[tc]

An appeal to the collective wisdom of UKB on behalf of a friend in Germany who is doing some research:

What do people think about Boreal? Have you used their shoes? Have you ever used any of their other products? How do you rate them? What kind of image do you associate with the brand?

Thanks.

[tomtom]

[tc]

Yeah, me too!

[Muenchener]

There was this problem, at the Manchester Uni MacDougall wall, that I did exactly once, in my first brand new pair of Firés, and never managed to repeat.

[galpinos]

My general opinion is that I have no inclination to try any, the last pair I had was a pair of Vectors. I generally climb in 5.10s and have had forays into La Sportiva and Scarpa. I'd be more inclinded to try Unparallel or tenaya next than Boreal.

Not only do they look awful (the rock shoe equivalent of Montura trousers/those red rab trousers with the black knee patches Caff used to wear) the rubber used to be really shiny that made my head think they wouldn't be very sticky. Rock shoes are expensive so I'm not willing to waste my money on boots that look like they were designed by my 3yo with rubber that may or may not be sticky.

[spidermonkey09]

I had a look at their range quite recently but lack of lace up options and variety made me look elsewhere. I have never used their shoes but I definitely have the perception that they aren't as good as the likes of Sportiva, Scarpa et al. I'm not sure why that is. I think the perception that the rubber is poor has caught on and if they used vibram rubber that might help.

I think they probably had a bit of a renaissance when Ben Moon did Rainshadow in them but I've never felt inclined to try them. Would happily give them a go at a boot demo or similar though.

[steveri]

I had a pair of Lynx when I first got back into climbing and eventually wore out the Vectors from the loft. Wore the Lynx until I couldn't get them to stick on a relatively modest problem at the Roaches and decided I liked a softer shoe. I think it was me. Rainshadow.

I find the shoe market sufficiently bewildering that I'm happy enough to have a choice of only the 20-odd Scarpas. Wouldn't rule Boreal out though. Diabolo climbed well on a demo day.

[cheque]

My second pair of climbing shoes were Boreal Spiders- they were a massive upgrade on the green “entry level” Red Chillis I’d started in and I loved them- the sole and the rand were moulded in one piece, they had a kind of scallop out of the front of the sole and a sort of ridge on the heel that you could use to hook behind positive indoor holds. All things that seem naff and unnecessary to me now but at the time I thought were great.

One day there was a Five Ten demo at the wall and I tried some green Anasazis. I immediately realised why lots of people had them and very few had Boreal- the rubber felt softer and stickier than the plasticky Boreals and they fitted way better. I got some immediately and have pretty much worn Five Tens ever since.

I’ve no idea what shoes Boreal make now ‘cos no-one at the crags seems to wear them- people wear all kinds of punter shit indoors but I never pay attention. I associate Boreal with the past and older (or at least more experienced) climbers than me having fond recollections of Firés, Ninjas etc.

[SamT]

Early 90's when I started climbing in earnest, they were pretty much the only manufacturer out there.  Fires had been and gone, Aces, (all round trad), Nijas - ubiquitous grit go to's - and ballets for slateheads and welsh walls.   Virtually every photo in the mags the subject was wearing boreals,  (a few had those green asolos).  Then came the brilliant (in my opinion) lazer which seemed to function equally well on grit and steep lime.  Many happy day wincing around breaking in a pair of ninja's 3 sizes too small and only possible to get on by putting your feet in a sandwich bag first.

Then I had a pair of vectors, which somehow never seemed to be quite as good as a lazer. 

The 5.10 Anazazi suddenly appeared and seemingly over night, nobody ever wore a boreal again (I jest a little).  Thing was they never really fitted my feet (still dont) so I battled along. I had a pair of stingers for a little while, cant recall that they were that amazing.

The first boot to come along and really fit me and inspire confidence after that was the red chilli habanaro (orange and red ones) and I probably did my hardest climibing in a pair of those.

I've been wearing lace up Scarpa instincts (the red and white ones) for a long time now.  Have 2 pairs on rotation, softer older pair for grit and a newer pair for lime, with a 3rd unused pair in reserve. 

No real desire to look at any 'new' shoes until they're all spent.

When my old habonaros gave up the ghost and I was hunting around for a new boot, it was always a case of trying 'everything' on, all brands, and finding one that fits the best and inspires confidence on footholds.  5.10 just do not fit me.
never have and seemingly never will.  I have no brand loyalty, so when the time comes. I'll happily try some boreals along with all the other boots in that same style of boot.

