Are the Mad Rock Drone the BEST climbing shoes? (Honest Review)

[@AlexTighe]

Hey amigos! What are your go-to rock climbing shoes? Tell us why you love them below!

[@ahdnoh]

Great shoe. I have been using the lv drone version 1 for 5 years or so and just now wearing out the rubber. The consensus in the gym is that heel edge on Mad Rock shoes is aid.

[@AlexTighe]

@@ahdnoh if you know you know 😏. crazy they've lasted 5 years! have you tried the 2.0 to compare them with their first version?

[@haragusvlad3220]

Thx for the review, I've been useing drone 2 for the last year, nr 42,5 and they satrted to be a little more soft and I also use a pair nr 42 which is a lot tighter and cant step very well on smears, but its s lot better for the heeö hooks and overhangs. I've been loving them and intend to get my next pair a LV. I-ve been trying the comp series and they are not a good fit for my foot shape.

[@AlexTighe]

@@haragusvlad3220 my pleasure! What does the abbreviation NR stand for?? Don't recognize that model.

[@Cslteo]

I have used the Drone 1.0 LV in the past, worn through them, gotten them resoled with XS Grip 2 and worn through them again. They were the first climbing shoe to ever fit my narrow, long foot - complete game changer. I had the 1.0s in 44.5 EU and assumed the new Drone Comp LVs would be the same sizing, however I found them to be a bit tighter than the originals. The break in was quite tough therefore, after ~5 months of climbing roughly once a week I can still get some pain at the start of a session. So I'll be going one size up to 45 for my next pair. Apart from the slight sizing issue, I find them to strike a really nice balance between robustness and stickiness. Though I don't think any of the Drone models are particularly sensitive, just something to get used to. Still my favourite shoe so far ... Thanks for the great video, keep it up!

[@AlexTighe]

@@Cslteo thanks for taking the time to chime in with such good feedback and experiences! How did your resoler get the XS Grip 2 on your Drone 1.0...just by cutting off the very front part of the toe rubber? Interesting idea for when that time comes in a few months!

[@jayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy663]

I climb indoor, ABSOLUTELY LOVE them after breaking period. However, I'd try the softer model like drone comp to see if it's better for indoor.

[@AlexTighe]

@@jayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy663 Thanks for the recommendation! Do you think the comps would do well outdoors or would the rubber get trashed really fast?

[@thegzak]

I also made the mistake of going half a size down from my street shoes and couldn’t get my feet in to save my life. Swapped for street size and it was still a struggle but I managed. Over time it got easier as I broke them in, but for the first few sessions putting them on was definitely part of my warmup 😅

[@AlexTighe]

Nothing like a classic duck waddle around the gym in new shoes 🦆

[@paulgaras2606]

The 2.0 stiffies are actually a decent trad shoe… jams are like magic… but for nearly everything else they’re middling.

[@AlexTighe]

@@paulgaras2606 Ive done a few jams with them and they work great. Can't imagine wearing them for multiple pitches though 🥴

[@TRD_Kyle]

Been curious about the drones. I've pretty much only used LS shoes, Skwama and Otaki right now and find the heel really baggy and hard to use when stuff gets thin. The firmer toe hook rubber is very interesting as well. I had a recent proj that was an aggressive toe hook what was painful in my skwamas and I would have loved to have a more protective upper. Nice review, thanks!

[@AlexTighe]

@@TRD_Kyle Appreciate the kind words! I can think of multiple boulders I tried when I only had Skawmas for toe hooks and I would always get pain in my big toe after a few attempts. I adore the Miura, but it has virtually zero toe hook ability. I've had lots of trouble finding a shoe that would fit my heel like the Miura. Are you anywhere close to a shop that you could try these on before investing?

[@TRD_Kyle]

@@AlexTighe unfortunately no where local to me carries mad rock. Only Scarpa, LS, BD and some Unparalleled. Apparently Tenayas are supposed to be good for smaller heels as well but they aren't common around me either.

[@AlexTighe]

@@TRD_Kyle I tried a few Tenaya models (like the Oasi) and it just wasn't a fit for my foot. Lots of folks where we are based swear by their Scarpa Instincts. Good luck in your search for the perfect shoe 🙌

[@LioneGames]

The drone comps are even better, make sure you get a 0.5+ on your drones size

[@AlexTighe]

@@LioneGames appreciate that sizing tip! almost hard to imagine going bigger than my street shoe! what do you like about the comps?

[@LioneGames]

@@AlexTighe the rubber is a little softer and has so much more grip on volumes, but I can still stand on small edges because of the polycarbonate midsole

[@olliesims9862]

I had the mad rock drone 1.0 in black, like wearing wooden clogs in comparison to others I’ve had since. Wore through the toe in 2 months. The sole started peeling off the shoe by the time I was done with them, I did downsize a full size? Maybe that had something to do with the wear and tare. Recently tried the unparallel TN pro, so superior in my opinion. Far more sensitive year far more rigid on tiny edges.

