How to Choose Rock Climbing Shoes
La Sportiva Mythos Climbing Shoes - Men's
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The venerable La Sportiva Mythos climbing shoes are adored by both beginners and pros for their easy-to-break-in leather uppers and low toe profile, great for crack climbing.
Shop similar productsKey Details
Climbing Shoe Type
Neutral
Last
Slip-lasted
Can Be Resoled
Yes
Upper
Suede leather
- Patented Mythos lacing system fine-tunes the fit to the shape of your feet for the perfect feel whether you're on a long multipitch climb or at the gym for a quick workout
- Soft unlined leather uppers stretch and mold to the contours of your feet, offering a snug form fit for excellent performance
- La Sportiva Mythos rock shoes are great for crack climbing; the low toe profile lets you slot your feet in thin splitters
- 4mm Vibram® XS Edge outsoles stick well whether you're smearing or climbing cracks; rands are perforated to allow for stretch and comfort
- Boots can be resoled
Imported.
View all La Sportiva Men's Climbing Shoes| Best Use | Rock Climbing |
|---|---|
| Climbing Shoe Type | Neutral |
| Last | Slip-lasted |
| Upper | Suede leather |
| Lining | No |
| Outsole | Vibram rubber |
| Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
| Can Be Resoled | Yes |
| Gender | Men's |
| Weight (Pair) | 1 pound |
| Sustainability | From a Climate Neutral Certified brand |
La Sportiva Footwear - Men's
| 34 EU | 35.5 EU | 36.5 EU | 37 EU | 37.5 EU | 38 EU | 38.5 EU | 39 EU | 39.5 EU | 40 EU | 40.5 EU | 41 EU | 41.5 EU | 42 EU | 42.5 EU | 43 EU | 43.5 EU | 44 EU | 44.5 EU | 45 EU | 45.5 EU | 46 EU | 46.5 EU | 47 EU | 47.5 EU | 48 EU | 48.5 EU | 49 EU | 49.5 EU | 50 EU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Men's | 2.5+ | 4 | 4.5+ | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 6.5+ | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 8.5+ | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 10.5+ | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 12.5+ | 13 | 13.5 | 14 | 14.5 | 15 | 15.5 | 16 |
| U.S. Women's | 3.5 | 5 | 5.5+ | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 7.5+ | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 9.5+ | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 11.5+ | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 13.5 | 13.5+ | 14 | 14.5 | 15 | 15.5 | 16 | 16.5 | |
| EU | 34 | 35.5 | 36.5 | 37 | 37.5 | 38 | 38.5 | 39 | 39.5 | 40 | 40.5 | 41 | 41.5 | 42 | 42.5 | 43 | 43.5 | 44 | 44.5 | 45 | 45.5 | 46 | 46.5 | 47 | 47.5 | 48 | 48.5 | 49 | 49.5 | 50 |
| Mondo | 24 | 24.5 | 25 | 25.5 | 26 | 26.5 | 27 | 27.5 | 28 | 28.5 | 29 | 29.5 | 30 | 30.5 | 31 |
Sizing Notes
For boots: Add one half size to your street shoe size. You should be able to slip one finger behind your heel when you are standing up with the boot unlaced and your toes touching the front. If the boot is too short, your toes will get smashed walking downhill. Too long and your heel will slide up and down and give you blisters.
Buying Advice
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Most Helpful Favorable Review
great shoe but quality has declined
jim in boston12 years ago
I have purchased 3 pairs of these over the last 20 years, and owned a dozen other climbing shoes over the years. My now vintage 1990s Mythos (awesome climber on the moon logo!) have had 6 resoles and are still my go to shoe. I have used these bouldering, climbing 5.12s sport and on long trad climbs. And although I compete in a more aggressive shoe mostly for the psycological value,I have never felt the shoes were limiting my climbing in any way. That performance plus the amazing comfort and custom feeling fit of the lace to toe shoe makes this the best climbing shoe ever designed. It will shape to anyones foot with stretch and the laces allow you to then pull that snug on your foot. How many other climbing shoe models are top sellers after several decades?
That said the newer ones, purchased last year (2012) were toast in a matter of months and not worth resoling due to the breakdown of the leather sock. The construction on my old Italian Mythos, from before the company was bought out by N. Face is amazing, great leather and precise stitching. The newer ones are much poorer quality with the leather failing behind the toe very quickly. Still an outstanding climbing shoe but they are now disposable shoes like most current models , not the old resoleable workhorse of the past.
