La Sportiva Theory Review | The Subtle Beast of Climbing Shoes

The long awaited La Sportiva Theory Review is Here!
The purpose built Competition Climbing Shoe has been designed specifically for the indoor bouldering scene for the best in all around performance.
But is the shoe really all its been hyped up to be or is it all just fancy bells and whistles?
Keen to pick up a pair? Buy it here at:
shop.epictv.co...
#Bouldering #RockClimbing #ClimbingShoe

[@kaedenrockford4769]

Update on these shoes, they have lasted an extremely long time. Downsizing is vital on these, I am street 11 and downsize to 7, i know i know it is unnecessary but I find it vital for enough support but a good flex. The toe patch is unmatched and I am exited to buy my second pair a year later. If you are doubting buying a pair don't hesitate as long as the heel fits well.

[@colouredlaundry1165]

Why do you buy instead of resoling? Can they be resoled?

[@kaedenrockford4769]

@@colouredlaundry1165 Yes but i climb in mexico and our resolers do not have the original laspo sole for the shoe

[@scherry2900]

​@@colouredlaundry1165 you can resole every La Sportiva climbing shoe.

[@miloplayz7474]

@@colouredlaundry1165don’t wanna be that guy to respond to a very old comment, but sometimes resoling can 1. Take a while and you can’t climb and 2, it can sometimes shrink the shoe (this is what I’ve heard)

[@cristianpavan5400]

I am 11 street, I’ve got solution comp 8.5 but I feel that I could go to 8, should I buy theory 8 or 8.5?

[@conserve_climber]

Damn dude, you do make these shoes sound like super heroes 😂👍

[@BeorOng]

Haha i mean they are my new go tos for projecting

[@conserve_climber]

I used them in the bouldering gym for the first time….so sweet!

[@galaxyguy4522]

100% disagree! The heel is H U G E in these shoes. They’re like a 3XL shirt on my heel. They’re deep and wide. You have to downsize massively for the heel to be mostly snug, not form fitted.

[@Jackwithoneeye]

Nice been waiting for this one ! I have had my theory's since August and find them to be probably one of the best shoes I have warn. I like that you mention how good they are outdoors . I forgot my "outdoors" shoes and had to wear my theory's instead and realised they where absolute weapons on rock. Think it's worth mentioning I believe the women's version is the same volume as men's just abit less rubber for a "lighter" climber.

[@BeorOng]

someone mentioned that this seemed more like an ad than an honest review. Just what happens when you give me a shoe I have nothing to complain about haha

[@seunggyupark4541]

Congrats on the V7!! When did you start climbing?

[@BeorOng]

Haha thanks! Ive been climbing 5 approaching 6 years now, give or take a year or 2 because of these lock downs lol. Id say im on the slower end of progress because im just prone to injuries and having to take longer breaks to heal

[@MarkSmith-hq4rr]

Its been the only the shoe I use since getting my first pair. I own 3 pairs and they outperform everything even on real rock.

[@BeorOng]

legit I dont even want to buy new shoes after this, but at the same time... reviews must be made haha

[@MarkSmith-hq4rr]

@@BeorOng Buy the LV and review those, I wish they made the LV in bigger sizes

[@BeorOng]

@@MarkSmith-hq4rr the standard fit me perfectly though, so lv i think would be thr same performance but more pain due to the fit

[@elichristensen842]

man, i love these review videos, but i think it would be awesome if you made a day in the life or just a day video of you at the gym

[@BeorOng]

Haha interesting. If youre really keen on it ill add it in. Its actually a pretty easy vid

[@thesii213]

Ong Gang Ong Gang! And yep, these are excellent videos. Might be cool to see some rubber to rubber comparisons and a look at some trad/sport climbing shoes as well. Also maybe an interview with a rubber scientist or shoe designer? And stay healthy!

[@BeorOng]

Oh those are sick ideas, ill see if i can get in contact with fred nicole

[@BeorOng]

Also ive been meaning to get some tc pros, I just cant seem to justify it when i mostly boulder

[@thesii213]

@@BeorOng For sure, although some sport climbing is good for the endurance and a different challenge overall. And if I can help track down any secret rubber specs let me know! I have something like a master list around here somewhere.

[@the.Aruarian]

I get the feeling our feet are rather similar, heh. As to sizing, how did you size these vs the skwama? I have both in a 43, but the theory seems to run smaller.

