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Scarpa STIX no more??? (Read 15965 times)

SA Chris

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#25 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 10, 2020, 02:38:05 pm

For a smeary, paddy shoe, the softline range (Drago, Furia, Chimera) are worth a look, as is the new Veloce, which shares a midsole with the Drago/Furia S, but has a non-Vibram sole. S72 is made by the same company who do the softline's toe hooking section. It's a touch softer than Grip2, but thicker so should last longer. It's a totally different shape though, so the Drago may feel more familiar.


I had a try on of a few of these at a recent demo day. Sadly only at the wall, but I loved the sensitivity of them and though they would be great on smears and rounded but frictiony footholds a la grit or sandstone . Sadly can't remember which one i liked most, would need a retrial!

Andy F

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#26 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 21, 2020, 11:08:13 pm
Having tried a pair of the new Boosters at a demo session at my local wall, I can say they feel like...
















The Stix V2 with Velcro fasteners and a great heel  :punk:
But at 145 sheets they ain't cheap.

GazM

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#27 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 22, 2020, 09:32:31 am
Interesting. I'll start to look at the options for remortgaging the house...

tomtom

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#28 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 22, 2020, 09:33:13 am
The Stix V2 with Velcro fasteners and a great heel  :punk:
But at 145 sheets they ain't cheap.

Give it a couple of months and they'll be down to a ton.

Bradders

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#29 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 22, 2020, 09:48:28 am

For a smeary, paddy shoe, the softline range (Drago, Furia, Chimera) are worth a look, as is the new Veloce, which shares a midsole with the Drago/Furia S, but has a non-Vibram sole. S72 is made by the same company who do the softline's toe hooking section. It's a touch softer than Grip2, but thicker so should last longer. It's a totally different shape though, so the Drago may feel more familiar.


I had a try on of a few of these at a recent demo day. Sadly only at the wall, but I loved the sensitivity of them and though they would be great on smears and rounded but frictiony footholds a la grit or sandstone . Sadly can't remember which one i liked most, would need a retrial!

I really like the Chimera for grit. Soft and sensitive rubber, so great for smeary, frictiony footholds, but also with an additional bit of strengthening through the mid-sole of the shoe which makes standing on pebbles and moderate edges a realistic prospect.

For really steep ground suspect the Drago or Furia is probably a bit better but as an all rounder the Chimera is great.

That said, go-to shoe for almost everything is the VSR. They just fit my feet perfectly and that combined with the grip2 rubber makes them pretty much perfect for most of the bouldering I do.

abarro81

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#30 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 22, 2020, 10:48:27 am
That's interesting.. I like the Chimera for steep stuff, especially "toeing in" on holds on a board or steep wall, but not so much for vert (where my faves are still the old Booster S or old red instinct laces)...

tomtom

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#31 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 22, 2020, 11:42:25 am
For me the shortcoming of the VS and VSR is the heel. Its alright... and its shape fits my heel well - but its a bit rounded and hard and doesnt always stick well..

GazM

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#32 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 22, 2020, 01:06:11 pm
I've never had the VS but my issue with the VSR is that I don't feel like I can apply as much power through my big toe as I can in other less 'pointy' shoes. But I've got the instinct lace and they're my preferred board shoe for shitty jibs on steep ground.

sdm

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#33 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 22, 2020, 01:59:13 pm
For me the shortcoming of the VS and VSR is the heel. Its alright... and its shape fits my heel well - but its a bit rounded and hard and doesnt always stick well..

What's your go to shoe for heel hooking?

The VS fits my foot and heel perfectly which no other shoe does but I can count on one hand the number of heel hooks in the past few years where I have preferred the heel of any other shoe over that of the VS.

I regularly reach for other shoes when I want to toe in on something steep or want something more sensitive but for heel hooks and toe hooks I go for the VS, almost without exception.

tomtom

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#34 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 22, 2020, 02:38:50 pm
For me the shortcoming of the VS and VSR is the heel. Its alright... and its shape fits my heel well - but its a bit rounded and hard and doesnt always stick well..

What's your go to shoe for heel hooking?

I don’t have one any more! But I used to find the heel on Dragons the best - not necessarily because of the fit bit as they had a narrow bead of sole or sticky rubber down the middle. The scarpa vs/vsr have a wide thin strip - that on mine at least gets flappy at the edges. Simply it’s not as precise.

Drew

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#35 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 24, 2020, 03:59:09 pm
But at 145 sheets they ain't cheap.

Same RRP as Solution, Otakit, Kataki and Skwarma? £5 less than the Testarossa? £10 less than the Futura or Genius?

Hate to say it, but these are the prices things cost now. All the shoes mentioned are made in Italy, and genuinely handcrafted by experts.

Duncan campbell

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#36 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 24, 2020, 04:23:10 pm
I’d agree that shoes are expensive but buying well made Italian ones ends up cheaper as they resole so well. I don’t wear Scarpa but I’ve a pair of Otakis that I have had resoled 4 maybe 5 times? Had to have the rand done which I have found spells the end for a shoe but Llanberis resoles did a brill job and they are good enough for pretty much everything at the wall.