Highly recomended but they "aint what they used to be" in terms of durability. That still puts them pretty much on par with every other shoe on the shelf in terms of durability
jim in boston
Boston, Ma
42 people found this review helpful
Most Helpful Critical Review
Monthos
Climber Anonymous12 years ago
I love this shoe, but both pairs I owned only lasted about a month of semi regular outdoor use before problems started to occur.
The shoe is comfortable, and performs well, especially on slabs and cracks. It took me up and back down (with comfort) a 23 pitch route with a 5.12a crux pitch.
However in both pairs that I owned, the rand split at the toe, causing the sole to began to separate within a month. The sole also began to separate on the side of the foot. Due to the hole in the rand I could not even get these resoled with just a simple sole replacement. I think the problem is probably rooted in the fact that it is only a single layer of leather which can shrink or expand while the rubber cannot. I have had a pair of Miura (which has multiple layers) last over a year (with resoling).
However the shoe still functioned so I continued to use them. When the problem got worse I returned them to REI. The second time I got some resistance when doing this (because people do abuse the return policy). This was aggravating to me because even though it had been nearly a year since I bought them, these things failed me within a month. The sales person was even aware that this shoes wear out fast, he said many people call them the "monthos."
This is a good shoe, but it is not worth the price due to how fast it wears out. It honestly should come with a warning on it that it wears out so fast, so that less people are indeed unsatisfied when it does wear out. I would highly recommend the Miura (lace version) as a replacement, REI needs to start carrying this too.
Climber Anonymous
MD
10 people found this review helpful
Bill from Portland
Portland, OR
Decent performance, very comfortable
12 years ago
I bought the Mythos because I wanted something that performed decently, but was comfortable enough that I wouldn't have to take it off in between climbs in the gym. They worked out great! Not as high performance as some shoes out there, but overall not bad at all either, and when my friends are complaining about the pain in their feet and swapping their shoes on and off I can just take it easy. Be warned, though: These shoes stretch a lot! I buy them so small that I can barely get my feet in, and after a few climbing sessions they've stretched out until my toes lie flat and have a little pressure on their tips from the shoes. This seems to be just the right size for me.
Yes , I recommend this product
sdolzine
Solid shoe
8 years ago
These shoes worked awesome for me. Having a wider foot I felt that these shoes were able to stretch to fit comfortably. The only problem I had was the rubber begun to separate where the shoe stretched the most, but that is the downside to having wide feet. They also wore down a bit faster than my other shoes but that also comes from bad shoe care and daily climbing. Another thing I found to be helpful is a little trick with the laces. If you feed the lace through the lace on the side as an additional lace hole, it gives you a little tighter hold around your ankle which is awesome when a climbing shoe feels even more snug around your foot.
bntran
houston, tx
Best all around climbing shoes
16 years ago
Used these for almost two years with almost all climbing types (indoor, sport, bouldering, multi-pitch). Definitely the most comfortable shoes ever. I Generally wear size 9.5 with climbing shoes but these shoes feel great on an 8.5 as they stretch a whole lot. My primary type of climbing is indoor but i generally go outdoor climbing every two months. That's where they really shine! I've used them with limestone, granite and sandstone and they grip extremely well with all types of rock including indoor gyms. These shoes have really helped me progress from 5.8 when I started climbing to 5.11a and will definitely buy them again!
Yes , I recommend this product
Calimobber
SIMI VALLEY,CA
Great shoe that sticks like glue
14 years ago
Ive been climbing for about 4 months now and these are my first shoes. I love them for just about eveything. I wear them bouldering for a few hours at a time and wall climb with them. after 4 months Im about a 5.10b climber though I have done a few 5.11a's. Bouldering Im a v3 climber and I love these shoes for everything so far. I wear a 10.5-11 street shoe size and bought these in a size 9. they are tight at first but stretch very will to your foot since they are leather. Only complaint I have is the laces can get in the way climbing on a rare occation but thats expected on all laces shoes.