Boreal do seem to have really lost their way/market.

[tomtom]

Dolly had a pair of the new Ninja's a couple of months back. Said they were pretty good.

Though I have noticed he's not used them since..... (that I've seen)

[mrjonathanr]

Then I had a pair of vectors, which somehow never seemed to be quite as good as a laser. 

+1 The Vectors were too clunky so I switched to Sportiva Kendos and they were brilliant. Then had a long, long layoff and now use Scarpas.

I think the Boreal Zenith rubber looks really good but not tempted to return, Scarpas fit me and quality is top notch so why go back?

[Andy F]

I wore Boreal in the early 90's, laser, vector, ninja. Then 5.10 came along and the anasazi velcro was the shoe for a few years. Tried the Stinger (probably the last good shoe they made), which I liked, then they brought out the IRS models. Bought a pair, went to Almscliffe, fell off everything, a mate lent me a pair of Scarpa's and I've never looked back.

I'd never go back to Boreal. The designs look like they've been coloured by a 3 year old with a serious sugar addition, the rubber shinier than a bowling ball after a run in with Mr Sheen and toes pointier than Eric Bristow's dart collection. Terrible shoes. Unless you get them purely to campus in.

[webbo]

The last Boreal shoes I wore were Lazers. I had 2 pairs, I had the older of the two pairs resolved with stealth rubber and after that I never wore the new pair again. I gave them to my then 8 year old daughter to wear.

[SamT]

What kind of image do you associate with the brand?

Just re-read the O.P. and this is great question.

Ben pulling on a pair of Lazers underneath Raven Tor



Johnny in pair of ballets on Quarryman



(And any photo in the froggattt or stanage guides from the early 90s where nearly everyones is wearing fires/ninjas)

[SamT]

I wore Boreal in the early 90's, laser, vector, ninja....
a mate lent me a pair of Scarpa's and I've never looked back.

The Vectors were too clunky
Scarpas fit me and quality is top notch so why go back?

Interesting.

[tim palmer]

Like many previous comments I started climbing in boreals (lasers, matrix, bambas, ninjas).  Then got some scarpa dominator slippers and never went back, even the old vibram compound was superior to the boreal and fit so much more precise.   Now boreals are very expensive and look weird.

[SamT]

And so the Boreal->Scarpa pattern continues.

What were the sort of purple ones with a neon yellow flash beneath the ankle.  I can picture a photo of Dave 'Hard-on' on the cover of OTE on Strapadictomy wearing a pair.  And I'm sure there lots of photos of Jerry wearing them for a spell.

Were they 'sprints'.

Cant find a photo anywhere online.
Some good old classics on here - https://thea.com/Shoes-Footwear-Boreal-Climbing-Shoes/

[NaoB]

It makes me feel sad reading all these comments. Basically, boreal had some issues with their rubber many years ago, which they have more than sorted now, but the damage to their reputation is done. We went to the factory and saw a fancy machine they had for testing the slippage of different samples of rubber on various rocktypes - the newer boreal rubber outperformed all other samples, even stealth. Still, whenever this topic comes up, there are the same people who pipe up with snidey comments, generally people who have not even tried the current range so how do they know??

You no doubt think I am biased... Here's my opinion anyway! We (me and especially Jordan) have been offered lucrative, tantalising deals from other shoe manufacturers, we choose to continue wearing boreals because they are fantastic. The build quality, fit, heels, rubber and the range available all work for us to a high standard. When I've tried other shoes over the years nothing has compared well.

Probably the biggest issue for many UK climbers is that boreals are developed and made in Spain, the shoes mostly are particularly suited to limestone climbing with supportive soles and edges. However, if you want a super soft shoe for the grit, they do a slipper called the synergy.

There are lots of boot demos happening across the UK. At least try the new stuff and give it a proper chance, don't hold on to ancient opinions that are not relevant any more.

[moose]

My first rock shoes were a pair of Boreal "beginner" shoes (Diablos?), recommended by someone at a climbing shop who I can only imagine had very quickly developed a grudge against me.  Completely insensate, lumpy clogs.  It was a revelation when I replaced them with a pair of Sportiva Katanas - being able to precisely place my big toe on the tiniest of footholds with confidence they would stick.