Bradders

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#37 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 24, 2020, 04:40:59 pm
Also I've never actually paid anywhere near the RRP for a pair of shoes. Online competition generally keeps a pretty firm lid on prices.

abarro81

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#38 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 24, 2020, 05:06:17 pm
they are good enough for pretty much everything at the wall.

Doesn't that translate to "as good as beaten up old shoes that could do with resoling and have been retired to wall shoes"  :lol:

Duncan campbell

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#39 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 24, 2020, 09:17:00 pm
Ha maybe but they are on their 4th resole! I have worn them out and about on the grit but mainly for warming up. They are good for padding around doing easier/sneakier stuff.

When they are on 1st 2nd and 3rd resole I think they are still really good. Usually have edge on 1st resole then grip thereafter. Climbed art of white hat wearing in a 2nd resole pair and I’m sure some other stuff!

Surely you get your shoes resoled!? So nice to have loads of rubber but broken in shoes. I find it hard to wear new shoes these days as I can’t bear to break them in!

cheque

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#40 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 24, 2020, 09:34:26 pm
So nice to have loads of rubber but broken in shoes.

 :agree: Better than new. It’s only in recent years that I realised that the trick is to get them done as early as possible- in the past I’d always had to get the rands done too which fucks them up.

teestub

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#41 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 24, 2020, 09:57:55 pm
I never get on with resoles, I think once the midsole has gone, then I don’t get any performance out of the shoes. I guess maybe because I wear slippers rather than lace?

moose

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#42 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 24, 2020, 10:22:27 pm
I never get on with resoles, I think once the midsole has gone, then I don’t get any performance out of the shoes. I guess maybe because I wear slippers rather than lace?

Possibly.  My hardest climbing (and, yes I know it's not hard in any larger sense) has been done in resoled Sportiva Miura VSs.  They have the "P3" platform with a midsole that keeps their rigid curviness pretty well after a resole.  So, a resole is like having a niceley broken-in pair - a decent edge but without the pain of breaking them in.  My resoles on less rigid shoes have been less successful.  Slippers and Miura lace-ups have always felt like clown shoes once broken in, and resoling doesn't improve the matter.

tomtom

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#43 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 25, 2020, 08:47:01 am
I never get on with resoles, I think once the midsole has gone, then I don’t get any performance out of the shoes. I guess maybe because I wear slippers rather than lace?

I’m with Tim here - never had a set I feel are ok.

I tend to have a pair or two in the box ready - so if I spy a online or second hand (here) deal I snap them up. A resole is now £40-50 inc postage - and I’ve picked up my last few pairs for £60-80.

Maybe I should try different resolers.

mrjonathanr

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#44 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 25, 2020, 09:32:23 am
Can’t see much difference between Torquil’s resoles and new tbh. Scarps say their boots are intended to be resoled. They can do them for you in Italy for £60 but list Llanberis Resoles as an official resoler which is £45 inc p+p

https://www.scarpa.co.uk/resole-service/

Drew

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#45 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 27, 2020, 01:54:55 pm
Can’t see much difference between Torquil’s resoles and new tbh. Scarps say their boots are intended to be resoled. They can do them for you in Italy for £60 but list Llanberis Resoles as an official resoler which is £45 inc p+p

https://www.scarpa.co.uk/resole-service/

Torquil does an amazing job. I've used him three times now.

What I would say is the difference between Torquil and Italy, is that when Italy resole, it's a full refurbishment. All the rubber parts come off, and all get replaced. The sole rubber, the tensioned rand, the toe rand, the heel cup etc etc etc. Pretty sure it then gets a steam clean (certainly come back smelling better than when they left), and get rebuilt on the original last, so the inner fits your foot perfectly, but the shoe is essentially brand new. Better than new in fact.

tomtom

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#46 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 27, 2020, 04:04:05 pm
I used a pair of instinct laces yesterday for the first time (been in a box for a while) and thought they were subtly different from the VS - in a good way! Slightly better fit for me (maybe the laces mean a better volume adjustment). Well impressed (so far).

36chambers

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#47 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 28, 2020, 11:24:11 am
Can’t see much difference between Torquil’s resoles and new tbh. Scarps say their boots are intended to be resoled. They can do them for you in Italy for £60 but list Llanberis Resoles as an official resoler which is £45 inc p+p

https://www.scarpa.co.uk/resole-service/

Torquil does an amazing job. I've used him three times now.

I had a handful of instincts and anasazis resoled by Llanberis Resoles and I don't think any shoe made it to 10 sessions without starting to peel quite badly. I'm pretty sure some went on the first session! Needlessly to say I haven't gone back to them.

SA Chris

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#48 Re: Scarpa STIX no more???
January 28, 2020, 11:31:05 am
toe dragger!

36chambers

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