These are not a highly technical shoe, nor do they fit like one or climb like one. But thats exactly why I got them. These shoes are quite comfortable and perfect for long days of mid grade climbs and boulder problems and I really enjoy the comfort on long multi pitch days. That being said, these aren't the shoes I would choose to heel hook my way thru an overhang or send a long crack. I choose them for long gym workouts and any other day where long comfort is more important than technical ability. The rubber has lasted without issue thru 2 years and while they do stretch a bit it is not enough to make the shoe unusable.

The Evolv Defy is the perfect entry level climbing shoe! It has great grip and fit at a nice price. Sizing worked out to be the same as my normal shoe size for a snug fit. Get 'em!

These are the first pair of rock shoes I've owned, and I was never really impressed with them. I know they are a beginner shoe, but even as a beginner I felt they were lacking in areas. They did everything well enough and nothing terribly, but were still much to be desired in some areas.
They always felt very clunky on my feet and I didn't think they held an edge particularly well. They smeared great though and the rubber was pretty sticky for a beginner shoe looking back. I wasn't a fan of the split tongue as it always made closure of the shoe odd and felt awkward on my foot, but that's me.
Fit wise, I went down a half size from my street shoe and it was snug, bordering on too snug. Beginners beware, these will not stretch, so don't end up with a shoe that's too snug and hurts your feet. If it's uncomfortable at first try the next size up, and remember; no matter what anyone says...rock shoes aren't supposed to make your feet hurt.

For someone just looking to get into climbing, the price makes the defys are a solid choice if they fit correctly, however you may outgrow them fast. There are other options out there though, so don't limit yourself.

These shoes stretch at least a half size. After three months of use they're sloppy and have zero edging or toe. When I first wore them the fresh rubber was good and kept my toes tight. Great shoe for a beginner. On sale they're more than worth it. I wouldn't pay more than $60 though.

This shoe is made for the beginner. I bought it because it was recommended to me by the staff of Backcountry.com a year ago and have loved the shoe ever since. Most the time it is gripping the rock wall at NGCSU, but every so often I find time to smear it on some exposed granite. It has treated my well on the boulders in North Georgia and at MT. Yonah. I wear a 10.5 and I bought true to my size. This shoe is still holding up very well. I recommend it to anyone. I got it a lot cheaper than $88.95 though.

Great shoe. Better than my old Mad Rocks by far. Toe is nice and pointy and the grip is superb. Very comfortable and breathable. I would recommend this to anyone who is a climber.

great beginner shoe, picked them up on sac. not super rigid or stiff, but for the price it will get you into a shoe that will get you climbing, then you can move on if you choose. overall good product for a good price.

This is a great quality shoe, it is comfortable when sized right, but has it limitations. Contrary to that video review below, it doesn't really do everything. But, what it is and what it is for is quite exceptional.This shoe is soft through the middle and has a very lax heel. This takes pressure off the toes and make for a comfortable shoe. Durable rubber that breaks in after a few sessions.I do not agree with the "size down for power" rule. If you size down you still have a really soft shoe that gives more then you would expect.I really prefer the Pontas for those applications, no one really explains the difference between these two shoe...so here goes. They look very similar, but they are not. The pontas has more material in the middle and bottom of the foot , so the structure of the shoe is stiffer allowing to stand on edges longer. The rubber around the heel (with logo on it) is tighter putting more power to your toes. More toe rand rubber for toe hooking. Lastly the fabric of the pontas doesn't flex at all while the defy has some give, this makes them much more powerful and consistent when sizing down.That might make me sound like I don't like the defy, but I do I just want to make the point they may look the same but they are different and have different purposes.Personally my feet can't take being bound for 3 hours, I need the tight action for when I am climbing at my limit, but for the rest of the time, the Defy are great, they are comfortable for the whole day, they are soft so they help to strengthen your feet and toes. They are insanely sensitive and smear with the best of them.

I purchased these as my first climbing shoes off geartrade.com. Having only used 1 other pair of shoes I knew very little about them. I got a size 10, normally I wear a size 10 in street shoes. They are a bit snug on my toes, but after a dozen uses they are really starting to feel great! To top it off, these things have partially recycled soles(a big plus in my book). I would recommend these shoes to anyone.

These shoes work great for me. The right price and the right value. They are great for beginners like me to have a shoe they can trust in when they are high up on the rocks.

I had the previous model of these shoes. These shoes are great if you are looking for comfort or just starting out and don't want to kill you feet. The rubber is sticky when its realy clean. The rubber is durable and should last a long time with good technique "no toe draging".

These shoes have had a lot of great reviews so when they showed up on SAC recently I snagged a pair of 10.5s to use as loaners for friends. (most of my friends wear 10-10.5) As they are several sizes to large for myself, I cannot directly attest to how well they perform. The soles aren't as rigid and the construction seems a little less beefy than my Sportivas but I cannot complain considering the value and that I purchased them for others to borrow.

I appear to be in the minority here, but I ordered a pair of size 10's and they were at least one size too SMALL for my feet. I wear a 10 to 10.5 in street shoes. Was expecting a snug fit, but instead I literally could not get my feet in them without my toes being jammed into a painful position. Gave the shoes to my buddy. Plan to order a larger pair. Thought it was important to share given that most of the feedback implies that they fit true to size. Perhaps I got a bad pair.

Obviously these aren't the best performing shoe out there, but considering their competition as far as price range essentially consists of the Mad Rock Flash, these are definitely the ones to chose. Decent edging and smearing, although the ecotrax rubber is not the greatest, pretty good heel cup if sized correctly, and can eventually be a very comfortable all around climbing shoe. Not very stiff at all, so you'll probably want to demote these to gym shoes or loaners eventually if you're a beginner, but for someone just getting started these are probably the best shoes out there.

It's a great beginner shoe for all you starting up climbing. The design isn't as aggressive as other shoes I have, but for the price it is a great shoe for the abuse of indoor climbing.

Got these for about 50 bones on clearance and they really a solid value, for real. I would recommend these shoes to any beginner or anyone looking for a great value shoe. I was glad I didnt order them online, as I was unaware that Evolves fit more true to your shoe size ( I still went a half size smaller than my real shoes size....a little tight but I like em like that)....The spit tongue is great and they are very confortable for the most part and as a bonus the soles are made from recycled rubber. For the Cons, they are not the best edgers...I have killed my toes because the soles are not that rigid. Also, they tend to stink worse tham most because of the synthetic material they use.

when i first got into the sport these shoes did everything I told them to, even after i blew out a toe: sport, trad, bouldering, slab, indoor, steep, water soloing. Too many people get hung up about having the right type of shoe for the climb, just be glad you aren't wearing hemp-soled boots. Trax rubber is rill sticky too. These fit true to size and don't stretch much if at all.

These shoes have been great. They are extremely durable and have lasted through a tremendous number of climbs. I should add gym climbs. They keep me on the wall at all times and have never failed. For some perspective, east coast 5.11's and some thrashing on 12's.

I'm looking for my next pair!

These shoes have been upgraded from the last years in three areas. The strap is reinforced and stronger. The rubber is thicker in the toe for the new guys so they don't scrape the hell out of it within two weeks. All around beefier shoe. Size down a half size if you are experienced and close to true to size if you are on V1 status !

Nice shoe. It was the first climbing shoe I have worn and really liked it as a good all around shoe, especially for the price. I would recommend sizing down a half size. I bought the same size shoe I normally wear and after a few minutes of warming up they were a little looser than I would have liked.