Years later I bought a pair of aggressive Boreal laceups (can't recall name, red and black, Quattro rubber).  The fit was okay but the rubber was awful.  I am generally pretty insensitive to the vagueries of rubbers - I have shoes with various 5.10 compounds, Vibram XsEdge, Vibram XsGrip, and if I am being honest I cannot reliably detect any difference.  Perhaps because I have big feet but am pretty light, so they aren't being stressed so much, or maybe because I am a shit ignoramus. Anyhow, wearing these Boreals felt like ice skating.  Weirdly they were worse, the bigger the footholds were; climbing easy indoor warmups essentially became a campus session (perhaps I should have kept them, I might be stronger).  I was very happy, when I "accidentally" lost one of them......

Since then, I have mainly stuck to Sportivas and never been disappointed (except the Genius - didn;t like the toe box shape and they felt slippy compared to the Futuras).   I liked the Scarpa Instinct  and can see why people like the brand - obviously good quality construction (better than Sportivas) - but I prefer the broad, more asymmetric toe box that Sportivas tend to have.

Never been tempted to try any of the recent Boreals.  I know they have a proud legacy, but so do EBs  and hob-nail boots.  I view them in the same category as Red Chilli and those makes you only ever see as climbing wall hire shoes - if I see anyone in them I assume they are either hard-up and found a pair in a bargain bin, or are sponsorred.  I suspect Ben Moon is must be capable of climbing 9c, or his Boreals are special custom jobs with different rubber.

[tomtom]

Fair enough NaoB - there was a Boreal demo at Wiltonfest on Sat - and I didn’t try a pair (I didn’t feel like it TBH) though plenty of others did (I think only one pair is still waiting to be returned )... and TBH I didn’t hear anything bad about them - but didn’t hear anyone raving about them either (n=5 or so..).

For me - enough time has passed for me not to view them with any negative past reputation, but I’m just pretty happy with the fit, price and performance of the shoes I use... I also (like several people here) have a couple of new spare pairs of my chosen brand/shoe in a box upstairs that I’ve got in offers/from ads here etc.. so it’ll be a while before I burn/slither through my stock and will want some more...

Though wasn’t the OP about perception of Boreal... to which there have been some pleasant  and also some blunt views...?

[Bradders]

Have never seen any of the ones I'd have considered buying in a shop, and am not minded to order online without trying them on first!

Otherwise I'm open minded about them and seriously considered them when I last bought shoes, before opting for Scarpa and 5.10.

[Yossarian]

Vectors were my second pair of shoes, which felt like surgical instruments after their predecessors - Kamet Joshua Trees. Lots of people in both the uni clubs I was in swore by Aces for trad, but I thought they were terminally unhip. I then went through a Ninja phase, before moving on to Stingers. Boreal was obvs a pretty strong brand back then. I then moved onto 5.10.

There’s so much competition now, and I hardly ever see them at the wall. TBH I’m more keen to try Ocun and maybe Evolve over Boreal these days.

[duncan]

Similar story of fires, ninjas, lasers (all great for their time), then transferring allegiance to 5.10.  It’s unlikely I’ll buy more 5.10 in the post Charles Cole era so when my stock of Blancos and Dragons are depleted I’ll be casting around for something else. Scarpa and Sportiva don’t fit but Boreal might be in the mix. Made in Spain is a plus for me. Caff wears them and you’d think he’d have the pick of shoes as he should be about the most attractive proposition amongst UK rock climbers to sponsor (ha!).

Shoe demos are really important now, the lack of real climbing shops in large areas of the country (London now has a solitary one: Rock On at Mile End) means greater interia in shoe buying.

TC, who is interested in Boreal? Feels like they might benefit from a bit of marketing pizzazz. Vaude/Edelrid would gave them a leg-up but they already own Red Chilli don’t they?

[tim palmer]

the damage to their reputation is done......
there are the same people who pipe up with snidey comments, generally people who have not even tried the current range so how do they know........
Probably the biggest issue for many UK climbers is that boreals are developed and made in Spain, the shoes mostly are particularly suited to limestone climbing with supportive soles and edges.........
There are lots of boot demos happening across the UK.

I have the tried the satori and another shoe of the same iteration in the boreal range, the odd plastic-y rubber on the heel really put me off.  I don't see how this represents a progression from the same thinking which produced the mutants which had that bizarre heel with the spur on it.  They were the same end of the price spectrum as the top end scarpas and sportivas and were more expensive than 5.10s.  I can't see many people going away from a brand they trust to buy a brand which is the same price without a recent track record of producing well thought-out shoes.  I don't think Boreal are viewed as a premium brand anymore (I see significantly more people wearing butora, mad rocks and tenaya) and I don't see why they should be priced as such. 

