What climbing shoe SHOULD I BUY? 🧗🏻‍♂️ | Climbing Shoe Buying Guide

[@raoulkent]

Honestly, it's incredibly nice to see a review series where you go through a wide range of use cases, models and brands. Even considering the sponsorship from only one brand. Great content Robbie, I think this will help a great number of less informed, or newer, climbers make more informed decisions! Well done!

[@seb1989]

I love how you mention other brands even though it's a sponsored video! Great job I learned a lot! I purchased la Sportiva Tarantula as a beginner shoe to see if i liked the sport but am now thinking on grabbing another pair for indoor training!

[@RobbiePhillips]

Hey Seb. Thanks man - always good to give people comparisons or like for like with shoes. No shoe is identical, but there are definitely similarities.

[@RooReviews]

We’ve just gotten into climbing and been recommended the tarantulas how have you found them a year on?

[@mouldy5156]

@@RooReviews not sure they will survive a year of regular use.

[@ottok7448]

@@RooReviews my tartanulas lasted about a month and a half of daily climbing in the gym, pretty disappointing

[@beefkweef]

@@ottok7448 same idk what to get next

[@spit0flip]

I use Drago's to train in lol, my performing shoes are the Furia Air and Drago LV

[@culann483]

Kewl video , Any tips for a beginner on how much salt to add to water when boiling pasta? keep with up the great content , sending love from ur girlfriends apartment

[@culann483]

@culann thanks me

[@qweasdy1666]

It should be about as salty as the sea, if you're not sure how salty that is it's roughly as salty as you feel when kids a third your age send your project

[@tspoon1981]

The waters meant to taste like the Mediterranean apparently. The rule is 10-100-1000, 10g salt to 100g pasta in 1000mls water. Thank you for listening to my TedTalk

[@joelheard8397]

This is the best comment I've ever read

[@_mcslash]

@@culann483 For training purposes regular table salt should be fine, but as your foodwork improves, or if you're looking for a high-performance salt to send your project, I recommend Kosher salt.

[@KelvinClimber]

i know i was told to be silent about this, but we already agreed that the shoe to rule them all was croc's people need to know! xD

[@RobbiePhillips]

That’s our next video! 😜

[@nicdes5540]

I have the instinct vs and vsr and I love both of them! The vsr's have gotten a lot softer from countless sessions training so they are are even better than original for volumes and such while the vs's feel perfect fit the outdoors for me.

[@RobbiePhillips]

I love Instincts! I actually can’t think of a better all round shoe.

[@mikelee285]

Think you did such a good job selling Scarpa to us that they will send you the other shoes to make pairs of all those you had in front of you!

[@RobbiePhillips]

A man can dream 💭 👠

[@maylimountford3582]

11:20 is so true, for my first pair I was gifted from a friend was a Boreal Joker (marketed as a beginner shoe). The Rubber was so thick and tough, bloody hell i couldn't feel anything and was slipping off all the footholds - It was, dare I say, worse than the worn out shoes that the climbing gym provided. I had no confidence with my feet at all. Now I've got 5.10's Anasazi LVs (I know they aren't necessary made for indoor bouldering) BUT OH MY GOD WHAT A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE.

[@RobbiePhillips]

5.10 Anasazis are a great shoe! As I said in the video, just because they aren't designed specifically for indoors, doesn't mean it wont perform. I have worn my maestros for certain things indoor :) This video is trying to find the ideal shoe for certain things, but realistically most climbers want a shoe that can do most things very well, and the Anasazi is one of them :)

[@marioschatzlmair3171]

I startet with LaSportiva Tarantula, continued with LaSpo. Phyton an meanwhile I am wearing Scarpa Veloce and Instinct VS. And I would say: Tarantula = okayish beginner shoe, but definitely not more. Phyton = great "Allrounder" but a bit to less sensitive. Veloce = absolutely amazing and comfy shoe, my recommendation for beginners and people who want an awsome indoor training shoe. The only downside in my opinion is that the overall softness and the xs-grip sole are toooooo soft when it comes to really tiny foot holds...kinda smearing/rolling of cause of the softness. Instinct VS = my loved one ❤️ yes it is a pretty stiff shoe, so on a volume/smearing project I would use the veloce, but it is an amazing shoe! So precise and comfy and a great hooker with okayish smearing and amazing performance on tiny edges... 👌

[@gman1080]

Best possible shoes I've used are Scarpa Instinct VS (the orange ones) but resoled using a much softer rubber. I personally prefer the stiffer profile of the shoe compared with the softer VSR (the blue ones), but with the softer rubber it helps a ton with sketchy volumes and overhangs

[@RobbiePhillips]

When you say stiffer profile, do you mean rubber? The VS and VSR are completely identical aside from the rubber sole :)

[@badsn]

@@RobbiePhillips is that so? I was told in the shop the vs also has a stiffer last.