[@BeorOng]

interestingly enough they do run smaller, but even in saying that my skwamas are a 37.5 and my theorys are 37, so theyre actually sized a half size down (I went according to rock runs shoe sizing guide) seems to be about right. I think if anything the extra half size down means just that right amount of space gets taken out of the equation which I did have the tiniest bit in the skawamas, not enough for me to make a big deal out of it, but more of a ... yeah its there if Im really being pedantic. The tiny bit of added squeeze isnt enough for me to feel any less comfortable in it

[@the.Aruarian]

@@BeorOng Oh, that's interesting. I can get my foot in the Theory size 43, but they're not ideal. Turns my foot into somewhat of a brick, can't smear with them worth a damn. Slipped off a smear, smashed my toes into the wall and returned them. 😂Think I'd like them in a 43.5 or 44 though.

[@BeorOng]

@@the.Aruarian haha might be like me and just prefer stickier rubber than xsgrip 2 haha

[@FlaNkyBaby]

Do you prefer the skwamas? Or the theorys?

[@rushdunaway6183]

I wear a 42.5 street shoe, normally a 41 in la sportivas (tc pros and testarossas). Bought these in a 41 and can barely stand up in them it hurts so bad. My toes are at 90 degrees essentially. Is this how yours are? Do they break in much?

[@BeorOng]

So for me, my true size is 6.5 (street shoe size 7), I sized to 5.5 for my theorys. 90 degrees is a bit extreme so you might need a half size up instead. Mine are curled and its definitely tight, but not excrutiatingly painful (does hurt after a while though) theyll soften and stretch maybe a quarter to half a size up. If you use rock + runs print out essentially thats how i size. According to that my foot sits at 6.5 (thus true size) and then size it accordingly

[@ranks238]

When are we getting an unparalleled review?

[@BeorOng]

Ill schedule it as my next shoe review which means climbing in them a bit more to form a proper opinion =]

[@mikestang7]

Have a pair of these for about a year now. Climbing 3x a week I've worn through both toes in that time, they are going in for a re-sole. Great shoe, absolutely love it! My only complaint (besides the toes wearing out quickly) is that the heel box is big for my foot and I have a lot of "smush" on the heel which makes very small heel holds difficult.

[@BeorOng]

Interesting. The heel should be quite tight since its low volume. Next one for me to try is madrock drones but will let you know how well they go

[@mikestang7]

@@BeorOng I need an extra low volume heel, I have several mm of gap on the left and right of my heels. Still love the shoe and would recommend it in a second. My next shoe is the Scarpa Instinct S.

[@BeorOng]

@@mikestang7 let me know how it goes when you do, scarpas generally dont fit my feet too well cause its a bit more narrow on the toe box

[@alejandroduarte7950]

By downsizing two US sizes were they painful during break-in period? Also how much did they stretch out once broken in?

[@BeorOng]

Break in period is probably no more or less painful as usual, as for stretch, quite minimal if any, more that the overall shoe ends up softening

[@caitlynclimbs]

What are your thoughts on the durability of Butora Acro Comp vs Theory vs Phantoms? I’m currently looking for a new shoe cos my Butora Narshas LV have started to deteriorate at the sole, particularly on the toe area from all the smearing/edging. I’ve had these for 9 months and go bouldering 3-4 times a week …

[@BeorOng]

None of the above will rly last you as long as the narshas only cause the narshas are a pretty stiff shoe overall. Though in saying that, the theorys and the acro comp will outlast the phantoms, acros are better value for money, but the theorys are (atleast for me) unparalleled in performance and fit.

[@sinimusta1780]

Biggest problem i have, is that i Have eu 48 1/2 size foot and the biggest pairs end at 46 2/3 which are way to small for me :/

[@BeorOng]

48 1/2 street shoe size or climbing shoe size? Cause if its street shoe that size difference shouldnt be too bad since i drop down 2 sizes from street shoe

[@michaeldao1449]

The epic tv link in the description is coming up with a not found

[@BeorOng]

epictv made some changes and no longer doing affiliate program so all those links wont work anymore unfortunately

[@TheIllusionCulpritMC]

This shoe was too soft for me I hate it can't toe hook heel hook as powerfully compared to my mad rock drone

[@BeorOng]

interesting, Im wanting to throw madrocks into the mix soon

[@conserve_climber]

Eff; I wasn’t going to buy another pair…until “now”, great review, you sold it dude. Will let you all know after I’ve tried them…stoked.

[@BeorOng]

Hopefully they suit your feet, they do have the low volume version as well so if you have a chance try them both

[@simonkarkochi]

this is the first shoe i bought,cause it was on sale. I'm really happy with them. Been using it ever since. Don't really wanna try anything else atm hehe

[@BeorOng]

just make sure if you get a new one you use my affiliate code =P

[@VjekoV88]

The shoe is great for indoor bouldering. I have 3 pairs. But for me the sole get worn out quickly.

