[Luke Owens]

So, I need some new cheap shoes as i'm pretty poor at the moment.

I've seen Go Outdoors are doing cheap Geshido's but I know next to nothing about Evolv only that I wore a mates pair of Bandits at the Diamond yesterday and climbed well in them.

I know they have the Geshido's in a local store but the Bandits I'd probably have to get online for a higher price.

They will mainly be for limestone but something good for bouldering also would be good, as i'll be out in the mountains come winter.

Other than that, any other recommendations? They also have Edelrid Typhoon lace ups too, but I have no idea what they're like either.

Cheers,

Luke

[sidewinder]

I like the Bandits (I have the velcro) a lot, partly because they fit me really well, I wear them for most stuff (trad e1, font 7b, french 7b).  To me they feel like a slightly less technical anasazi but much more comfortable.  I have tried the Geshidos on and they didn't fit me very well, I would definitely try them on before buying, they also felt a bit clumpy to me.

If you like the Bandits, the climbing depot are selling the velcros online for only £10 more than go outdoors are selling the geshidos.

[Luke Owens]

I like the Bandits (I have the velcro) a lot, partly because they fit me really well, I wear them for most stuff (trad e1, font 7b, french 7b).  To me they feel like a slightly less technical anasazi but much more comfortable.  I have tried the Geshidos on and they didn't fit me very well, I would definitely try them on before buying, they also felt a bit clumpy to me.

If you like the Bandits, the climbing depot are selling the velcros online for only £10 more than go outdoors are selling the geshidos.

Cheers, What are the sizing like on the Bandits? Do they stretch at all?

I've tried the Geshidos on last time I was in Go Outdoors and they seemed to fit well, but I didn't know anything about them at the time.

A friend of mine reckons they bridge the gap between the Bandits and the Shamans, being a bit of a "all around" style shoe?

[sidewinder]

Sizing, street size 9.5, dragons 9.5, teams 9, bandits 8, anasazis velcros 7.5, moccasyms 7 (I think).

Synthetic so don't stretch much, though do mould to tight areas, similar to anasazis.

As I said I am a big fan, I use them for almost everything, I tend to have a pair of teams/dragons in the bag as an option for super aggressive stuff, but they tend to stay in the bag.  I like that they have a moderate stiffness to them and find that this combined with the shape of the toe works well for standing on smallish holds, think chee dale limestone (again all this may be because they fit well).

As I said, from trying them on I found the Geshidos a different fit (narrower/pointier in toe in particular) and seemed clunkier, the clunkiness also being something that I have heard said about the Shamans.  I also don't know anyone who likes the Shamans, so a shoe being similar to them might not be a good thing.  Regarding the Geshidos I have also noticed a conspicuous lack of use of them by evolv 'athletes'.

This is not to say that the bandits are massively used by the sponsored athletes, apart from Ben Bransby (who posts here, "El Mocho" I think? and is also sponsored by and rep for Evolv) who has this to say

“The Evolv Bandits are my first choice of shoe for Grit routes, tradding and Alpine rock. The shoe has a really precise and sensitive feel but the fit is so good that this is achieved without putting my feet through agony. The Bandits are the first shoe I have had with the build quality and finish that gives me the confidence to put them on straight out of the box and go soloing on grit slabs. I like the colour as well!”

I wonder what he got paid for that statement?  I think the shoe isn't more popular among 'wads' because it looks like a punters shoe for bumblies.

Anyway ignore this and try/climb in both.
p.s. Geshidos are cheaper at bananafingers than go outdoors

[kelvin]

I wear Bandits mostly, on about my fourth pair. Be aware that the velcros and the laces are sized different, the laces being noticeably smaller. Pretty stable, edge well when new but nearly everyone I know who climbs in them mentions that they lack sensitivity. You watch your foot onto the hold but that's as good as it gets. I do like them on slate when new and on limestone. No stretch hardly either but when they're wearing out, you can feel everything... I like them then. The Geshidos I have tried once or twice but just a different fit it seemed to me.
I think Rock and Run were doing Bandits cheap last week, someone was. £50 or so.

I'd best mention that I've had enough of the lack of feel on rock, indoors it's not a problem but for outdoors I'm getting Katanas next time.

[kelvin]

http://www.rockrun.com/deals/climbing-shoes/evolv-bandit-lace £59 for the laces. They come up tighter than the velcro and I use them for sport. Same size in velcro for trad.