[@scherry2900]

Madrock Remora for easy on and off indoor training + smearing. VSR's when working on projects and specialy for little footholds and healhooks. Vapor V for lead.

[@richardbradley1532]

I got a pair of Voloce from Christmas. Only managed to climb in them twice before lockdown but very happy with them up to now. Soft and comfy (although I bought them small as I understand they can stretch a fair bit). Interesting new concept.

[@guapybalboa1927]

I had my scarpa orgins first then 8 months later I switch tovmy vapor V’s and absolutely love them

[@tiamat87]

for me the boreal satori (wide feet, soft shoe) are the most comfortable and durable shoes for indoor climbing. After resoling they lose their aggressive downturn, but still perform phenomenal. On limestone I use my allrounder&rather loose-fit shoe the Otaki (wide feet, normal stiffness, similar to the scarpa booster) or a tight miura vs (normal feet, very stiff shoe, pretty much the same as scarpas boostic) for hard projects or tiny edges.

[@ryana9026]

The veloces certainly are comfortable but they definitely aren't durable. The rubber wears out even faster than XS Grip2. I probably get about the same amount of climbing time per dollar with them as i would with a drago, and the drago at least has a useable heel.

[@andrewmccarthy7548]

2:05 "steep overhangs on mondo big jugs" lookin at you, Red River Gorge 😂🤣

[@RobbiePhillips]

True... but do you think many beginners could climb them? Frankly never been to the RRG so don’t know if 50 degrees 6a’s exists there haha

[@andrewmccarthy7548]

@@RobbiePhillips there's a handful of wildly overhanging "beginners" routes, I doubt they get to 50 degrees though so yeah...not quite gym boulders. Haha! www.mountainproject.com/v/111229014 The major overhangs start around 6b+/6c. The Red should definitely be on your short list. 👌🏼

[@AniVegMinMan]

im a huge fan of my scarpa vapors and have been thinking about getting an outdoor specific shoe, so knowing the vapor laces are the same shoe but optimized for outdoor is a hell of a recommendation

[@RobbiePhillips]

Yeah! But more rigidity in the laces than the velcros and a few finer tweaks elsewhere but exactly the same last :)

[@menph9987]

@@RobbiePhillips nice video as always mate ;) is just my impression or that Vapor lace you hold in the video seems pretty wrecked with unglued yellow rubber? i think is a super cool new model scarpa released, but this let me think about its durability..

[@patrickbourne3819]

I wish that I had watched this video before buying my beginner climbing shoes. I went for something that was said to be for beginners. It was stiff and flat and I really don't enjoy climbing in them. When I put them on my foot feels like concrete I can't move my toes at all or feel the wall. Hopefully they will be good for outdoor climbing but they really aren't great for indoors in my limited experience.

[@n8vjefe]

After 4 days of searching for an answer to which shoe was best for indoor and torn between the veloce or chimera, and debating between a all around do it all or separate dedicated shoes... you answered everything spot on. Thank you!

[@itsYiyas]

Which shoe did you end up buying? I tried a few things here - instinct was so painful in my toe, vapor was good fit but no sensitivity. Haven't been able to wear chimera, but it seems in family with Drago/FuriaAir with greater built in toe support, plus I'm looking for a lace system for maximum fit.

[@n8vjefe]

@@itsYiyas I bought the Instinct S based on an instructor's and scarpa corporate mmanager's advice/opinion. They hurt badly and I didnt size down but the fit is skin tight. I also bought the Evolve Oracle and it is more aggressive (similar to the Chimera/drago) and it is even more painful. I can only wear them for a couple sport climbs or a few boulder climbs and then I take them off for a few minutes and slip back on to go again. I asked everyone and the consensus is, suck it up buttercup, the shoes hurt, feet will get ugly and you get used to the pain after a while.

[@YodnasBokaj]

I've got the scarpa veloce shooes and I whould like to share my expiriance with them in the hop that it will be helpful for someone. Don't get me wrong, they are ultra comftable, but i found them to be not that durable. I climbed for 4 days a week for 2 -3 months around the 6C/7a level and I already got through the rand, and had to get a pricy resole. I am on the heavyer side for a climber at my level at around 90 kg. and my gym sets a lot of boulders with little foot jibs so that might play in as well, but keep in mind that the softer the rubber is the faster it will wear though. If you want something more durable and also comftable go for a rubber that is a bit harder than the s-72. Another peice of advice I whould give is to send the shooes in for resoaling imidiatly when you see signs of wear. Then the repairs are much cheaper.

