[Will Hunt]

Being a narrow footed nymph, I find that La Sportiva shoes fit me really really well. I've got on really well with the Miura lace and VS and also have a pair of Sportiva approach shoes.

With each of the last 4 pairs of shoes that I have had from this company (2 x Miura lace, 1 x VS, 1x Helios running shoe), the first thing to go has been the laces. The Miuras have just snapped and it's a fucker to relace them with something because of the long, thin leather tubes you have to thread the laces through. The sheaths of the laces on the Helios have gone leaving only the core - meaning that I have to just leave them laced up all the time (this happened after a few months of use). The VSs aren't gone yet but one of the little fabric loops which holds the metal buckle which the Velcro strap goes through is torn about a third of the way along, so it's only a matter of time.

What the fuck is going on? Is anyone else having this experience or am I being unlucky/too forceful? If I pay circa £100 for a pair of rock shoes I expect to be able to use them till I've burned through the rubber and then send them for resoling! Do I have any consumer rights here? i.e. send them back to La Sportiva and get them replaced?

[Coops_13]

Solution straps are my biggest issue when it comes to Sportiva build quality. I believe mine have gone quicker than others' due to over-tightening of them. I'm likely over-tightening as I'm not drying them out properly. So my recommendation would be to dry the shoes out thoroughly between sessions (not that I follow my own advice), this may help keep the shoes nice and tight and remove the need to crank your laces super-tight.

Saying that, the webbing used by solutions was pretty thin and has been replaced in the new versions. I've sent a snapped pair to a product designer mate who's fitted them with some upgraded tougher webbing which seems like a great improvement.

[Will Hunt]

Dry the shoes out? What are you doing to these shoes?!

[Coops_13]

Dry the shoes out? What are you doing to these shoes?!

Climbing indoors in the humid London walls...

[spidermonkey09]

With each of the last 4 pairs of shoes that I have had from this company (2 x Miura lace, 1 x VS, 1x Helios running shoe), the first thing to go has been the laces. The Miuras have just snapped and it's a fucker to relace them with something because of the long, thin leather tubes you have to thread the laces through.

What the fuck is going on? Is anyone else having this experience or am I being unlucky/too forceful? If I pay circa £100 for a pair of rock shoes I expect to be able to use them till I've burned through the rubber and then send them for resoling! Do I have any consumer rights here? i.e. send them back to La Sportiva and get them replaced?

I have also had the laces on a pair of Miuras snap and managed to resole them, although it was a massive pain in the arse. Theres one which is very close to going on my current indoor/trad pair as well, but I have had them for pushing 18 months now and they're on their second resole. It is irritating; as a fellow slim footed fellow perhaps its due to cranking the laces in too tight over a period of time? I just got a new pair several sizes smaller which are a very tight fit but its noticeable I don't really have to pull on the laces on these ones. Maybe try them a bit smaller?

If you have any joy with Sportiva after sales or come across a good method of relacing Miuras let me know!

[Will Hunt]

I don't think I could bear or even fit my feet into anything smaller. I get them cripplingly tight and they stretch out slightly into a great fit. As for cranking laces tight, well, they're rock shoes aren't they? That's what you do; and the laces should be able to take it. I don't even think I do them all that tight anyway. In a way it's good to know that it's not just me.

[jwi]

Strange, I've had Miuras for ten years and only managed to snap the laces once after doing a great deal of crack climbing in them

[bendavison]

Always been very disappointed by sportiva build quality and customer service. 1 x broken solution strap and ripped the heal apart putting a relatively new pair on. They wouldn't replace either!

[duncan]

La Sportiva's UK distributors are Lyon Outdoor who demonstrate a robust attitude to returns even when there are well-known issues (Solution's strap breaking, wobbly Nomic heads).

[webbo]

If an item is not fit for purpose then it is the retailer who is responsible rather than the manufacturer. Go to trading standards.