How to Choose Rock Climbing Shoes

Minimal weight, drastic downturn and sticky Vibram® XS Grip 2™ rubber make the women's La Sportiva Solution climbing shoes an aggressive partner for tough hooks, grabs, edges and smears.
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Imported.
View all La Sportiva Women's Climbing ShoesBest Use | Rock Climbing |
---|---|
Climbing Shoe Type | Aggressive |
Last | Slip-lasted |
Upper | Leather/synthetic leather |
Lining | HF (toe box and arch area only) |
Outsole | 3.5 mm Vibram XS Grip 2 rubber |
Footwear Closure | Strap |
Can Be Resoled | Yes |
Gender | Women's |
Weight (Pair) | 15.8 ounces |
Climbing Shoe Volume | Low |
Sustainability | From a Climate Neutral Certified brand |
33 EU | 33.5 EU | 34 EU | 34.5 EU | 35 EU | 35.5 EU | 36 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 | |
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U.S. Women's | 2.5 | 3 | 3.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 5.5+ | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 7.5+ | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 9.5+ | 10 | 10.5 | 11 |
EU | 33 | 33.5 | 34 | 34.5 | 35 | 35.5 | 36 | 36.5 | 37 | 37.5 | 38 | 38.5 | 39 | 39.5 | 40 | 40.5 | 41 | 41.5 | 42 | 42.5 | 43 |
Mondo | 24 | 24.5 | 24.5 | 25 | 25.5 | 26 | 26.5 | 27 | 27.5 |
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.
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The shoe performed very well for the bouldering I was using it for. I am male, and use Low Volume shoes because my foot shape doesn’t fill out the High Volume version. However after trying to break them in and stretch them a bit, I realized that the pain in the Achilles would never go away if I wore these shoes. They toed in incredibly well, and provided a great platform for stepping all the way up on dime edges and the heel performed well, but getting a bigger size was out of the question as the problem persisted on other sizes.
These shoes are great! I have tried various La Sportivas and I really enjoy this pair. They are quite aggressive and good for overhangs and have really helped as I move up in grades. As with most shoes, they do stretch a bit. I enjoy the additional rubber around the toes/inner foot to prevent wear on the fabric from toe hooks, pressing against the wall for balance, etc. Also in general, it's good sticky rubber. The extended lip on the toe also gives a slight additional reach. The back of the shoe comes up a bit higher on the ankle than other shoes and can rub or cause blisters, so be mindful of that when trying on. As well, I notice the fitting of the ankle is a bit more loose than my Miuras. I wanted to wear my normal size, but had to do a 1/2 size down (38.5 --> 38) because I felt my ankle moving after 1 wear. I have narrow feet with long Morton toes, so sizing down too much can be a problem for me - I like to push off my toes, but if it's too small they curl under my foot and the pressure goes on my knuckles. Hope that weird note can help someone! Overall great pair of aggressive shoes that I have really enjoyed so far!
I am a relative newb and this is my first technical toe. To start, I love the split sole. I used to break the shank on my pointe shoes and this gives the same effect w/ letting you get over your toes with your weight. Paired with the technical toe these shoes are just *chef's kiss for being able to stand on teeny tiny things. The high heel back gives you a real feeling of stability too (since you lose that sense with the split sole somewhat). You will, however, get some blisters on your achilles when you break them in bc of this. Still a fantastic shoe all around.
Everyone is different, but if your foot shape permits, you will not regret getting these shoes! I wear my street shoe size. They have an excellent heel cup, the toe portion provides confidence on tiny edges, but the rubber is still flexible enough to smear on slopey volumes. Even with heel spurs (hanglund's deformity), these shoes stay comfortable. Break in period is short. Best climbing shoe.
I know everyone loves solutions and many swear by them... but they just were not it for me. I ordered my street size and they were extremely painful to wear! I have no idea how people size down 1 or 2 sizes in these. I know shoes have a break in period, but these just didn't seem worth the pain. The rubber didn't seem as grippy as others said and that's what I was mainly looking for.
I bought these back in February. Out of the box, the rubber started peeling on the top of the shoe and the Velcro started to lose stitching on the edge. They still perform great 7 months later, but I really only wear them for outdoor bouldering. Now the Velcro straps are frayed so much that I’ll have to get them fixed within the next month or so, and a resole seems imminent too. They’re great to climb in and allow me to dial in my footwork, but I’m disappointed in the defects and how quickly they appeared. Further, I’m not made of money and do what I can to keep up the quality of my shoes as long as possible. I’ve had this problem with another Sportiva shoe, so I’m not sure that LS will be my next shoe unless they do a lot to improve durability.
I have different sized feet (half size difference) and have always struggled with finding climbing shoes that fit properly. I didn’t think that the Solutions would work out, especially without laces for finer adjustments. I was wrong! I went with the size that fit the larger foot and have actually been able to use the Velcro straps to adjust how the shoe hugs my foot. They’re sensitive on the wall, edge like a dream, are lightweight and surprisingly comfortable for a more aggressive shoe during long sessions. I plan on climbing in these beauties for years to come!
These shoes are FANTASTIC for bouldering on steep overhangs and in caves because the the heel and Velcro laces! I especially love how large the heel is for heel hooking and how much coverage there is on the toe for toe hooking. I wore them for around two months, and I’ve noticed two issues with them. For reference, I’m a size 6.5. The first is the size. I usually size down one or even two sizes down when I buy my shoes, but the stiffness of these shoes makes it difficult to feel fully comfortable in them, even when they’re broken in. My other issue is their fit after breaking in. Personally, my Achilles’ tendon ended up being compressed as the shoes wore in more. I didn’t feel any pressure in the toe box like other people said though. Overall, they’re really great shoes for the right person, I think both of these problems could be solved by ordering them true to size or half a size down!
I bought these not long ago and am still in the “breaking in” period.. certainly painful but so worth it. The shoe truly acts as an extension of my foot and invokes so much confidence.
After finally deciding to purchase a pair of more aggressive shoes, I decided these would be the pair. After about 2 months of fairly frequent use, they've stretched out by about a half of a size (as I anticipated). The breaking in process is a bit painful, but as soon as you're past that, altogether a pretty comfortable pair of aggressive shoes for more delicate footwork.