[@loaf233]

Thank you so much. Now I may finally be able to complete my dream of sending the pink one in the corner

[@rowanangelbeck8840]

I've found my favourite choice for training shoes has been tenayas: decent rubber, fairly robust, and most importantly they're super comfortable.

[@bas5984]

what model?

[@alexgalays910]

Love the mastias. I think I would prefer something even softer like the mundakas but they are not as well built (two shitty velcros instead of a big one, less rubber for toe/heel hooking, etc) The mastias just have a more up to date design.

[@Indictedheart]

I wish someone would review other brands besides Scapa, La Sportiva & Evolv. Like to see more OCUN, I have medium volume wide greek foot. The best-fitting shoe I've found is the Scarpa instinct VS in Size EU49 but there is a slight airgap in the heel. It's slowly starting to mold to my foot, but I'd like to be able to find the shoes that are right for me. But with my big greek feet, with medium volume foot, & heal, but so far nothing fits like a glove. I hate wearing shoes without socks too. NO stores in my area carry US size 13 or 14's. 5.10's are too narrow. I have tried hard to find comfortable all-around gym shoes. I am no expert, I do this to help stay in shape during treatment. But I need shoes that let me challenge myself. So far nothing has been perfect. Not wide enough toe box, but tons of space above the toes.

[@gloriagi9499]

Leaving a comment here in case someone recommends a decent indoor climbing shoe for Greek feet

[@galaxyguy4522]

The Dragos and the Furias are both for overhangs and grabbing on to footholds on overhangs 🤨 not to mention, a stiff/aggressive shoe would be better to bear down on smaller footholds on an overhang. If you’re just smearing on it, that’s not ideal. It’s also kind of hard to smear with a super aggressive, very downsized shoe, because it’ll be artificially stiff because it’s so tight.

[@huyta3139]

I just got the veloces a few weeks ago and they definitely have turned into my favorite indoor for almost all sessions.

[@Tobyzguy]

I love them but any sort of edging they just give out and there not super durable

[@huyta3139]

@@Tobyzguy yea I try to avoid slab with them on haha

[@RobbiePhillips]

I agree that they are terrible on little edges, however I use that as a handicap in training to work my toe strength :) Durability I have found fine indoors - but outdoors don’t think I they’d be up to much

[@Tobyzguy]

Im on a team and i get 50 percent off shoes... My mom convinced me to get 25 rei garage sale shoes and wait it out a couple weeks until theres another order cuz my veloces fell apart... Ig its my fault who woulda known there not hiking shoes for the crag 🤷😂😂

[@Tobyzguy]

@@RobbiePhillips the lil metal loop that the strap goes through came out cuz the lil fabric holding it in place broke but i was definetly agressive with them

[@HiImBQ]

The Veloce are really good. I just wish I had them bought half a size smaller now. I guess when they're up to be resoled I buy a smaller pair instead. I also have the Skwama and as an intermediate now the comparision between them (and mainly the rubber) is that the S72 Rubber feels better in say 70% of the problems. Only when the foot holds get very small or it's an overhang start the Skwama to take the edge, quite literally. A bit more aggressive, and the XS Grip 2 is a bit harder than the S72. That being said: Since the Veloce are very VERY soft, especially the rubber, you leave a lot of material on the wall. With only going once a week for about an hour, the rubber lasted barely 6 months.

[@09tclarke]

I loved this series, awesome to see the shoe comparisons and I especially loved the summary in the last vid about outdoors climbing with shoes of different brands designed for different rock types. Really appreciate even though you're sponsored by Scarpa showing some of the other brands out there as well, although Tenaya clearly missed the memo, do you just not like their offerings overall or were they just excluded for time etc in videos?

[@RobbiePhillips]

Hey, thanks for the comment :) Not on purpose, I just don’t know much about Tenaya shoes. Obvs Scarpa is where I have most knowledge, and other brands I’m less knowledgeable about with some of the finer technical details so I asked for help from friends at those companies or other sponsored climbers. I actually don’t know anyone at Tenaya and tbh I thought I’d done a good cover of brands that even if I missed a few I didn’t think it would be a problem. At the end of the day, this wasn’t about comparing brands, it was about isolating features of shoes that make them good at what they do. I showed popular other brand alternatives mainly because you can then see the similarities across brands, but also if someone has that shoe then they can look themselves. I also missed out Evolv, Butora, Boreal, etc... not on purpose, just me being lazy I guess 🤪

[@09tclarke]

@@RobbiePhillips Awesome, yeah the research part of this must be astronomical, obviously you can't go asking for a pair of every shoes out there but really good insight none the less! Definitely worth bearing in mind if I need to go shoe shopping again

[@ricardoquintanavallejo341]

Thank you! This is exactly what I needed in terms of information and comparisons.

