When the elite climbers challenge each other in the main climbing competitions, such as World Championships Bern 2023, we have the chanche to see how the best technologies used for climbing shoes can play a significant role. In Bern we have seen all the climbing disciplines at their highest levels, including the new Lead and Boulder Combined format.
Athletes during Bern Qualifications
The climbing shoes used both for Lead and Boulder Competitions are usually enough soft to allow maximum freedom of movement and at the same time highly reactive when pushing on big volumes. But shoes for "pro" athletes are also sensitive, precise and incredibly stable. Many years ago we were used to see climbers lacing their shoes with a loop under the sole, just to tight it better, but now the newest lacing systems allow us to skip this step, ensuring an excellent foot wrapping.
In addition to countless technical specifications, competition climbing shoes must meet another imperative need of climbers: to be put on and off quickly, with an adjustment of internal volumes that eliminates empty spaces or foot movements, especially when heel or toe-hooking. So, which are the favourite climbing shoes among top climbers we have seen "on action" during these last Climbing World Championships and which features do they have? Let's find out together some models.
Unstoppable Janja Garnbret
SCARPA Drago and Drago LV
Among all the climbing shoes we are talking about here, SCARPA Drago are one of the most recent: launched in the climbing market in 2018 on an idea by Heinz Mariacher, they have been then presented again in 2020 with a low volume version with Drago LV. They have quickly become an irreplaceable product for a lot of high-level climbers. Their wide-scale success among the strongest climbers in the world has been immediate and unstoppable: they are absolutely among the most frequently used climbing shoes during international competitions, no matter wheter in Lead or Boulder World Cups.
They are both precise when edging and very effective when hooking; their stablity when your are climbing at your limit is reassuring, and they mantain their shape competition after competition, without growing over time! Drago LV version has reduced volumes both in the heel area and in the instep; this means that the shoe adapts to a wider audience and to female climbers as well. They are of course aggressive and downturned, thus to let you freel express your explosive climbing style.
Drago have summed up all the winning aspects of the previous SCARPA models, such as the heel with PAF technology (Pressure Absorbing Fit) that protect the Achilles tendon and guarantees excellent performance. We can also take advantage of the Power Connection Band, a system based on the use of tensioned rubber bands that allow to unload the weight from the toe to the sole and to the back of the foot despite the absence of a full sole. In Berna 2023 Jessica Pilz got a ticket to Paris by using the classic SCARPA Drago, and Oriane Bertone won the title of Boulder World Vice-Champion with Drago LV on her feet.
Oriane Bertone with SCARPA Drago LV
Five Ten Hiangle and Hiangle Pro
The reputation of climbing shoes "for advanced climbers" always preceeds the idea that every boulderer has about Five Ten. And as much as Five Ten keeps proposing new beginner models, the first thing everybody thinks about, when talking about this brand, is "performance" and "just for experienced climbers". Some years ago many of their climbing shoes were remarkably stiff, and everyone choosing Five Ten shoes used to wear them by letting the heel sliding inside the shoes by the aid of a piece of a plastic bag.
Five Ten Team have soon been considereed the "must-have" climbing shoes by a lot of high-level climbers, and so did as well Blacwing and Dragon, some climbing shoe models that are now almost out of production. All of these excellent climbing shoes have now been replaced by new models which guarantee the same performances with a better fit and more comfortable materials. The Hiangle have soon made their debut in the main International Competitions, at the beginning with the first blue/gray version, then with the black and white model that still today reaches the top of the most demanding boulders. Five Ten Hiangle are the secret weapon of Janja Garnbret, Boulder World Champion and Mejdi Schalck, Boulder World Vice-Champion 2023.
Following the success of the Hiangle in all the main competitions, Five Ten has then launched Hiangle Pro, designed to give us the show of unbelievable performances on the hardest boulders ever! For this reason they have been made with the new Stealth C4 sole, which maintains the classic angular edge at the tip and outside, while in the internal area the rubber becomes increasingly thinner until the edge is rounded, similar to a no-edge. In this way it is possible to combine the support and precision of a classic toe, with the possibility of exceptional spreads on the inner sole. In Bern we have seen them "on action" with Toby Roberts, the British athlete not to lose sight of.