I am not sure the argument that the shoes are constructed for steep limestone so are beyond the comprehension of the average climber holds any water at all as most performance shoes could be described in the terms listed above.

[webbo]

It makes me feel sad reading all these comments. Basically, boreal had some issues with their rubber many years ago, which they have more than sorted now, but the damage to their reputation is done. We went to the factory and saw a fancy machine they had for testing the slippage of different samples of rubber on various rocktypes - the newer boreal rubber outperformed all other samples, even stealth. Still, whenever this topic comes up, there are the same people who pipe up with snidey comments, generally people who have not even tried the current range so how do they know??

You no doubt think I am biased... Here's my opinion anyway! We (me and especially Jordan) have been offered lucrative, tantalising deals from other shoe manufacturers, we choose to continue wearing boreals because they are fantastic. The build quality, fit, heels, rubber and the range available all work for us to a high standard. When I've tried other shoes over the years nothing has compared well.

Probably the biggest issue for many UK climbers is that boreals are developed and made in Spain, the shoes mostly are particularly suited to limestone climbing with supportive soles and edges. However, if you want a super soft shoe for the grit, they do a slipper called the synergy.

There are lots of boot demos happening across the UK. At least try the new stuff and give it a proper chance, don't hold on to ancient opinions that are not relevant any more.

Maybe if they offered a free pair to all the regulars on here which would be 30 or 40 pairs I guess. Then when said regulars rave about them to every body they will everyone’s go too shoes again.

[SA Chris]

It makes me feel sad reading all these comments......

There are lots of boot demos happening across the UK. At least try the new stuff and give it a proper chance, don't hold on to ancient opinions that are not relevant any more.

Why should it sadden you? People aren't missing out by using another brand which works for them, without any impact on your life. I've never seen a demo day in Scotland, if there have been any they have been poorly advertised.

I started in Boreal, Ballet, Aces, then Vectors, bought for my first ever climbing trip to Europe, and they had that shitty rubber which rolled off in lumps. I was gutted and had to shell out for a brand new pair of shoes (Mythos, which I loved incidentally) on a very tight dirtbag budget, and swore off the then.

Since then, I've had (at least) 5.10 x 3, Mad Rock x 2, Evolv x 1 and Sportiva x 2, but never really see any Boreal in the shops or hear from anyone I know (personally) raving about them to a point where I think I MUST give them a shot.

Scarpa are doing a demo day at the local wall next Saturday, so I'm quite keen to try a couple out and make a direct comparison with my current go tos: Evolv Bandit and Las Sportiva Solution. If Boreal did the same I'd certainly give them a shot, and if they were a revelation I'd probably buy a pair, if the colours weren't horrendous.

[Adam Lincoln]

Ok so killing some time here. What brand of shoes has been worn on the top ascents of the year so far, in the UK.

Progress - jb - Boreal
Megalopa - jb - Boreal
Hubble - pd - sportiva
Sea of Tranquility - pd - sportiva
Pilgrimage - pd - sportiva

Not very up on Raven Tor happenings.....

[spidermonkey09]

Maybe if they offered a free pair to all the regulars on here which would be 30 or 40 pairs I guess. Then when said regulars rave about them to every body they will everyone’s go too shoes again.

I'd happily do an objective review!

More seriously, climbers are creatures of habit. Look at the reaction to the whites being discontinued. I have found that Sportivas fit me and its going to take something significant to move me off something I know works. What Boreal have to think about is how to get people buying them as their first intermediate shoe when they haven't worked out what they like yet. To that end, image, marketing and getting your name in lights is probably much more important than trying to convince those who have already gone that the rubber is actually good. I bet Sportiva spend a fortune on design; their shoes are always striking and look the business, even if they have about 15 models too many.

[SA Chris]

What kind of image do you associate with the brand?

As others have said, worn by everyone in the 80s and 90s, but lost their way in a competitive market.. A bit like ASOLO worn by a lot of french hotshots of the same era.

[cheque]

.

climbers are creatures of habit. Look at the reaction to the whites being discontinued.