[@Rickshaw_Bohammer]

I have scarps instinct vs that I just had resoled. They’re great for outdoor sport and not bad for indoor but I need a more dedicated indoor slipper

[@RobbiePhillips]

Great indoor slipper is the Instinct SR - softer than the VS

[@DonPrus]

Will go for the blog for Chimera :)

[@heymanliam]

While you may be biased, $$$$, these videos are fantastic and very informational. Keep it up. Hope to see your channel grow.

[@balazra]

I mostly climb in vapour v they are comfy last a long time and are generally great. I have a really old pair of shoes that have been resoled 3-4 times that I climb in, they are soft and smear really well. I used t on do a lot of routes where there were simply no foot holds and you just smeared everything, I honestly don’t even remember the make or model but they are brilliant. (Although a pain to get resoled) I have a pair of velocity but don’t really use them much, just when I fancy wearing something different. Scarpa just always seem to fit my feet well.

[@SM-wr3jr]

Really useful video guys, I'm in the market for some new shoes so that gave me lots to think about and some great pointers, thanks!

[@RobbiePhillips]

Glad it helped dude!

[@nicktoftmark7320]

Been waiting for this video

[@oskarskoglund9496]

like for the pink one in the corner

[@Noekeeuh]

I use la sportiva myticos for outdoors and evolve phantoms for out and indoors and they Both are very precise and very long lasting.

[@piratebot13]

This video is amazing I'm looking to get a new pair of shoes I'm currently using laced tarantulas that are quite stiff and the rubber is tough.

[@kalamshaw1468]

Butora Acro Comp, I haven't found any shoe that comes close to meeting all of your standards, but if there is 1 that covers most of what you mentioned it's them

[@gizdyret]

I'm that guy who indoor lead climbs in a pair of Maestro's 😂 I'm a semi-heavy climber (90kg) and I looove the stiffness!

[@RobbiePhillips]

Yo Christian, haha I used to be the same. I’m 80kg and I genuinely loved the stiff shoes, but I learned that the softer shoes have much better grip on slopier surfaces. If you want a good hack with your maestros which will make them perform even better - when it comes to their resole, get them resoled in XSGrip2 as opppsed to their standard XSEdge. Game changer! When I was training for Yosemite last year I would do big sessions at the bouldering wall in maestros to get used to climbing all day in them. Climbed hard in them too, but they still have massive limitations indoors

[@nope110]

Think I’m going to get a pair of VS-Rs. Already got a pair of Borel Jokers, which are a good bit stiffer and more comfortable so decent for outside and training, but I’m definitely needing something softer and more aggressive for rathos over hangs and some slabby boulder nonsense (the good stuff)

[@deadheadIV]

Okay, but what shoes do I get to finally send the pink one in the corner?

[@RobbiePhillips]

👠😘💋

[@_mcslash]

But what are the best shoes to campus V1 boulders topless in front of new climbers? Also, what is 'outdoor' climbing?

[@1337-David]

Definitely the most colourful one. Make sure that girls are watching too though.

[@RobbiePhillips]

Surely a pair of Vans looks the best!?

[@_mcslash]

@@1337-David Of course, what's the point in climbing if there aren't girls watching? 😉

[@_mcslash]

@@RobbiePhillips yeah probably, how they in terms of performance?

[@RobbiePhillips]

Fairly lightweight with a flat aerodynamic design for beating wind resistance whilst campussing

[@CityKanin]

Scarpa shoes don’t fit my foot at all... it’s sad. They have such cool models! My heel is way too pronounced for their last.

[@bazwax77]

Those catches though!

[@RobbiePhillips]

I’m on fire 🔥 😜 Didnt take 20 shots at it either... 😅

[@bazwax77]

@@RobbiePhillips 😂😂😂👌🏻.....good wee segment dude 👌🏻🧗🏻‍♂️

[@Grynfelt]

Annoying thing in my country is that no store sells veloce so I bought scarpa drago LV, lasted me almost a year before I needed to resole. Might get veloce from some EU store, would be more of a pain to return though if they don't fit right.

[@kleindarco]

My last shoe was the drago and i like it the most of all shoes i had before. I think about trying out the furia s or the drago lv as my next pair.

