[fran]

I'm interested in a few pair of shoes mainly the eb guardians but would like to try the la sportiva genius but wounded how much they stretch and how much

Any info on these would be good.

[alx]

5-10%

I found as long as I kept them dry and took them off so as not to sweat too much in them then they tended to keep their form for 4-5months using them 4/5 days a week.

I tend to fit them using the plastic inside box wrapper so can get them super tight.

Despite the guff on the La Sportiva website I have never found them any good on micro edges as such any stretch is not a problem as they stay excellent on weird blobs or rough patches in roofs and steep faces.  Weirdly, they are excellent on grit, having been unable to climb C3P0 or Bobba Fett at the Roaches I donned my new pair of Geniuses and proceeded to walk up them, also climbed my first 8A on grit in them so have a soft spot even now having gone for the Instincts.

[moose]

I found Geniuses to be rather odd shoes - very good on vague smears and bulges but notably terrible on big polished, positive footholds.  I particularly recall a particular finger jug on Cold Steal - the best foothold on the route - where I may as well have worn rollerskates). 

When they are good, they are very good, but I would always have a pair of normal", non no-edge rockshoes in reserve in case they do not suit the route.  This is for sport lime, mind, their vaguaries are not so readily apparent when indoor blob jumping.  Incidentally, despite Futuras often being regarded as the slipper version of the Genius (not to my mind, they might also be no-edge but have a differently shaped toe-box) I have never had any problems with them - best all-round shoe I have ever had (only the pain of breaking them in puts me off buying another pair).

[fran]

Thanks guys. Think I will try find a cheap pair just to try them