  I remember a big thread on here about what the equivelent new Scarpas were when they discontinued Vapours(?) or something too. It's such a gamble predicting what size will be right in shoes you've never tried as well- when you know they still make the same shoes in the same size that you've had x pairs of you just get another.

I know some that people take a punt on new shoes all the time and end up selling at least some of them on (whatever happened to WeakDave?!) but far more of us are like SamT with his three rotating pairs of Instincts- if a manufacturer hasn't got this kind of "cult following" for any of it's models they end up having new ones all the time that people don't know anything about and eye with suspicion- this is where I (rightly or wrongly) see Boreal. Whether their new shoes are good or not doesn't really matter as we're too conservative and risk-averse to try them. Our mates are too so we never hear about new ones. If sponsored wads wear unusual shoes- "they could climb hard in Crocs". 

It’s unlikely I’ll buy more 5.10 in the post Charles Cole era so when my stock of Blancos and Dragons are depleted I’ll be casting around for something else.

Reinforcing my point above I was very pleased (I guess relieved is the right word really) to find that Unparallel live up to their hype as being basically the same as Five Ten if not a bit better. I won't be buying Five Tens any more but I will be buying the Unparallel equivalents of the Five Tens I like.

[r-man]

I used to buy the old Boreal Mutants. Again and again. The toe shape was pretty crap but the heel fit me brilliantly. It suctioned onto my foot and for the first time in my life I could heel hook things without the shoe peeling off. Then they changed the design and now the heel isnt as good.

Boreal, if you can make a performance shoe with a great toe and a heel that fits people with shallow heels (yes, there are lots of us, desperate for something that works!), then I would willingly buy it.

This goes for other shoe manufacturers too. Why are you all making your aggressive shoes with the same bulgy baggy heels? People have different shaped feet. If just one top end shoe had a straight-backed heel, it would be the clear choice for lots of people.

Anyway, back to Boreals. I've got a pair of Lynxes that a friend gave me. They are decent. I mainly use them for edgy stuff in the quarries. Though when I want to try something at my limit, I switch to Sportiva Testarossas, because the toes are brilliant (shame the heels are awful for me). I can at least heel hook a bit with Lynxes.

I tried on a few shoes at the Wilton Fest Boreal demo. The down-turned shoe that seemed to have the most secure heel was the Synergy. I tried it out on a boulder. Pulled on to something steep, weighted the heel on a large edge...and it peeled off my foot. Everybody laughed. I returned the shoes.

[spidermonkey09]

 Whether their new shoes are good or not doesn't really matter as we're too conservative and risk-averse to try them. Our mates are too so we never hear about new ones. If sponsored wads wear unusual shoes- "they could climb hard in Crocs". 

I would be much happier to take a punt on shoes if they were 50 quid, but I'm lucky to get under 100 these days so its a significant financial outlay every time.

Re the sponsored wads comment, made me laugh recently when Red Chili were at Malham filming someone with a drone  . My partner casually remarked 'Its going to take a lot more than some footage of someone on a 7a+ to make me buy Red Chillis again". I imagine that holds true for a lot of people!

[Yossarian]

This magic machine Boreal have for proving their rubber is the best is worth absolutely nothing if they fail to communicate that. They have a pretty impressive rosta of sponsored talent, but their marketing strategy seems to be incredibly ill-thought through.

Personally, I think 5.10’s brand management in the 2000s was totally textbook - they created an hallowed aura around a rubber compound (with a good name) that everyone coveted. Also, wads were using shoes like the pink and velcro that punters could happily use on grit vdiffs. That sort of combination is pretty hard to beat. Sportiva were surely more innovative, both with materials (the Tao) and shapes / concepts (Mythos / Testarossa) but the 5.10 stickiness narrative (myth or reality, it doesn’t really matter) was pretty compelling for years. At least until things like weird baggy heels and poor buid quality persuaded people (like me) to try other things.

[r-man]

Ok so killing some time here. What brand of shoes has been worn on the top ascents of the year so far, in the UK.

Progress - jb - Boreal
Megalopa - jb - Boreal
Hubble - pd - sportiva
Sea of Tranquility - pd - sportiva
Pilgrimage - pd - sportiva

Not very up on Raven Tor happenings.....

I'd be interested in a bouldering list. Micro-positioning and the limits of friction/toe-grab are even more crucial in low percentage moves.