Yes , I recommend this product
Hackenbush
Los Angeles, CA
Great Shoes
15 years ago
I climbed frequently as an adolescent but then gave it up for literally twenty years. I bought these shoes when I joined a rock gym last month, and I've used them exclusively indoors. I chose them after reading multiple descriptions of their performance, comfort, and versatility. They have more than met my expectations. Be aware that they'll stretch out a bit. I wear a 10.5 men's shoe, and I was on the fence between buying 9 or 9.5 Mythos shoes. I ultimately chose the 9's, and they've since stretched considerably. They're now snug but quite comfortable. It clearly would have been a mistake to get the 9.5's even though the 9's were borderline painful when I first tried them on.
Yes , I recommend this product
LFTA14
Denver, CO
Classic greatness
9 years ago
Traded in my power ranger boots (Nagos) for these. Super comfortable and great performance. Use these in the gym 3-4 times a week, and they have seen many weekends at South Platte, Shelf, and Clear Creek Canyon. Plan on a bit of stretching (more-so than normal), so really take the time to size right. I am normally a 12, I sized down to a 10.5. The lacing system is fantastic on these, pulling from the heel to the toe, then back up through the sides, making for an almost custom fit. Although not an aggressive shoe, and not so great at edging, they are super comfortable and have a good stick when smearing. I've had no problem leaving these on for hours at a time.
layeredsnail
Pittsburgh, PA
Mythos shoe
17 years ago
This shoe is marketed as an all-around high performer. I liked the shoe quite a lot until I tried using it on small edges. A much better all-around shoe is the Scarpa Vision. The Mythos, however, outperforms most shoes in hand - to fist width cracks, thanks to the relatively symmetrical last and rounded rand that runs from heel to toe. Laces broke on my pair after about a year, but LaSportiva sent me a new pair when I claimed the laces must have been defective. Basically, too symmetrical a toe to edge well, but very comfortable (since the leather will stretch to fit the foot) and good in many cracks.
Yes , I recommend this product
jim in boston
Boston, Ma
great shoe but quality has declined
12 years ago
I have purchased 3 pairs of these over the last 20 years, and owned a dozen other climbing shoes over the years. My now vintage 1990s Mythos (awesome climber on the moon logo!) have had 6 resoles and are still my go to shoe. I have used these bouldering, climbing 5.12s sport and on long trad climbs. And although I compete in a more aggressive shoe mostly for the psycological value,I have never felt the shoes were limiting my climbing in any way. That performance plus the amazing comfort and custom feeling fit of the lace to toe shoe makes this the best climbing shoe ever designed. It will shape to anyones foot with stretch and the laces allow you to then pull that snug on your foot. How many other climbing shoe models are top sellers after several decades? That said the newer ones, purchased last year (2012) were toast in a matter of months and not worth resoling due to the breakdown of the leather sock. The construction on my old Italian Mythos, from before the company was bought out by N. Face is amazing, great leather and precise stitching. The newer ones are much poorer quality with the leather failing behind the toe very quickly. Still an outstanding climbing shoe but they are now disposable shoes like most current models , not the old resoleable workhorse of the past. Highly recomended but they "aint what they used to be" in terms of durability. That still puts them pretty much on par with every other shoe on the shelf in terms of durability
Yes , I recommend this product
Bad Pete
Salt Lake City
The best all around rock shoe for most people?
8 years ago
This must be my 30th pair of Mythos. I am 60 years old, and have been climbing actively since the early 1970's. I've tried many shoes and so have my partners. No shoe is best for everyone, but the Mythos comes closest, in my opinion. They will stretch to fit your feet. Buy them just slightly tight. Use them where they belong: on mutipitch, traditional free climbs, not much steeper than vertical. Wear them for cracks, face holds, or friction. Take them to Yosemite, the Tetons, and Indian Creek. When they finally stretch out too much, wear socks in them for long, cold mountain routes. Don't waste these great shoes in the gym, on overhanging plastic. There are better and cheaper shoes for gym climbing, or overhung limestone. I believe the Mythos is the oldest rock shoe design still in production.
Yes , I recommend this product
Loiteringfool
Oregon
Great comfortable shoe
12 years ago
I use these shoes primarily indoors both bouldering and top rope climbing. They're great comfy shoes, and the bottoms are nice and sticky for good grip. I got mine 2 sizes smaller than my normal shoe size (8.5 instead of the normal 10.5), and after breaking them in, they're the perfect size for climbing. I much prefer these to the pair of LaSportiva Nagos I had previously. These are more comfortable, AND they don't dye my feet red after climbing in them for a while. I'd recommend them!
Yes , I recommend this product
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