La Sportiva  Finale Climbing Shoes - Men's

Never climbed before even in a wall and i decided to start in rock bouldering at Joshua tree , I'm a beginner and just learning the basics by myself, i rented a black diamond momentums and it destroyed my toes so i decided to buy a good pair and i went for these pair of la sportiva and i have to say , man!!! these are incredible for a beginner like me, sticky and comfortable, i was able to climbed a few problems at joshua tree np ,V-easy and V-0 , these shoes gave me the confidence that i needed, 4 stars because the heel is not a snug fit and there is a little bit of play. i wear 10.5 in street shoes and i use 10 in the finale, its a snug fit but not hurting my toes and feet, excellent stuff.

Let me start by saying i have a US Mens 13 foot. Was not easy to find a shoe i could try on before buying. Came across these in store and tried them on with socks on. they were tight like I expected, but still comfortable. They tend to rub your heal raw the first 2-3 times wearing them, but after that, they fit well. I wear them for 2-3 hours at a time with little discomfort. (Note:I no longer wear socks with them) they stick to the wall well enough for someone who has only climbed for a month and a half to do a 5.10c and projecting a 5.11b at a local gym. This is only my first shoe to own, so i don't have a huge frame of reference, but i don't have any real complaints.

Let's talk about shoes for a moment, shall we? I recently picked up a pair of La Sportiva Finale's. Prior to this I only owned two pairs of climbing shoes: LS Tarantulaces for easier to more moderate climbing and LS Solutions for working more difficult routes/projects. I intended for the Finales to serve as an upgrade from my Tarantulaces, which are nearing the end of their service. While the Tarantulaces remain the most comfortable climbing shoe I have ever worn (I can rock them all day on the wall with little to no complaint from my tired dogs), the Finales certainly out perform them enough to make me ready to transition. The Finales have a slightly narrower toe box and sharper point at the tip. This enables more precise foot work and edging on tiny foot holds. The rubber used on the shoe, coupled with the stability of the slightly angled and firm last enable these puppies to grip impressively well. I found them incredibly stable on all manner of 5.11a-d edges and smears. For their maiden voyage, I took them to a local trad crag and found they held very well on polished rock and worked perfectly for toe camming. I usually venture into the great outdoors with my two pairs of shoes, and now I honestly feel these bridge the gap substantially enough that it wont be as necessary anymore depending on what I intend to climb. While they are no LS TC Pro, the Finale is a great entry level shoe with performance power for moderate level climbing. I recommend them for longer, moderate, multi-pitch sport and trad climbs. Note, the notch in the heal can chafe, though I have yet to develop any blisters. Also, I have read reviews from other users citing the heel fitting too loosely. Take a look at the accompanying image for how I defeated this using a simple lacing technique.

I wear size 10s (Nike - for reference) and first I bought 9.5s. I used it for a day and was happy with it. I put it on 2 days later and noticed that I had about half an inch of space in the heels. I went back to REI and exchanged it for 9s (being a member helps a lot!). I wore the shoes brand new with no socks for 2-3 hours and felt minor shoe-break-in problems. Rubber sole would stick where you need them. Also straps are easier, lacing helps if you're not used to shoes with no dead space. You could tighten the shoes according to your preference.

I read some reviews saying these shoes tend to rub or pinch in the back, yes first time I tried them on I could feel it, to prevent any damage to my skin I used sport tape to protect my feet just in case, second time I forgot the tape and I realized I didn't need it. I love these shoes, they perform great and stick very well to the rock, they do good on small edges, sole seems to be a little stiff for the gym but they do well too; now I prefer these over my old 5-10 that I used to love for the sticky sole. Just so you know they do not stretch much so get the right size that is tight but still comfortable.

My first pair of climbing shoes was the Mythos and they've been great overall, especially outdoors. I've only been climbing for 6 months, but as I've progressed, I found the Mythos just weren't working well on the small plastic footholds. So, back to the REI I went, trying on a bunch of shoes. I think for my foot, lace ups are the best because of my high arch and narrow foot because I can adjust the fit for the length of the shoe. The leather also conformed to my foot after a couple of uses and the edging and toe holds improved a lot. For comfort, I can wear these for a couple of hours before I want to take them off. While these won't perform on overhangs as well as the Genius or other high performance shoes, these are a good compromise that won't break the bank.

These are my second pair of climbing shoes. I have long feet for a woman, so I prefer the fit of men's climbing shoes. I chose these rather than re-buying my other La Sportiva shoes (Tarantula) , because the Finale's laces gave me more control over tightness throughout the length of my foot. The Tarantula had velcro straps. I'm not a "this brand only" type of person. I just tried on a lot of shoes and these happened to fit well and be the same brand as my first shoe. I climb 2-3 times a week with them. They are comfortable enough, and I can trust they won't slip.

Got back into climbing after about a decade of taking a break from the sport. Purchased these shoes as a step up from the cheapest shoes I could purchase, with no regrets may I add. So far these have been great shoes for outdoor use (I have only used these shoes outdoors). Great mix of comfort and performance on many different kinds of rock, the rubber seems solid after months of climbing outdoors. I have experienced pinching in the back of the shoe where there is a v-shaped crease right underneath the heal strap. However, all that it takes to fix the problem is a pull on the heal strap and the pinching goes away for the rest of the time I am wearing the shoe (simple re-adjustment). Maybe avoid the shoe if you have a fat or big Achilles heal.

If' you're climbing or plan on climbing frequently whether indoor or out door (3-4) month and just starting out, this a much better shoe to go with than the Turantulace (which is what I started out with but quickly out purposed within months). The lacing allows for a great form fit around my flat and wide feet, and the rubber is thick and very sticky (the same used on many of the higher end La Sportivia). I actually got these as a back up to my La Sportivia Otakis when they're sent off to be resoled, but I've been using them quite a bit to warm up on or climb casually on sub 5.10s and V.4s. Only knock is the leather isn't quite as finished as the higher end shoe and they are pretty stiff.

Not much aggression with the toe but its not a bad thing and will still serve any climber well. They are marketed more as beginner shoes and they are, but they are way way better than any rental shoe. Pros: cheaper, comfortable, can stand on pretty small ledges, great for slab or balance moves cons: have loosened up more than expected over time, not a great heel overall, great for what you're paying for and should be expecting, but a pretty decent shoe to purchase and maybe plan on returning later for a more expensive model with the REI return policy. (what im planning on doing).