[@lp4275]

That need an update to add the Mad Rock Drone 2.0 and Drone CS.

[@fasteddiebrown]

thx for the vid! but hmm how about indoor top rope or indoor lead climbing shoes Robbie? it seems the video really only concentrated on indoor bouldering :( would have been great to include the other indoor disciplines!

[@compellingpeople]

I have black diamond's momentum a size smaller than my street shoe, and a pair or Solutions at my street shoe size. The solutions are more comfortable, but I'm told that I should have down sized like with the momentums. I feel like I climb slabs better with the momentums because of the flat design, but I take them off immediately, whereas the solutions, which I wear all day, work on slabs as well because of comfort. I am really, really confused on what pair of shoe I should buy next to experiment with. However, this video helped brings some clarity, soft rubber indoors, and hard rubber outdoors. Now I just need to figure out size and shoe shape.

[@RobbiePhillips]

Hey man, if you’re interested in some of the finer details of shoes for outdoors, check out some of my other videos :) it’s not quite as straight forward as stiff rubber for outdoors, but indoors definitely soft all the way. As it seems you have a stiff shoe and a midrange shoe (solution), why not try something softer? Scarpa DRAGO, Furia S are good to look at, but you can see loads of great other brand alternatives in my vid too :)

[@Chris-de2qc]

My momentum I only went half size smaller and they are comfortable yet still fill out the shoe.

[@oovlocityoo2671]

Hi, thanks for your videos, what do you think about the scarpa veloce lace? Would you consider to do a video about them?

[@gilligan1350]

I've only tried the very used rental shoes at my local gym, and maybe that's my problem, but I still feel like I have better touch (and in turn make more accurate placements) with the indoor soccer shoes I've worn for everything all my life. I'm sure at some point I'll reach their limits and have to upgrade, but I'm not there yet.

[@dylancooper498]

How can you tell when its time for a new pair of shoes?

[@chradon.]

What is a high toe box? Like the vertical room in the toe box is higher / there is more room for your toes to move vertically?

[@hyau23]

did anyone else find the veloce rubber wear away very quickly?

[@alexnunez4019]

Amazing video. I think ima need to watch this two or three times lol

[@readyaimsflyer4226]

Tempted to get the Instincts for my next shoe, currently wearing Boreal Jokers for rope and Five Ten Kirigami for bouldering. I mainly boulder now with the occasional roped climb so think they'd suit.

[@RobbiePhillips]

Instincts are a brilliant all rounder :) VSR, VS, Lace or Slipper?

[@readyaimsflyer4226]

@@RobbiePhillips was thinking about the VSR since they are softer but I've heard the VS are better for those who are heavy.

[@RobbiePhillips]

About the weight, in theory yeah, but the stiffness of the midsole is the same, it’s only the rubber that is different. I’m 80kg and I really really like the VSR. I find for indoors and most outdoor stuff the VSR is brilliant. I’d take the VS more if I was doing some really small feet on a project. It also has a lot to do with toe strength as well! I do believe our toes can get stronger if we climb in softer shoes, abs vice Versa, get weaker in stiffer shoes. It’s a good idea to experiment with softer shoes. Made a huge difference to my climbing when I made the switch

[@readyaimsflyer4226]

@@RobbiePhillips thanks for the input! Definitely going towards the VSRs then.

[@iamtheonlygino]

I’m highly disappointed in the veloces honestly. I don’t get why I would want to train without being able to toe or heel hook. They feel like they are too flimsy. I’ll stick with the instincts !

[@luan90061413]

Hi Robbie, thanks for this great video! Hope you can help me answer this. I issues with haglunds disese (huge bump on my right heel) and mortons toe. Tried more or less every model from scarpa, la sportiva an tenaya in store this weekend and the only ones that didnt instantly murder my heel were the Scarpa Arpia and Scarpa Veloce so I bought both to try them on at home. The Veloce feels better due to the slightly wider toebox while the Arpia feels like they are crusing my pinky toes after 15min of wear, are slightly more uncomfortable in the heel and make the toes next to my big toes curl up a bit too much. However, I only climb in the gym, no bouldering and mostly vertical walls. Im a bit scarred the Veloce might be just too soft for this since Im coming from wearing a pair of La Sportiva Tarantulace for two years.

[@martinofinotelli1884]

Good video but you never see any competitor wearing Otaki. Otaki is very stiff has Xs edge and it is obviously and outdoor shoe.

[@Erulilum]

I'd disagree with the soft heel, no shoes has felt as secure on a heel hook as the solution heel, scarpa VS, vsr and sportiva genius heels are too soft and slip too much for me on overhangs, especially when I need to side heel.

