comfortable, giving what is fundamentally an unlined shoe a lined feel. Whilst we've used shoes with this sort of thing before, we can't think of a single brand that has done it better than this: it really does feel great. Furthermore, unlike some things of this kind, it doesn't make getting the shoe on or off overly awkward (some tongues make it nigh impossible).
Rock Shoes
Comments
They run very large, surely?
Would be useful to know what toe shape the shoes favour (and what shape the testers feet are, have photos in all their bunion displaying glory) - lots of those on the list are designed for people with longer 2nd toes (e.g., instincts) and can be problematic for people with longer big toes or squarer feet. It is a real shame that manufacturers seem to neglect this aspect of feet and ignore making shoes for all foot shapes in favour of forcing your feet to follow their function dictat (Scarpa, I'm looking at you, having dropped the booster, leaving no wide softish shoe in the "classic" shape but maintained 7 versions of the Instinct!. Not to be an anti-scarpa rant, having worn nothing else for 15 years, but I tried to engage with their designer about the disparity in the range of Scarpa shoe shapes to the distribution of foot shapes in the population (Nathan something?) and he basically said that the use dictates the shape, seeming to believe that feet are made of jelly or something).
Having worked in climbing shops fitting shoes this (IME) is the biggest determinant of whether a shoe works (and is "comfortable") - good rubber on a toe crippling shoe is pointless.
Having climbed in the Voltage I have to say that it is a superbly comfortable shoe for the performance. The sock liner is so nice compared to other brands.
The one thing that let it down is that my pair's rand rubber developed dry rot and tiny cracks. Bit of a bummer since they can't be resoled now.
I hope Red Chili has fixed that issue by now.
In comparison, my go to outdoor lead shoe, the Instinct Lace, is almost through it's third sole and is holding up great.
Oops, yes you are right. We have updated this.
it’s probably one of the most-repeated points of advice in a bouldering discord server i’m in, when new people join and ask whether this or that shoe is ‘good’ – depends whether it fits. and while choosing size is something you don’t really need to explain to people, width and volume are already a bit more tough (and can rule out a model for good much easier than shoe size), and getting all of those right isn’t worth much when the toebox shape doesn’t agree with the proportions and mobility of one’s toes.
that last factor i’ve found to be surprisingly tough to give simple and actionable advice on, because one could very well have a longer second toe, but it might also scrunch up far more than one’s big toe – so a foot’s comfortably scrunched shape can deviate quite a bit from what it looks like relaxed. and then there’s how much (or rather, little) information shoe manufacturers offer on their models, and how well different manufacturers’ information can be compared to each other.
outside of every reviewer having a couple of paragraphs detailing their feet for readers to look up, i believe this to be really difficult to tackle exhaustively in a review.
these are the moments where i start wondering how far behind the foot fetish people we climbers are when it comes to attention on the peculiarities of foot morphology.