[@olliesims9862]

That said, the heel is 100% aid

[@AlexTighe]

@@olliesims9862 Wow, what an experience with the Drone 1.0...I've never heard of the sole peeling off a climbing shoe before. Makes me wonder if your pair was defective! Is Unparallel the brand that basically evolved from some of the 5.10 designers? How's the rubber on small feet?

[@Phuong.Nguyen-]

Enjoyed ❤😊

[@AlexTighe]

Appreciate that! (even if these aren't exactly the kind of 'Drone' you were looking for 😉😅)

[@deslomator]

I usually skip product reviews, pero esta me ha gustado.

[@AlexTighe]

Thanks for your comment! Tampoco es el tipo que mas me gusta. Mad Rock no ha llegado a muchas tiendas/rocos en Espana, asi que queria poner todas las cosas que me prenguntan en en video para ayudar alguien que esta pensando cogerlos 🙂

[@Gadgetmawombo]

I've gone thru bout 8 months of the drone 2.0 until I wore a hole in the tip. LOVED them my favorite shoe despite being initially worried about the downturned shape...Then switched to a new set of drone comp, its been about 2 months now. I thought I'd like the comps about the same, maybe better, but I DONT. Something about the rubber difference or construction makes them not break in like the standard drones did. My toes still hurt climbing in them this far in while the originals broke into a snug, sock like feel after like 3 weeks. This toe pain causes me to not put pressure as much on them compared to the standards, making me slip off more often despite the supposed "sticker" rubber. Both shoes btw are my street shoe size 12 US, no downsizing on either pair. I'm surprised that they are so different, I expected them to be basically the same shoe with better rubber, but they aren't. If you look at them there are actually plenty of differences even just physically, and I'm not talking about just colors. I'm glad I tried them but they aren't for me, I'll be going back to the 2.0s once I wear thru these.

[@AlexTighe]

@@Gadgetmawombo thanks for chiming in with such an insight to your experience. It's super helpful not just for me thinking about investing in other Mad Rock products, but also other folks reading through the comments 🙌

[@casperras]

I absolutely love this shoe, (hv for me not lv, but same thing) but the only downside it has for me is the size. I also have in my street shoe size, no downsize because I couldn't physically get it on, but I now feel that it's too big when I'm wearing it. Any time I need to stand on smaller footholds or edges (even pull on footholds in an overhang), I don't actually put pressure on the hold with my toes, but only the shoe. There's a bit of air in them sadly

[@AlexTighe]

@@casperras bummer to hear that. mine have stretched just slightly, but not to the point of being unusable on techy feet. if they worked for you when they were newer and your resources allow, maybe you could circle them out more frequently? and if they're still in decent condition, maybe you could sell them second hand once they get bigger than your liking.

[@niallmurphy2163]

Wear some thin socks? I bought shoes that were slightly too big but work great with socks, and now I just prefer it so will always size to wear them.

[@GucciFeet]

what size skwama did you get and what size Drone did you get in this video?

[@AlexTighe]

@@GucciFeet I use a size 37 for all the La Sportiva models I have (Miura, Skawma, Otaki). I got the same size as my street shoe 41 (US 8) for the Drone since I couldn't downsize even a half size when I tried them out.

[@telkmx]

​@@AlexTighe you downsize 4 size with miura ? i don't believe it lol

[@AlexTighe]

@@telkmx butter believe it 🧈...and I use the women's model too haha

[@telkmx]

@@AlexTighe I mean you know better than me and its most likely true but i cannot believe it lol

[@that_which_is_not]

Vegan too! LG! ❤

[@AlexTighe]

@@that_which_is_not 🙌🙌

[@liamgripholds]

Drone 2.0 is the best outdoor shoe 👍

[@AlexTighe]

@@liamgripholds I will definitely get another pair once these get worn out! Have you tried any other Mad Rock products for outdoor bouldering? Curious to know how their softer climbing shoes perform.

[@liamgripholds]

@@AlexTighe yes now I'm using Drone 2.0 hv for outdoor at Squamish. Shark 3.0 for indoor

[@joppai9046]

heel feels like a third hand BUT it will not magically make you great at heel hooks, heel is about the same as any for indoor climbing, I dont think the heel is super applicable for outdoor bouldering up until v8, I normally use Phantom LVs but throw on drone LVs if there is a specific heelhook i need

[@AlexTighe]

@@joppai9046 absolutely agree! they're only as good as the technique behind the tool. I do most heel hook boulders with the Drones these days, but I still usually get other shoes to find which one feels best for the job.

[@christophh9477]

Miuras are soft? They are the stiffest ones in my quiver...

[@AlexTighe]

@@christophh9477 Which ones do you have? The yellow ones are much stiffer than the blue ones. Not sure how the updated model compares yet since I stock piled an extra pair when I saw it was changing

[@christophh9477]

@@AlexTighe yeah I have the yellow ones. Didnt know they were so different from the blue ones other than volume and rubber.

They are clunky and feel like climbing with clogs. The previous model was superb, except from the issues with glue on the sole. Do not recommend

[@AlexTighe]

Thanks for sharing your experience and perspective after trying both models!