[@RobbiePhillips]

Agree to disagree :P I hate the Solution heel for that reason. It works in some places for me but I've never found it very versatile. But each to their own :) Thats the beauty of having so many climbing shoe brands/designs/designers all working on different stuff for every possible situation.

[@postfraction]

Any tips for people with big feet and shoe size? I wear size 13.5/14 everyday shoes, should i aim for like 1 size lower climbing?

[@timonix2]

i feel like i am getting mixed messaging here. First you say to stick to the softer/mid soft rubbers, then you recommend the otaki for small edges which uses the XS Edge rubber which is hard as hell. I mean sure, I know that the otakis are great at small edges, but wouldn't it make more sense to recommend a pair of shoes which don't contradict your own guide.

[@RobbiePhillips]

Hey Tim, I’ll be the first to admit I made a mistake there. I’ve already apologised for that in another comment. The Otaki does actually have a softer midsole but uses a stiffer rubber so it’s a bit of a mid range shoe. Also, this is a guide, not definitive. Many of the specialists in the world of climbing shoes think grp2 and edge rubber have the same stickiness, just edge deforms less making it harder on sloping features, so even a well broken in pair of edge shoes would function really well indoors. For those who want a guide in choosing the perfect shoes for the job I think this video and my articles on the subject do pretty well.

[@robertcreer8826]

Very helpful 👍

[@dakkoreaan]

Thank you for the in depth video guide for climbing shoes! I was wondering if there have been new shoes released that compare to the Scarpa's Veloce and La Sportiva Cobra.

[@AbelFarkas]

Evolv Zenist could be one.

[@JayJay-ni4mc]

Why didnt Talk about the Velocity?it's the top seller for beginners. What do you think about the Velocity?

[@ARustySpork]

Great Video! Loved all the videos in fact! Only slightly bias'ed views ;) Any tips for climbers with wider feet would be a bonus! 5.10 is a no go for me my LS cobras fit because a lot of painful/stretch breaking in time!

[@RobbiePhillips]

Hey Drew, From the SCARPA end I've always found that the Instinct VS/VSR/Lace was a fairly wide fitting shoe, as well as the Vapor's and of course the Veloce. It's always a fine balance finding a shoe fit for your feet as well as fit for purpose. The Drago are a soft shoe so similarly to your Cobras would possibly break in eventually. Other brand alternatives I'm a bit less in touch with their relative fits. Occupational hazard being sponsored haha Unrelated - look forward to a banger Unseen Bits today on the Patreon page :D

[@jam3s14]

I mainly boulder and have been for about a year and a half and am looking to probably purchase a pair of vapour v’s would people recommend?

[@alexgalays910]

But more importantly, it has to be a good fit for your foot shape, no matter how good the build, rigidity and external cool features the shoe has. I feel pretty good in the drago but my feet HATED the vapor V and instinct SR so much I had to give them back. Tenayas are an amazingly good fit for me too.

[@Kaka99296]

would the recommend the scarpa instinct vsr for a beginner? only indoor bouldering

[@rendg9285]

What's the recommended size for Veloce for a snug fit? We don't have a local supplier here so planning to order from overseas. My street shoe size is UK9

[@dario2691]

Shauna coxsey uses ansazi pro. Those are some pretty hard shoes

[@MrJackPuddle]

Where might I ask are the UK’s best shops for range of technical outdoor climbing shoes? I live in Scotland, and have found few aggressive shoes in the retailers’ ranges (plenty of ‘soft slippers’ for jumping around on volumes). I prefer to try on shoes in store. I will be driving through London, Birmingham and Manchester…

[@RobbiePhillips]

Honestly I’m not really sure… I know in Edinburgh, Eden Rock have the entire SCARPA range in stock. Other stores like Tiso/Cotswold typically have a pretty poor selection to choose from - it’s hard for the big retailers to stock every type of shoe across all the brands 👠

[@nicktoftmark7320]

What do you think about the lasportiva comps and theory for indoor climbing ?

[@RenM908]

I love my stiffer trad shoes for all day climbing and long routes outside but I find smearing and bouldering quite difficult. Looking for a good bouldering shoe.

[@raiemie7365]

got quantum vcs and Skwamas, skwamas have a perfect heel for me and overall perfect fit, but the rubber on the toehook is really slippery, its pretty bad, while the vcs has c4 rubber everywhere she doesnt fit as well but the stickiness is up the roof, I'll look for 5.10 hiangle next or tenaya mastia's

[@Fogmeister]

"For getting the most out of your session's"???? Over enthusiastic use of apostrophes there. LOL!