[@BeorOng]

interesting, mines holding out (hopefully for a while) if anything the toe rubber at the top is slowly flaking, though current project is heavy on toe hooks so thats the real reason for myself lol

[@rajanlliw]

If these are so good why do we never see them at top level comps? Always wondered that...

[@BeorOng]

Good question, alberto ginez lopez (gold medalist), kabulin, ondra, and fossali actually wore em in the olympics for bouldering. Most pros just prefer the even softer dragos or the solutions for the most part

[@razzinijj5465]

Do they have the same (painful) heel as the Solutions?

[@vermilion76]

It's completely different from the Solutions' which is very stiff. The heel on Theory is way thinner, giving extra feel precision and comfort but can also make heel hooks a bit painful as your foot is very close to the hold. At first I didn't like it much but after a few sessions I got used to it and was very happy :)

[@razzinijj5465]

@@vermilion76 thank you!👍

[@Nils_Tore_Berntsen_Sagengen]

Are these also good for outdoor sport climbing?

[@BeorOng]

Mine are sized pretty tight, theyre a great single pitch shoe if the climb is quite cruxy, but personally id opt for a slightly comfier pair for sport, my skwamas might be better in that regard or maybe a comfortable fit of my phantoms or shamans. Honestly still tossing up what pair of shoes i want to allocate purely to sport instead of bouldering. My genius' are pretty good for that but i wish i had sized half a size up to make it comfier. Katanas would be another choice since it doesnt technically need to be hyper aggressive or soft

[@fredgarvin316]

Do these size the same as your skwmas?

[@BeorOng]

Yeah Im pretty sure I did, just be aware the toe box is narrower on the theory but for me in a good way. I think I have a pretty wide toe box but the skwamas felt like they gave me ALOT of toe space width wise

[@Eliv537]

Could you review the instincts even though they’re old

[@BeorOng]

I think the instincts will be relevant for a while, quite a popular one for scarpa. I have a few lined up but ill throw it in the mix hopefully sooner rather than later

[@riccardoscandino8943]

Nice review! What about the evolv zenist?

[@BeorOng]

I actually havent given the zenists a go yet, I dont really have a strong desire for it but if theres enough demand for it I can add it to the lineup

[@elliottay5136]

Nice review Beor! Would you choose these over your other bouldering shoes?

[@BeorOng]

currently - 100%, though I need to break in my unparallel flagships a bit more to see how they stand up, but the only other shoe Id rave about so far is the skwamas

[@kaedenrockford4769]

These shoes vacum seal onto my heal at least and are great for slab, overhang and vertical. These are also the best i have had for precise toe hooks although you have to be precise or it will destroy the toe patch, the only other shoe that i love for strong and unprecise toe hook are the mad rock drones.

[@BeorOng]

Haha my next shoe to break in. But 100% agree on all these points. I love these shoes with a passion

[@kaedenrockford4769]

@@BeorOng Same thing, I compete in these and use drones for training every day.

[@dominicyau9005]

Gotta have good shoes to stick those feet on Faith!

[@BeorOng]

Such a sick problem though haha

[@onsight2822]

Great review/ appreciated 👍 I hate really tight shoes / how do you think they would perform sized up a bit ? Good for smearing and jumping around or bad idea? Any opinions appreciated Thanks

[@onsight2822]

P,s my favourite shoes / most comfortable ( probably cuz they are flat ;) are my tc pros , but i keep getting funny looks indoors 😆 basically i need some indoor shoes but my toes always go into shock with tight bananas 🙄

[@BeorOng]

@@onsight2822 haha, hmm if i went half a size bigger it would be comfotable, I actually dont think it would be an issue at all, especially since the heel is such low volume. If anything the heel would end up feeling like what normal shoes feel like but this time more room for comfort on the toes. So i dont think its an issue at all. As for TC pros indoors, hey if you can send you can send. No judgement here

[@onsight2822]

Hey cheers man , greatly appreciated , happy sending dude 😎

[@BeorOng]

@@onsight2822 haha no problem abd you too!

[@vitaliyrostov3204]

great video!!

[@chris-hn2yd]

how do u size them compared to furia air?

[@BeorOng]

I sized them the same - both usm 5, that being said the furia airs are sized to bouldering fit which i wish i had sized maybe half a size or even a full size up to be more a parkoury type shoe. The shoe size is right, just not for the way i want to use it

[@henrystartt]

How would you compare them to the la sportiva genius?

