La Sportiva Solution

The name is not meant in jest, these are by far the best performance shoe I've come across. I tried Katanas and found there was far too much space in the heel — not so with Solutions. I went down three shoes sizes, still snug and not too painful! The strap is great and the smell is not too funky.

I tried Katanas a while ago and found there was far too much space in the heel —not so with Solutions. I went down three shoes sizes, still snug and not too painful!

The strap is great and with the two finger loops—these are very easy to get on and off.

After a whole day at the crag, you may cramp a bit. Just try to remember to slide them off for a break every now and then.

The rubber is very sticky and as long as you care for the shoes it remains so. If you have good footwork then they will not wear out quickly. The fit is like a glove because of the elastic material that on the inside of the shoe.

I get shoes cheap because of my pro deal so I have tried many of the brands out there. For my foot the Solutions come in close second to the Jet7. When you size these shoes it should be a fight to get them on and they should be uncomfortable, they are one of the most aggressive shoes on the market.

For long rope climbs I suggest the Cobra or Miura over these.

Gone through two pairs of this shoe in seven months climbing 3-4 times a week at local gym. Took three sizes down from shoe size and still moderately comfortable. Feels incredibly powerful on roof problems and edging, some difficulty with smearing compared with a less technical shoe. Supportive on the arches of my feet like no other shoe I have tried.

Only concern is the rate at which the material deteriorates. The metal strap holes rust very quickly and cut away at the straps, all my straps snapped after around 3 1/2 months use and the material in the heel wears away and leaves your heel exposed to blisters from the less comfortable material. In about the same time as it takes for the rubber to wear at the toe. So there is no point getting the rubber recapped.

If you can afford to replace every three months then this is the shoe for you. Otherwise get something more hard wearing that can take a resoling and still survive for another three months.

This is an overall amazing shoe. For everyone who complains about them wearing out, that's your fault for wearing them in training. Use a cheaper shoe for training (I use the Red Chili Corona); it saves your best shoes for comps.