RRC Archives

Posted: **Sat Nov 22, 2003 12:32 am**

only buy shoes that you've tried on. buy the pair that fits the best. don't buy shoes based on how well they worked on someone else's feet - yours are different. (sorry, it's a mantra, I repeat it often)

Posted: **Sat Nov 22, 2003 5:22 am**

im a strictly anasazi kid unless some one can prove me wrong

Posted: **Mon Nov 24, 2003 5:07 pm**

captain static, I think the obvious choice is the Katana's. You already said you love the Muria(3 pairs). And you want to get them on and off quickly. I am on my second pair of Katana's. The first pair are on their second resole (still in decent shape). Believe it or not they are more comfortable for all forms of climbing than the muria, even crack climbing believe it or not. Having said that. If it just plastic bouldering on steep walls you are after, there is none greater than the Dragons or VX's.

Posted: **Mon Nov 24, 2003 7:05 pm**

I tried on both the Katanas and Mocasyms this weekend (I have never bought a pair of climbing shoes that I have never tried on). The Katanas I tried were a half size down from my Miuras and I definitely liked the fit and the feel. The sling shot of the Mocasym dug into my Achilles tendon and seemed too stiff.

Since I like Sportiva, I am wondering about the Mantra? I know this is a higher end shoe but has anyone worn or even seen a pair? I have plenty of time for input and to check things out as I don't plan to do any serious bouldering until Jan. 2004.

Posted: **Mon Nov 24, 2003 10:18 pm**

Well I suppose I could really blow the budget with the Testarossa?

The Perfect Bouldering Shoe?
May 12 '03

Author's Product Rating

Overall Quality:
Comfort:

Pros
Power Toe, Tight Fight, Very Solid Heel Pocket

Cons
You must be very patient while break the shoe in

The Bottom Line
With a ton of Power, great feel, and foot comfort there is no beating this shoe.

Full Review
While shopping for my new pair of shoes I was looking at the FiveTen Dragons but found way to many problems with them to make it worth keeping. Instead I found the LaSportiva Testarossa as a replacement.

If you know me you know that I'm a FiveTen Climbing Shoe Fan. My top 5 shoes are all FiveTen but after trying these shoes on I had to have them.

THE FIT AND STRETCH

These shoes literally fit you like second skin. I actually broke a sweat the first time I was putting them on they were so tight. The shoe uses whats called a SLING SHOT HEEL with a TENSION RAND what this does is force your heel toward the front of the shoe. This also causes your heel to lock in place. In other words you have to heel hook very hard for the heel to blow out on it.

With the Sling Shot Heel all your weight is forced into the Power Toe (down turned toe platform). This places a lot of power into your toes and allows you to crank with ease and place weight perfectly.

As for stretch, I've found that the shoe has stretched about a half size causing it to fit my foot perfectly. So perfectly that its still tough to put my foot in it until I get it in all the way and into where its stretched around my foot.

Never once have I had my foot move in this shoe. Not one inch not one centimeter. I can heel hook I can smear I can even dyno without the thinking about my shoe blowing off.

DESIGN

Like I said in the FIT section, the shoe uses a Sling Shot Heel to a Power Down Turned Toe. The great thing is that this isn't the best part. Here are the specks on the shoe itself.

Color: Red/Yellow
Upper: Leather/Lorica
Construction: Slip Lasted
Last: PD85
Lining: Pacific (stretch material in the toe and heel, Dri-Lex (pulls moisture away from your foot to keep it dry) in the tongue
Sole: 4mm XSV/1.8mm XSV Rand
Midsole: Molded Hytrel anatomical insert
Insole: None
Weight: 16 oz
(Information gathered from www.lasportiva.com)

CAN YOU FEEL THE POWER, OR HOW I CLIMBED IN THESE SHOES

Unbelievable! Just incredible! The power was amazing, I felt a spring in my step just walking in these shoes. They were very sensitive to the rock and I could feel everything going on under me.

I was literally climbing a grade higher in these shoes the day I put them on. I was a little nervous going from FiveTen's C-4 Rubber to LaSportiva's Vibram® XSV rubber but found that the shoes griped just as well.

TESTAROSSA VS. DRAGONS

No contest the Testarossa have everything that the dragons had with a better fit to them. Also the Dragons use a velcro system which I found doesn't lock as tight as the Testarossa's Lace Up.

TESTAROSSA VS. ANASAZI LACE UPS

Well folks here it is, the words I never thought I would say. I have found a better climbing shoe then my Anasazis. These shoes are everything I ever wanted out of a climbing shoe.

They have a better design then the Anasazis, a tighter fit, and the way the Testarossa keeps your feet dry from sweat. This shoe is nothing short of amazing. The King has fallen and another has taken his place.

IN THE END

LaSportiva says that these shoes are like little Ferraris for your feet, with this I couldn't agree more. For you boulderers out there you won't find a better shoe. FiveTen has to do some catching up on this shoe. It has everything that a boulderer could want and more.

Recommended
Yes

Ease Of Use: Excellent
Recommended Use: Bouldering/Sport Climbing

Posted: **Tue Nov 25, 2003 12:28 am**

i have been bouldering in mocasyms forever. they hurt like hell when you first get them(i size way down) and then they stretch into the perfect shoe.

Posted: **Wed Nov 26, 2003 2:25 am**

Hey all-
There were some questions about the Mantras and Testarossa. I've bouldered in a pair of Mantra S for the past year. They're the next best thing to climbing in a rubber sock, if you like that kind of feel. I've haven't had any durability issues, seeing that they have 3.5mm sole, opposed to a standard 4mm sole. You can feel everything with this shoe.

However, the Katana is my favorite. You all know that it depends on fit, but I do about 80% of all my climbing in them. The Testarossas fit like a $160 shoe. Excellent seam work and construction. I recommend it as a great steep route (uh, like the Red) shoe. No need to size them too tight, since the last does a lot of work for you.

Posted: **Wed Nov 26, 2003 11:28 pm**

i'd go with the katana's,cobra's a close second.

Posted: **Sun Nov 30, 2003 12:11 am**

i have had 3 pairs of v10s they're super dope except if u go to small they rip... the way they are made is so that the sizing is very very close to your street shoe size. i wear a 9 or 9 1/2 street and were a 9 v10 .... they arent ass tight lik the smaller ones i had before but they still do the exact same thing... i had the katanas before the v10's and loved them but the v10s are so much better. id totally get the v10's !!

Posted: **Mon Dec 01, 2003 8:20 am**

I have a pair of the v10's and they ripped, I don't think I could get them any bigger because they seem like they would strech too big if I moved up. I had like 5 pairs of the Cobra's and they are pretty bad ass and a lot chaper than 5:10 also they don't tear/fall apart as easily as the 5:10s

RRC Archives

Bouldering Shoes-Your Opinion?

Insight on the Mantra S and Testarossa