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.

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.

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.

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.

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 !

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 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.