[@C2H5OHa]

Hi, are the black diamond zones' good for beginner/intermediate climbers?

[@ethannkyle]

who was here for this first upload😂

[@RobbiePhillips]

Haha me!!! That was a mistake - some slightly adjustments were needed haha

[@hamishwrobb8749]

Q about Instict VS-R are they only slightly down-turned? and the Vapour V, are they soft and grippy (with bouldering in mind) even though they come with a vibram xs Edge sole?

[@RobbiePhillips]

VSR - Yes. Relatively low level of assymetry in the design, and low down turn, medium height toe box. VAPOR V - they aren’t the softest. Their softer than the Laces version but they still have a relatively stiff midsole. The women’s (low volume) is completely Grip2 sole, however the men’s (high volume) only has a Grip2 heel whereas it has edge on the flat part. They are built as a multipurpose shoe with edging and smearing in mind for bouldering, so although the men’s use edge rubber, they do perform well in an indoor bouldering settinf. They are also a great shoe for resoles so if you get the men’s version, an option is to resole in Grip2 once you’ve worn them through :)

[@janchadraba3990]

Hi! Great vid, I have learned a lot. Just about to get my first real climbing shoe and iam curious - which shoe would be the best for both bouldering and sport climbing, if I only were to get one. Iam trying to find a shoe that would perform well in all indoors climbing.

[@RobbiePhillips]

Hey Jan, If it’s your first shoe I’d go for something not too aggressive/downturned/assymetric. Have a look at VAPOR Velcro, Arpia and Veloce. Also if you wanted something a bit more performance orientated then the instinct VSR is a good shout - it’s a bit more downturned than the other 3 but not too much :)

[@luismartins8598]

Hello Robbie, great vid! I have the instincts vs and i love them to death. their fit is amazing and i can do almost anything on them. i just cant trust them for smearing. Do you think VSR could be a good choice for more volume intensive footwork? How would you say the vsr compare the to vsr in terms on edging and smearing? I assume you have access to both shoes. Thanks in advance. :)

[@RobbiePhillips]

Hey Luis, The VSR will be better than VS for smearing - I find that I use the VSR more and more these days..: just a brilliant all round shoe. For volumes I’m a massive fan of the DRAGO, but VSR will also be good 👍

[@rickedeckard2006]

LAS - Skwama!

[@Chris-de2qc]

What would be similar to the Sportiva Theory?

[@leonakadir3833]

have you found the veloche true to size compared to the other scarpas? iv had helix and vapour but they aren't bringing the veloche into nz so id need to order from abroad without trying which is a pain. I really want them tho!

[@RobbiePhillips]

Hey Leona, I have found them fine relative to other Scarpas. Bit wider in the forefoot, and much easier to break in! Compared to helix and vapor this will feel like a sock with rubber :P

[@leonakadir3833]

@@RobbiePhillips great thanks. I tried a friends on when he first got them. they were a touch too big but I loved the feel of them. such a great idea!

[@AbelFarkas]

How about Evolv Zenist compared to Veloce?

[@chakchalks]

Any info on the 2021 boostics update??? Thinking about buying a few pairs of the current iteration

[@RobbiePhillips]

I don’t at the moment, but I’d love to share the knowledge when I get it. The current iteration is a brilliant shoe - maybe buy one pair of the oldies and wait for the new ones to come out in case you prefer them?

[@kernn708]

What are the differences both in features and in fit between the instinct VSR and the brand new women's lace?

[@RobbiePhillips]

Hey Kai, The main diference is the shape - the wmns lace will have a narrower fit and more scultped heel with the new PAF heel system for a better more secure fit. The rubber is the same, Grip2 ;)

[@nathanaeln]

Any recommendations for indoor rope climbing beaters of the Scarpa variety? Been transitioning from bouldering to rope due to a nasty injury and there are times where I feel like my veloces don’t have enough support or they my feet get more tired than usual on small footholds. Learning towards the Vapor v, instinct vs vsr and slipper.

[@mileshardin6906]

vapor V is your best bet for comfy shoes, but instinct VS is pretty nice, high performance

[@adriensanz2354]

Hi ! Do the instinct family share the same last ? More specifically, do the instinct lace and vsr share the same ? Thanks !

[@RobbiePhillips]

All but the Instinct Lace which has a slightly narrower fit. The lace the Vs and VSR are the same last :)

[@christophwedemann4911]

Did anyone ever consider Ocun Ozone HV? I was acutally wondering how this would end up compared to Scarpa Veloce and Scarpa Instinct VSR?