[r-man]

If sponsored wads wear unusual shoes- "they could climb hard in Crocs".  :lol

True... https://www.instagram.com/p/B14WK_UjDUB/?igshid=3kxg3o78gb5l

[Paul B]

This magic machine Boreal have for proving their rubber is the best is worth absolutely nothing if they fail to communicate that. They have a pretty impressive rosta of sponsored talent, but their marketing strategy seems to be incredibly ill-thought through.

Agreed. Also testing by manufacturer's that prove their product is superior to competitors should attract a great degree of scrutiny. They should also stop the whole party trick of boots sticking together.

How's the compound in cold weather as my recollection of testing some one winter at the Foundry during a boot demo isn't positive (also I can remember being unable to get something that fit well)?

I also used to wear Stingers. Never managed to get a pair of the Matrix (WWJD).

[SA Chris]

FYI Demo Days

http://www.borealoutdoor.com/community/detail/2019/02/05/boreal-uk-demo-series-2019

Nearest to me is 2 hours away. On a Tuesday.

[Ally Smith]

Ok so killing some time here. What brand of shoes has been worn on the top ascents of the year so far, in the UK.

Progress - jb - Boreal
Megalopa - jb - Boreal
Hubble - pd - sportiva
Sea of Tranquility - pd - sportiva
Pilgrimage - pd - sportiva

Not very up on Raven Tor happenings.....

...For the sake of balance, as Adam hasn't declared his Sportiva interest 

Dave Mason, multiple 8B/+ ticks - Unparallel
Jack Palmieri, an absolute metric  :shit:tonne of 8A-8B+ - Unparallel
Alex Barrows, Father and Son, Frankenjura, 8c, Scarpa
Mat Wright, Make it Funky 8c, Sportiva

[r-man]

 We've had quite a few Brits doing 8B+ and 8C boulders this year, at home and abroad. Where's Remus when you need him...?

[NaoB]

It makes me feel sad reading all these comments......

There are lots of boot demos happening across the UK. At least try the new stuff and give it a proper chance, don't hold on to ancient opinions that are not relevant any more.

Why should it sadden you?

It saddens me because I know the boreal team well, they are a family business and lovely people, who I see trying really hard to fight against long-held opinions that are out of date. They have had to work extra hard to prove themselves and yet many still don't give them a chance.

[SA Chris]

I guess this is partly due to the fact that you know them so well? How do you know some of the other makers aren't the same?

[spidermonkey09]

It saddens me because I know the boreal team well, they are a family business and lovely people, who I see trying really hard to fight against long-held opinions that are out of date. They have had to work extra hard to prove themselves and yet many still don't give them a chance.

This makes sense. I still think it isn't the people on this thread that are the low hanging fruit for Boreal though... not sure their shoes are even in the local wall in Leeds so people are going to struggle to have sight of them. Maybe its a distribution issue I guess.

[NaoB]

I guess this is partly due to the fact that you know them so well? How do you know some of the other makers aren't the same?

They may well be. Tbh, I'm a bit of a softy, it always makes me feel uncomfortable when folk get slagged off, but especially when I believe it's unfair....

[Doylo]

Jordan swears by that cheaty heel spur . 

[tc]

Thanks for all the comments, insights and fun, you lot -- really useful stuff.

[abarro81]

.

climbers are creatures of habit. Look at the reaction to the whites being discontinued.

 

  too. Every time Scarpa/Mountain Boot stop making/importing my favourite Scarpas I have a little tantrum, try to stock-pile some pairs, try a new shoes, decide I don't like it but I'll start using it a bit anyway to see if I adjust to it, then 6 months down the line I'm totally sold on the new shoe and it's my new default. Happened with Magos, Instinct Laces (red ones), Booster S, and now I'm just about getting sold on the Chimeras... I think new shoes take time to get used to getting the most out of sometimes, as the "feel" changes a bit.. I hate changing shoes when they're free and if I was paying full price I'd avoid it even more in case I chose wrong

[Andy F]

It makes me feel sad reading all these comments......

There are lots of boot demos happening across the UK. At least try the new stuff and give it a proper chance, don't hold on to ancient opinions that are not relevant any more.

Why should it sadden you?

It saddens me because I know the boreal team well, they are a family business and lovely people, who I see trying really hard to fight against long-held opinions that are out of date. They have had to work extra hard to prove themselves and yet many still don't give them a chance.

Naomi, if Boreal brought out a shoe that was clearly better than the opposition, in reasonable colours at a good price I'm sure many (including me) might be tempted. As shoes are such a fundamental part of climbing, when you find a make that fits well, for a fair price, with reliable rubber in reasonable colours, as paying punters we tend to stick to them.