[@BeorOng]

Honestly was never a fan of the genius' at all. Ppl argued that it was the comfiest shoe they owned, and that the no edge made for an excellent feature but personally it made my toes hurt, and the edging isnt as magical as its made out to be...but thats me and me climbing sandstone, someone commented it would be better on granite but thats my opinion. I do have a review of them on my channel if you want the indepth one

[@henrystartt]

@Beor Ong Ive used them on granite and i can feel the difference between having an edged shoe. Not a huge one and its a specific case but sometimes that extra bit is all you need

[@BeorOng]

@@henrystartt in a sport of micro adjustments, sometimes that small difference is the difference of sending or not. If you can afford to have a shoe for every situation that would be ideal but we work with what we got, but yeah, overall for what i climb, not my cup of tea...i wish i could love them more though cause theyre a pretty nice shoe despite my grievances

[@commandoben]

Can you review the Solution Comp ?

[@BeorOng]

Its on the list, however its an expensive shoe that I've put off for a while mostly because Im aware of its "issues"

[@commandoben]

Okay thanks

[@commandoben]

I bought the Solution Comp and while they fit pretty well, at first it’s very uncomfortable or of the box. The major issue that everyone complains about is the laces system. It’s not well designed and abrasion comes pretty quick, sizing depends on feet shape. I have a normal foot but a slightly bigger foot would not be confortable. Hope you review it

[@noahstephens7182]

Very helpful review! Will definitely be my next gym pair. I also noticed your climbing pants at 3:44 they look like a great gym pair, may I ask what brand they are? You’re always sporting some sweet clothes maybe a good video idea going over some of your fav pants etc :)

[@BeorOng]

Theyre e9s im pretty sure. Honestly im not particularlyna fan of current clothe lines out atm. Thats why i want to make my own line in the future. Gotta send in style you know lol

[@cassiusreed1181]

lived this! you should totally review some ocun shoes sometimes they are a bit hard to come by but totally worth it.

[@BeorOng]

so many shoes haha, once I get through my back log definitely. Trying not to leave any shoes out here so definitely will make it in the future, though I may wait to see if they release a new shoe soon

[@cassiusreed1181]

@@BeorOng ok cool

[@davidli5927]

Nice Review! Unfortunately you‘re making my decision even harder after deciding for the phantoms... If you had to choose between the Phantoms and the Theory, which would you choose? I mainly climb indoors (sport climbing/bouldering) and currently at V4-V6 level.

[@BeorOng]

The theorys full stop. Better designed overall, no issues with the strap holds and allow me to power down more. Easily my projecting shoe. That being said, the phantoms were excellent, but just a few design flaws. The heel of the theorys is better as well since its low volume but i prefer the stickiness of trax of the phantoms

[@petertu539]

love the shoe reviews keep them coming brother

[@BeorOng]

thanks man, filming footage and have another vid coming out soon (just waiting on new shoes haha)

[@Splych]

Originally was set on the Skwamas but after seeing this I'm unsure now! There's a good sale going on so I'm trying to decide between the Skwamas, Theory and Solution Comp. Which would you recommend? I climb indoors (mostly bouldering) and want to try a more aggressive pair of shoes.

[@BeorOng]

Theorys number 1 pick, skwamas 2 and solutions are a no go for me, straps break before wearing the rubber is a no go for me. Between theory and skwama, skwamas soften and stretch with time so dont be concerned about the aggressiveness on that one. Theory has a smaller profile heel for heel hooking where as skwama has a big bulby one though the fit is as i said a vacuum seal

[@Splych]

@@BeorOng Sounds good! Would you say going down 1 size from street shoe would leave too much space in the theory? Luckily for the skwamas I can try out more sizes but for the theory, they had only 39 and up (usually wear 40/40.5 in street shoes)

[@TyLee96]

Feels more like an ad than an honest review.

[@BeorOng]

just shows how much I like the shoe -- can watch the genius' review if you want to see me trash a la sportiva high end shoe haha, still not a fan

[@assaqwwq]

@@BeorOng one reason it feels like that is that you build hype in the beginning. You really don't. Nobody clicks on this video by mistake. You don't need a hook. Just get into it. Another reason, and this would be more difficult to explain is that "the little things that make it a great shoe" isn't clear. I personally am looking for a low volume shoe, and after watching the review I still don't know if it's good or not :D

[@conserve_climber]

They look awesome; I will be buying a pair, good review dude. Cheers

[@BeorOng]

Appreciate it!