Toby Roberts with Hiangle Pro
La Sportiva Solution Comp
Solution are a very classical best-seller among climbing shoes and they have been recently re-proposed with a specific version for indoor competitions: we are talking about Solution Comp. Their name obviously refers to an even more speicific niche within the complex world of climbers: the bouldering. La Sportiva Solution are meant to be "The Solution to all your Problems" - in bouldering, of course.
If Five Ten amazes you for the incredible hooks you can easily do, for example using the Hiangle heel, La Sportiva wins you over the softness of the inner materials and for its unique comfort. Until today they represent a classic best-seller in climbing shoes market and one of the most long-lasting: the first Solution date back to 2007, when they represented an inspiring innovation for advanced climbers.
Solution Comp were born in 2020 with the idea of mixing the strengths of Solution and the outstanding Futura No Edge. Compared to the previous model they have a wider frontal coverage to allow super gripping toehooking on the most overhanging walls and a narrower heel. We have seen them in Bern: the best climbers as Adam Ondra, Brooke Raboutou and the Combined winner Jakob Schubert brought them up high.
Adam Ondra and Solution Comp
Tenaya Indalo and Iati
Almost all spanish climbers are attached to the local Tenaya brand; they are also joined by some other very strong climbers like Chris Sharma, spanish by adoption, and Alex Megos, the main Tenaya ambadassor in climbing competitions and on the most hystorical routes. Megos switches between the different Tenaya climbing shoes according to his different goals: on the other hand his polivalence well fit the variety of climbing shoes that Tenaya offers.
Iati are excellent both in climbing competition and on sport routes: Megos was wearing them when he climbed Bibliographie (9b+) or Perfecto Mundo (9b+). It seems to us that they are the number-one choice when he's struggling with the most demanding projects. This shoes has a comfortable fit and a medium stiffness that helps you to climb along the most technical slabs thus remaining sensitive. Iati is born to support high level climbers during indoor competions, but it is often chosed also by sport climbers who look for responsiveness, performance and breathability.
Along with Iati we find Tenaya Indalo, excellent in every detail for indoor climbing and bouldering: they are the latest Tenaya climbing shoes and they meet all the needs of competition climbers. Indalo are an evolution of the prevoius Mastia and they come with reduced volumes and a stiffer point, which support you on the littlest footholds.
Alex Megos with Tenaya Iati
Unparallel Up Pivot
Unparallel Up Pivot climbing shoes represent a stiffer and more structured option when compared with many other models we are used to see in competitions. First of all they are built with a full sole, choice that allows you to have maximum precision when you are pushing on small and sharp edges, and they are made with a soft upper, choice that balances the stiffness of the shoes.
They are born to deal with overhanging walls as French climber Manon Hily shows us in the following picture. The grip is guaranteed by RA sole and by an additional layer of rubber that plays a big role when toe and heelhooking. Tomoa Narasaki, who gained a ticket to Paris 2024, is undoubtely the main Unparallel ambassador: in Bern he showed us how high the brand new Souped UP can lead you up. We have no doubts he will have them "on board" also when flying to the next Olympic Games.
Manon Hily pushing on big volumes with Unparallel Up Pivot
Ocun Fury
Ocún as well played a main role during the last competition, most of all when Kyra Condie fought for the Boulder and Combined ranking. The super coloured Fury have everything the strongest boulderers look for: the excellent sole grip will help you to trust not only on sharp edges but also when smearing on flat volumes.
They are ideal also on tecnhical problems thanks to the 3-Force System which provides an efficient pressure distribution with a perfect balance between stiffness and comfort. Fury are made with synthetic material, so they also are vegan-friendly, and they assure you also a strong stabilty when rotating the foot, for example when hooking.
Kyra Condie, Ocun Ambassador
Evolv Phantom e Zenist
Colin Duffy as well has gained the partecipation to the next Olympic Games by placing second at the Combined Final, behind Jakob Schubert and before Tomoa Narasaki. His secret weapon are Evolv climbing shoes: they have conquered the world of high-level climbers with the black Phantom, but they have reached an even wider audience thanks to many other models such as Zenist.
Zenist are "proper competition shoes" and their high level is due to the super soft and synthetic upper. These shoes are really reliable, most of all when we have to trust the smallest footholds; they are also excellent on big and flat volumes and on all those typical bouldering movements. As Colin Duffy has shown us, Zenist can make the difference between competing and winning.
All images by @IFSC Climbing, Lena Drapella and Jan Virt, Flickr Media Gallery
