Scarpa Vantage Rock Shoes

I have been climbing for 5 years competitively and don't really like curved shoes at all, these are the shoes i have trained in and i have another pair (identical) for competitions and have had for a year and a bit :) i even used them to climb in at the youth world champs :) i love these!

I bought these boots simply because I couldn't afford anything else. Still, I expected better from Scarpa. The rubber is simply not sticky, for a start - I had a pair of Kamets over 15 years old that I could still stick together unsupported - I couldn't do that with these shoes even when I first got them. On gritstone slabs I might as well have been wearing ice skates, while the edging performance is lacklustre. The fit is too wide over the toe, and my heels lift out of the toe cup when climbing. They are reasonably comfy, but that's the best I can say about them.

I used the Scarpa Vantage when I first started climbing so didnt really know enough about footwear to properly judge them.I used them on a number of occasions and they were comfortable but could have done with a bit more padding.It is good that the laces go further down so you can tighten or loosen as needed around the toes. I have quite wide feet and after wearing these a few times was told they were too big but when given a smaller they werent as comfortable. The pair of Vantage's that I wore were hired so they have been used my many people over the years so had probably become mishappen. I would recommend these shoes as they are a good beginners shoe with plenty of grip.

I tried the Scarpa Vantage rock boots on hire from Manchester Climbing Centre and was very impressed with the fit of the boots. As they lace up right to the toes, you can adjust the width at every point of the foot to get a tight but comfortable fit across the whole foot. At £55 they are reasonably priced too.