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5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect for guys with bigger/wider feet! Has totally changed the quality of my climbing experience, May 17, 2011
Perfect for guys with bigger/wider feet! Has totally changed the quality of my climbing experience due to it's boxed-toe. I don't feel like I am trying to cram my toes into a women's high-heel shoe.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect for Indoor/Outdoor, February 1, 2012
This review is from: Mad Rock Men's Phoenix Lace Crack Climber (Apparel)
I've been climbing indoor for about two months and after getting acquainted with my abilities through rental shoes I decided I really needed a pair of my own to push routes I had been struggling on. I like these for the following reasons:
COMFORT: I tried on a ton of shoes in person to make sure I knew what I was getting. It was a toss up between these and the
La Sportiva Nago Mens Climbing Shoe. Both provided a great fit however I felt that the Mad Rock Phoenix's had less of a "dead toe" feel. The being said these have a great toe box and firm rand - enough to provide plenty of comfort when edging on tiny holds. These also grip my heels extremely well so heel hooks and the like aren't a problem. I remove them during long rests but they are comfortable enough to leave on for extended periods of time.
FIT: Street shoes I wear an 11 and I like my climbing shoes tight - not uncomfortably tight but tolerable. I was wearing a 10 in the rental Evolv Defys at my gym however I was surprised that I had to size down to a 9 in these to get the feel I was looking for. Since these aren't synthetic uppers I fully expect them to stretch a bit but as of now they are nice and tight. The lace-ups really provide a wide range of fit and adjustability. I figure that the best way to find a climbing shoe is to first try it on in person, develop a relationship with that shoe and then for any future buys order it online.
PERFORMANCE: This is where having your own shoes really pays off. Before I got these I was doing 5.10 and some 5.11 routes. After getting these I redid some of the routes that I struggled on before and practically ran up them - I'm now completing 5.12b/c routes and there's a 5.13 I'm excited to work. These shoes have a slight downturn which provides great tension for sporty overhang routes and enough edge to stand on tiny holds firmly. The toe is thin enough to jam into finger cracks and the heel has a ridged grip which really grabs holds. My dyno has increased roughly 8 inches with these and I can slab up slippery faces pretty easily now. The box has some label about ScienceFriction rubber on the soles and I can attest to its ability.
CARE: So far I haven't had to do anything to these to prevent them from smelling. As with any shoe you want to let them air out after each climb away from direct sun light. Additionally I have been climbing about 4 days a week in these for almost 2 weeks now and they don't show a sign of wear. I imagine once I venture outdoors (I hear Austin TX climbing has it all - great limestone, deepwater soloing and pink granite a bit west) they might start to wear but until then they seem well constructed.
Overall I would say this is a great shoe for indoor climbing. Having not ventured onto any real rock (yet) I can't speak toward its performance however I would imagine that it would function just fine on real rock as it does on whatever those indoor gyms are molded out of.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Great shoe, but on the small side, June 8, 2011
The shoe was everything I was looking for but a little stiff and on the small side. had it come in wide and a size bigger i think it would have been the perfect gift!
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