Gear Review: Scarpa Vapor Climbing Shoes

Value Rating: 9 Durability Rating: 9 Overall Rating: 9 Location of Test: The Circuit, PRG Duration: Ongoing Product Name: Vapor Product Brand: Scarpa Best Use: Bouldering, Sport Climbing Upper: 1.8mm Suede, Microsuede Midsole: Flexan 1.0 Sole: Vibram XS Edge; 3.5mm Last: FR - Curved Profile, and Asymmetric Sizes: 36 – 45(half sizes) Weight: 215g; 7.6oz (1/2 pair size 38) Origin: Italy SHOP CLIMBING SHOES The Full Review: I would like to start out this review by saying: These are my favorite rock climbing shoes I have owned or tried to date. When I was looking for my current pair or climbing shoes, the areas that were important to me were some downturn (I primarily boulder), comfort, and a shoe that I could have confidence in staying on my foot when I throw a heel hook. An issue I have had with other shoes is that when I throw a heel hook with a lot of tension, they have started to slide off my foot. As you could imagine, this does not give you much confidence when you are climbing a route that requires this. For that reason, I wanted to go back to Scarpa because the shoe I had owned from them previously fit my foot shape very very well. Also, I wanted to try something in a lace up so I could really tie them down if I was climbing something that required a heel. So, with that criteria in mind, the Vapor Lace was really the perfect shoe that fit every single category. The shoe does have a slight downturn which is good for those occasional toe hooks, but not so much that your foot is crying out in pain after only 20 minutes. For my level of climbing, it is more than enough. The toe box and love bump get your toes in a really strong position. The single piece synthetic upper makes this a very comfortable shoe. The Vapor Lace has the same Bi-Tension randing as the Vapor V which many people are familiar with, which actually pulls backward towards the heel which gives you toes some added comfort, but also providing you with plenty of power and support. The Vibram XS Edge sole is awesomely grippy, and I've never had an issue using the wall to smear and having my foot slip. Finally, the lace up design really allows for optimal adjustability when it comes to the fit on your foot. If I am warming up or climbing more vertical routes, I can leave a little extra room that allows me to keep my shoes on for hours at a time. However, when I am climbing more challenging routes or routes that are on a steep reverse incline, I can really tie them down and have the added confidence and foot sensitivity I need. The Good: There is a lot of things I could put in this category, and a lot of it I have already mentioned in the full review. As I mentioned before, this shoe really is comfortable! I see so many other climbers having to take off their shoes every 15 minutes or so, but with these I can go an entire 3-hour gym session without taking them off once. Something I haven't mentioned yet in the review is their durability. I climb about 4-5 times a week, usually for several hours at a time, and in the months that I have had these shoes I haven't seen any real signs that the rubber is going to give out any time soon. The Bad: This is an odd down side that I haven't had to give a review on so far, and honestly, I don't know if it has everything to do with the shoe, but these things smell bad. I've owned several other pairs of climbing shoes, and have climbed through the summer with them when you are sweating the most, and none of my other shoes have gotten to the point that these have. Maybe it's the synthetic material that really locks in the odor, but I'm having to try to find a solution to fix it because it's getting out of hand. The other no so convenient issue with these shoes is the lace up. Even though they provide benefits that I prefer, there have been countless amounts of times that I am about to get on the wall, accidentally step on one of the laces and untie them, and must sit back down and re-do it. Not so much a performance flaw, just a slight nuisance. The Bottom Line: The bottom line is I love these shoes. When it comes time to buy a new pair or think about getting them resoled, I'm definitely going to consider these strongly and it's going to take a VERY good pair of shoes to get me to stray away from them. Indoor, outdoor, bouldering or sport climbing, these shoes really can tackle it all. What more could you really ask for in a pair of climbing shoes?