[Will Hunt]

I've lost count now of the number of Katanas I've owned. Bar the first couple of years of climbing, its all I've ever worn. This has left me in complete ignorance of how to go about selecting any other shoe! My current Katanas are in need of a resole and its prompted me to think of getting another pair of shoes - something different and perhaps more bouldering/sport specific - to wear in addition to the resoled Katanas.

Reasons for liking the Katanas are that they fit my feet very well indeed, being built for a narrow foot, and I can wear them very small but still be in comfort. I've found that they perform well as an all round shoe but lack a certain something in the heel, and I'm curious to try something more aggressive.

I've found in the past that 5:10 don't offer a great fit for my feet, so keeping with the Sportiva theme, does anybody have any opinion of the Futuras (No Edge shoes)? Having read the reviews it seems that they are revolutionary in being able to utilise small edges and smears, and they appear to be reasonably aggressive (they've got this power platform concept that the Solutions have) - but that they might well wear through fast on account of having 1mm less rubber on the soles. Are they essentially just pre-broken-in shoes and nothing more? Furthermore, if I buy a pair of these to use on hard problems and sport, should I be buying them in a similar size to the Katanas? When I put on a new pair of Katanas they're very painful (and insensitive) but eventually stretch out into very comfortable shoes. I'll obviously be trying them on first but can I expect them to stretch out like the K's?

And once you've answered that - same question again for the Solutions! I gather these were made for a wider foot, so perhaps not great for me. Are they shit at smearing and technical wall climbing/friction climbing? I have a perception that they are but I'm not sure if that's just because they tend to be worn by people who are desperately strong but have sod all craft.

Sorry for the long post, thanks in advance for any replies!

[tomtom]

I have been (this year) a semi convert to Scarpa instincts - both the slipper and velcro. I say semi convert as I still have my 5:10 armoury in my bag, but seem to just wear the Scarpa's nowadays...

The 5:10 rubber seems to perform better on cold grit, but on all else I'm liking the scarpa's for fit and performance...

I await pages of abuse that are sure to follow

[the_dom]

I've found in the past that 5:10 don't offer a great fit for my feet, so keeping with the Sportiva theme, does anybody have any opinion of the Futuras (No Edge shoes)?
...
And once you've answered that - same question again for the Solutions!
...

I find Sportivas fit me best but my biggest frustration with the Solutions, which would be the perfect shoe were it not for this issue is that the strap is very thin and ends up tearing long before the shoe is ready for retirement. It's a gigantic, annoying design flaw for me and I assume that this will be an issue for the Futuras too. That said, have you tried the Pythons? I've got a pair of them, a pair of Dragons and a pair of Miura XSs, and the Pythons are pretty much all I've worn since I restarted climbing 3 weeks ago.

As much as I love the Solutions, I get really frustrated at the strap breaking and probably won't buy another pair.

[Muenchener]

Interesting. I found Pythons fit me well and I like them for bouldering; I found the fit of Solutions (and Futuras) completely different and could barely get my feet into them.

I couldn't imagine doing routes in Pythons though; they wouldn't provide enough support for my considerable weight, clumpy footwork and glacial climbing tempo. Miuras all the way for routes.

[krymson]

I find Sportivas fit me best but my biggest frustration with the Solutions, which would be the perfect shoe were it not for this issue is that the strap is very thin and ends up tearing long before the shoe is ready for retirement. It's a gigantic, annoying design flaw for me and I assume that this will be an issue for the Futuras too. That said, have you tried the Pythons? I've got a pair of them, a pair of Dragons and a pair of Miura XSs, and the Pythons are pretty much all I've worn since I restarted climbing 3 weeks ago.

As much as I love the Solutions, I get really frustrated at the strap breaking and probably won't buy another pair.

I know exactly what you're talking about. My friend in Taiwan fixes that issue locally but I'm sure someone with the right sewing equipment and materials could probably do the same in the UK.
http://taiwanrocks.net/hanchor-clinic-solution-repair/

[the_dom]

Interesting. I found Pythons fit me well and I like them for bouldering; I found the fit of Solutions (and Futuras) completely different and could barely get my feet into them.