One bad bit of press, or product can be disastrous for a companies image (thinking about Alfa/Lancia and rust in the 70s and 80s) which may well take decades to reverse.

[cheque]

I’m perplexed by the good colours/ good design comments. All climbing shoes are ugly surely? Most look like the kind of trainers kids wear to me.

[petejh]

To just point out the obvious about marketing..

Boreal have one of the UK's most consistently brilliant climbers over the past 10-15 years (Jordan) and one of the UK's national climbing treasures (Moon). Neither of them known for their self-marketing! Jordan disappeared without social media trace in the last couple of years (fair play to him) despite repeating everything hard trad and sport.

They need some attention-craving blowhards!

[Doylo]

They need some attention-craving blowhards!

Don’t they sponsor Pasquill too? Top tip - only sponsor people who know what the internet is.

[petejh]

They need some attention-craving blowhards!

Don’t they sponsor Pasquill too? Top tip - only sponsor people who know what the internet is.

I have no idea.

Stealth rubber marketing.

[Doylo]

They need some attention-craving blowhards!

Don’t they sponsor Pasquill too? Top tip - only sponsor people who know what the internet is.

I have no idea.

Therein lies the problem.

[webbo]

Does sponsoring folk who can climb 8c in a pair of clogs if they were pushed actually sell more shoes.
Shirley if you sponsored the likes of TomTom and Fiend and they were seen to improve and be able to climb 7c+ and E6 This in most people’s minds would seem worth buying into.

[tomtom]

Does sponsoring folk who can climb 8c in a pair of clogs if they were pushed actually sell more shoes.
Shirley if you sponsored the likes of TomTom and Fiend and they were seen to improve and be able to climb 7c+ and E6 This in most people’s minds would seem worth buying into.

Good idea :D Happy to recieve free boots and instagram the fucking life out of them

[SA Chris]

Does sponsoring folk who can climb 8c in a pair of clogs if they were pushed actually sell more shoes.

Yes. If they promote themselves appropriately. I'm sure Ondra wearing Miuras on his hard ascents did no end of good in the minds of the general climbing public.

[galpinos]

I guess this is partly due to the fact that you know them so well? How do you know some of the other makers aren't the same?

They may well be. Tbh, I'm a bit of a softy, it always makes me feel uncomfortable when folk get slagged off, but especially when I believe it's unfair....

I don't think anyone is slagging the Boreal team off*, more articulating why people left Boreal (the rubber) and why they never went back (brand loyalty, creatures of habit, shoes are expensive so a reluctance to change from something that is working).

I had a look at the Boreal stand at Outdoor and, though the sales guy was great, nothing jumped out at me as wow, I might try that. It was also pretty quiet compared to the buzz at the Scarpa/La Sportiva stand.

* apart from the fact I did say their shoes, imho, are pretty ugly.

[sdm]

I won a pair of Boreals and went with the Mutants as they were the only model stocked that fit my wide feet ok.

I hoped they would become my go to shoe for edging on UK lime. But I found they have a tendency to roll off small edges, especially when rocking over the foot. They have less sensitivity (especially in the midfoot) than my Instincts and I have less confidence in them on edges.

The heel is ok but can't compare to the Instinct VS for me (to be fair, nor does any other heel, including Scarpa's various attempts to improve on it).

The friction skin didn't work, it tore on the second toe hook I ever attempted and the rubber then slowly peeled off and there is now next to no rubber on the top of that shoe. When you toe hook on a sharp hold, the rubber is too thin to offer much protection from pain.

So ultimately they were relegated to warmup/training shoes. When trying something at my limit, I found I was always reaching for one of my other pairs of shoes.

I have also tried the Satori (previous model) at a demo. I found the Satori heel to be not as good as the Instinct on most hooks but was fantastic on an occasional hook where the spike really worked.

I'll give Boreals another chance the next time there is a shoe demo at the wall but quite a lot would have to change for them to overtake one of my pairs of Scarpas.

[Bradders]

* apart from the fact I did say their shoes, imho, are pretty ugly.

Not sure it's really fair to say Boreal shoes are ugly when this kind of atrocity is being committed:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2CKFIZjvbd/?igshid=huqt676gjavh

[webbo]

Yes that top doesn’t go with those shoes at all. What on earth was he thinking.