[@BillyTay]

veloce were my first shoes

[@MakeEterniaGreatAgain]

any thoughts on the momentum black diamond as a beginner/training shoe? vs the la sportiva taratula?

[@RobbiePhillips]

The tarantula is a pretty terrible shoe from a performance pov. It’s fine for rental, but too many climbers have it as their first shoe for too long. It has very little sensitivity and won’t give you much ability to progress your technique as a result. If this is important to you then I’d really recommend looking for something comfortable but with better sensitivity. In the Scarpa range I’m thinking Veloce, VAPOR V, Vapor S. Unfortunately I don’t have any experience with BD. Equally, if you really just want a cheap shoe to play on the wall with and get you out of rentals, then tarantula or something equivalent such as Scarpa Reflex will do nicely :)

[@MakeEterniaGreatAgain]

Thanks man. really new to it so just looking cheap, durable, etc. Thanks a lot for the feedback!@@RobbiePhillips

[@sakariilvesniemi762]

La sportivas website says that otakis have xs edge rubber, you recommended to steer away from that rubber for indoor use. Havent tried otakis and don't know anything else about it but that just seemed odd to me. Solutions or skwamas with xs2 grip would seem more in line as recommendations from la sportiva.

[@RobbiePhillips]

You’re right. Sorry that might have been my bad there. I was attempting to show other brand alternatives but sometimes they don’t directly cross over. From my understanding I was told Otaki had a softer midsole than the Instinct but used a stiffer rubber, so perhaps a Skwama would have been a better comparison. I do say as a rule of thumb to avoid Xs Edge rubber. It’s not to say it won’t work, just that Grip or Grip2 will perform better.

[@sakariilvesniemi762]

Thanks for the reply! Of course the shoe as a whole matters more than the sole rubber but I just wondered if there was something I missed. Otherwise I really enjoyed the series👍

[@RobbiePhillips]

There are so many factors that go together to making these shoes great 🙂 and fit for purpose. As I said in another comment, I have used Maestros resoled in grip2 indoors for techy slabs haha they performed great! There will always be anomalies, but these videos are aimed to give people the knowledge to make informative judgments for themselves

[@KevinRGorham]

How do the scarpa boosters fair indoors? I am thinking about getting them as a compliment to my scarpa instinct vs. I live in Las Vegas where we climb on sand stone at Red Rock Canyon, lime stone at Mt Charleston and the gym.

[@RobbiePhillips]

I wouldn’t be using my boosters indoors much, it would depend on the climb. As an indoor all rounder they aren’t ideal, more suited to steep climbing on edges and pockets. I do think they compliment the VS well though as the VS is probably better on less steep angles than booster.

[@KevinRGorham]

@@RobbiePhillips thanks

[@jeanramses5295]

the veloce are not durable... sorry but except this MASSIVE disadvantage for training shoe those are great

[@RobbiePhillips]

Ahhh really? I’ve not had that issue with mine other than when I was using them for crack climbing (which they aren’t designed for) 😂 For indoor climbing they’ve outlasted most my other shoes

[@pietromariadeantoni2074]

Are the chimera good training/performing shoes?

[@RobbiePhillips]

The chimera are great performance shoes. I would also be happy training in them, but relatively they are not as comfortable as a Veloce. But they will perform better 😉 hope that helps

[@pietromariadeantoni2074]

Thank you!!

[@owenbaxter8920]

Any opinion on the evolv kronos in comparison to anasazi pro for daily gym trainers?

[@RobbiePhillips]

Afraid I’ve never used them before and don’t really know anything about them. Sorry 😞

[@richardbradley8535]

Yes but where did the girl to the left come from?

[@RobbiePhillips]

The ether! O.o

[@ethanfrost7204]

should i get a drago or a instict VS

[@RobbiePhillips]

What do you climb mainly? Style? Indoors/outdoors? Etc…

[@btay1309]

Im trying to decide between vapour v and velocity I’m a pretty new climber and mostly do indoor climbing, any tips?

[@RobbiePhillips]

Hey, velocity is very much a beginner shoe. It has quite a rigid sole and not the best for indoor use or progression. VAPOR V is much better but has a slightly more technical shape to it which means you may feel initially that it’s a little more uncomfortable than the velocity, but if sized correctly this shouldn’t last long. But... if it’s mainly indoors your doing I’d check out the Veloce. It’s a soft indoor specific shoe and a great beginner shoe. Very comfy and a great first climbing shoe as well.

[@btay1309]

Robbie Phillips thank you very much! That was very useful:)