Latest climber reviews

At 180-185 lb with a partner around 100 lb, they greatly appreciated their Ohm and never climbed with her without it.

Got a BD Momentum for under $40 and uses it as their gym and sport harness; good enough for that.

The Drago is the shoe they like most, but it wears out quickly, about every 5 months.

Finds the Edelrid Jul² pays out slack more easily than their GRIGRI.

Uses the Giga Jul personally: not the best at anything, but it can do everything.

Has a Corax but finds it uncomfortable for long multipitch climbs and hanging.

Ended up getting the BD Solution: very comfortable and adapts to the legs so you don't feel it.

Has the Aquila and a Corax; chose the Aquila for its loops, features and light weight, and has had no issues on 6-hour multipitch trad with a double rack.

For wide feet the Evolv Kronos was a really nice second pair: comfy, generous straps, good feedback, and has lasted a super long time.

The Kira was their first shoe; 3 years and three pairs later (one resoled) it's still their main shoe: very comfy but performs well.

New Instinct VS in the same size as previous Scarpas digs into their Achilles and is painful and distracting after two wears.

Has been loving the Petzl Luna they got in early July with no issues; the leg loops use metal hardware instead of plastic.

After TC Pro fit problems, they now climb almost exclusively in Instinct VSRs for trad, sport and bouldering.

Has a pair of BD Aspect Pros and likes them a bit more than their two pairs of TC Pros.

Their daily-driver gym shoes for laps are BD Momentums, which they find way more durable than Tarantulas.

Switched from a GRIGRI to the Neox and loves it.

At 6'4" with a bigger belly, they use the BD Momentum 4S and find it very comfortable.

Prefers a GRIGRI plus Reverso; the Reverso is a great rappel device with guide mode for belaying off anchors and ascending a rope, and handles double ropes.

Absolutely loves their Drone CS LV for extremely narrow heels and toe box: soft yet supportive.

Has a pair of So iLL Torques and finds them fantastic.

Uses the all-black So iLL bouldering shoes and loves them: easy on and off, tight but comfortable, and very sticky.

Owns Scarpa Drago XT and finds them on the softer side compared to Solutions.

The Veloce is one of the most comfortable shoes they've owned: sock-like and so soft it smears on everything.

After baggy Drago LVs, the Phantom Pro LV in 43 fits extremely well.

Loves the Instinct VSR LV and has owned a couple of pairs; a runner-up to the Zenist Pro LV for their very narrow heel.

Loved the D2.ONE LV for a long time; one of the best fits for their narrow, shallow heel.

Remora Pro LV gives a good fit for their narrow heel, though not as close as the D2.ONE LV.

Was given an old pink Butora Gomi and the heel cup is tiny, the smallest they've come across.

Loves the Arpia V as their second pair: comfortable as hell and still performs well; resoled twice and fine.

Phantom Pros are wider in the toe box with a softer toe patch and upper than the Phantoms, so quite a bit more comfortable.

Likes the Zenist Pro as well: softer than either Phantom, somewhat like a Skwama, with a taller heel.

Switching from Instinct VS to Drago LV for bouldering was brutal until their feet got strong, but the payoff in confidence and feel is worth it.

Their Scarpa Vapor V had essentially no sensitivity and was miserable for smearing.

Uses the So iLL Catch a lot as a crack and slab slipper: stiff for cracks but soft for slab and all-day trad, though the shoe's life is short.

Uses the Vapor S as their soft shoe; the heel still feels nice after about 10 sessions.

Bought the 2026 Zenist LV in the same size as their Phantom Pro LV and the heel was ginormous.

Recommends the Remora Pro HV: really good heels, soft and sensitive for smearing, and surprisingly good on small edges.

The Instinct S was very stiff under the forefoot and crushed their big toe to the point of injury.

Wears Phantoms at street size and the heel fits their medium heel perfectly, unlike Scarpa and La Sportiva.

Shaman Pro LV has one of the narrowest heels they've tried; prefers its heel structure to the Zenist Pro and likes it more than Scarpa.

Zenist Pro LV in 42.5 has one of the narrowest heels they've tried and fits like a glove after a few sessions.

After two sessions in the Shaman 2S they like it more; standing on small holds on overhangs feels great compared to their Kubos.

Even at street size and HV, the D2.1 hugs their shallow heel better than any shoe; narrow overall but the pinky area stretched out.

Absolutely in love with their Drone CS HV, though the strap nearly reaches the ground.

Got the lace-up Instinct in their Drago size: fine for single crag laps, but agony on a 30+ pitch volume day; would size up half.

Uses the Boostic R as their stiff shoe, paired with the Drago XT as an amazing two-shoe sport quiver.

Lead belayed to 8 months pregnant using an Edelrid Ohmega to compensate for the growing weight difference with their partner.

Really likes the BD Long Haul for soloing big walls: the double belay loop is clutch and it supports hauling; only the waist strap is hard to loosen under load.

Recently bought a Petzl Sitta for lead rope soloing and it works fine.

The Veloce is their volume shoe; now in the lace version 1.5 EU sizes down, wearable for over an hour as a performance-comfort fit.

The 2026 Zenist has more tension through the upper and stretches even less; the heel feels more secure and the toe more tensioned.

Three 3-hour sessions in the Shaman Trance: the Evo-74 rubber is excellent and stickier than the original Shaman, with a bigger, stickier toe patch.

Scarpa Chimeras are surprisingly good for their wide, flat feet: essentially a lace-up Drago and a great soft shoe.

Bought Shaman Pros in street size and they wore ridiculously small; feet hurt every time.

Climbs in So iLL Torque LVs and loves them; they've served well and are super comfortable.

Uses the So iLL Stay: comfy right out of the box and synthetic so the size doesn't change, but too soft for small footholds.

At 5'1" loves their Edelrid Pinch: similar to a GRIGRI but attaches directly to the harness; grabbier on fatter ropes, best under 10 mm.

Struggled to lead belay with a GRIGRI; uses the Mega Jul and loves it, it feels much smoother and handles twin ropes.

Has the BD Pilot and much prefers it for sport belaying, though it's only good for single pitch (no rappel, top belay or double rope).

Climbs in the Shaman low volume: super tiny, snug heel and the stiffest shoe they've tried; break-in was a nightmare but they fit flat feet really well now.

On their second Tommy Caldwell Eco Dry ColorTec 9.3 mm rope; likes the bicolor and the tactile middle mark.

Uses the Swift Protect Pro Dry and likes its cut resistance and dry treatment, but isn't sure they would pick it again.

Now climbs on a Beal Stinger III 9.4 mm Unicore Golden Dry and likes it a lot, after a Sterling Nano 9.4.

With thick thighs, values that the Edelrid Autana has adjustable leg loops.

Toe rubber on their Drone 2 HV was damaged after two sessions.

Moved to Phantom LVs from Drone CS LVs; brutal break-in but happy with fit and edging, and they don't stink.

Defys were their steady warm-up and comfort shoes, sending 5.11s in them.

Has worn the 3-strap Shamans for a few years and likes them a lot; Evolv's newer lineup killed their toes.

Recently got Scarpa Origin VS LVs in 42.5 and they fit better than the shoes they wore before.

Being fairly curvy, they use the Beal Morpheus (or Edelrid harnesses) and find its adjustment range works.

Uses a pair of Beal Opera 8.5 triple-rated ropes for multipitch raps; finds them unbelievably thin and light, far smaller than their old Jokers.

Has whipped on their Beal Joker 9.1 many times; it feels a bit stretchier than a standard single rope, but not by a huge amount.