I couldn't imagine doing routes in Pythons though; they wouldn't provide enough support for my considerable weight, clumpy footwork and glacial climbing tempo. Miuras all the way for routes.

I mitigate that by sizing them differently - I wear Pythons and Speedsters in UK 9 and Solutions in UK 9.5 or 10 (compared to Dragons in UK 11).

I agree about Pythons making a poor route shoe - on the odd, pitiful occasion I sportclimb, I use the Miura VSs.

[peewee]

I too wear pretty much nothing but Katana's and find them a very good all round shoe and also one of the best heels out there, my only reservation is that on the standard yellow version they decided to fit XsShitEdge instead of grip. I'd recomend the Muira Velcros to go along with the Katanas as they work alot better when the going gets steep, also the heel is even better than the Katanas and they tend to be the same size as the Katana's.

[webbo]

Having always having problems with 5.10 heels, I switched to Katanas as the heels fit me much better. However I find I can still end up with them pulling off. I have found the lace up better but they are a bit stiffer but I can still smear fine with them. On steeper stuff or when climbing on dead fish I use Muira velcros.

[i.munro]

I found the heel lacking in the yellow Katanas so switched to the women's "you have a woman's shoe my lord! " which seemed to differ only in the heel.

However after the recent re-design all bets are off.

[Stu Littlefair]

I've been surprised and impressed by the Futuras. I bought them in my perpetual search for the perfect shoe, honestly expecting them to be a bit shit.

Pros:

They edge surprisingly well. I'm quite happy climbing at Malham or the Tor in them.
They smear *really* well. Particularly in those shallow scoopy footholds you get on grit.
They're sensitive.
They toe-hook reasonably well.
They wear out really slowly. Which was odd. But since there's no edge, there's no edge to wear out.

Cons:

Comfort. Because your big toe is smedged right against the edge of the boot, it can get a bit sore.
Price. Although everything costs a lot these days
Support. I like a stiffer shoe. I wouldn't want to do a trad route or long pitch in these shoes at all.
Longevity. That closure strap is going to break tomorrow, I know it.

[Paul B]

Price. Although everything costs a lot these days

At £140 they're CONSIDERABLY more than most other shoes.

[Muenchener]

Cons:

Comfort. Because your big toe is smedged right against the edge of the boot, it can get a bit sore.

That's precisely the thing I found impossibly painful when I tried them on in the shop

[Stu Littlefair]

Price. Although everything costs a lot these days

At £140 they're CONSIDERABLY more than most other shoes.

£120 at Bananafinger, compared to £110 for Katana Laces, for example. Back around grumps.

[Paul B]

Price. Although everything costs a lot these days

At £140 they're CONSIDERABLY more than most other shoes.

£120 at Bananafinger, compared to £110 for Katana Laces, for example. Back around grumps.

[finbarrr]

and if you happen to know someone who's going to font, solutions are 120 euro's there

[Will Hunt]

Sounds like I need to try on a pair of futuras and a pair of muira Velcro's. Thanks for the responses.

One specific question about these shoes: for the three models mentioned there, how much will they stretch out? Ought I to get them very tight, as with the katanas, and expect them to break in nicely or are they going to remain as is in the shop?

Stu, with your futuras, how do you rate them for steep bouldering?

[Stu Littlefair]

I haven't tried anything super steep in them. They're great on the wave but I wonder if they might struggle to "toe-in" on small holds on steep ground.

[hamsforlegs]

I've found that the miura velcros stretch a lot less than the katanas, but they do still give and mould in the typical Sportiva way.

Just to throw them into the mix, I bought a pair of testarossas the other month to meet a similar brief to yours. I've been amazed at their versatility; very good on steep stuff, solid heel, but also surprisingly good on my punter grade grit bouldering with a bit of care/precision. They are also more comfortable than I thought they might be, and I'm happy enough wearing them eg at the wall. Good for slim feet as they have curved laces right to the toe.