For some reason I have been climbing in shoes with out stiff midsoles for a long time. And I predominantly trad climb on granite, which means standing on lots of micro holds. Why did I wait so long to get a performance pair of stiffer lace ups? These things are sick on the high end granite, it just made 5.12 trad climbing that much easier. Really. Not as good on the really steep stuff, as you can't really feel or grab the holds with your toes to keep your self from swinging off, but hey, don't the rest of you own like 10 pairs of climbing shoes for every different style of climbing and type of rock?

I have been climbing in pontas lace shoes for 2 years now. I had them resoled this winter. These shoes are a good blend of comfort and performance. Stiffer foot bed, rand, combined with sharp edges makes these shoes hold to micro edges extremely well. The sole rubber is soft enough to get really good grippy smears also. Seems like the sizing for me was the same as me street size.

I like this shoe a lot. My last shoes were 5.10 galileos, which were also great shoes. I bought the pontas b/c I wanted a more aggressive (and more versatile) shoe, not unlike the Miuras. The Pontas are supposed to be Evolv's version of the miuras, with one advantage that the pontas are synthetic. Well, the miuras are way more aggressive that the pontas: they turn both in and out substantially more. I did get the lace-ups, and it may be that the velcro pontas are more aggressive than the lace-ups.
All that being said, I'm enjoying the shoes. They edge nicely (the toe box could be narrower), are firm enough to spread the pressure of small holds across the foot, and the synthetic upper is surprisingly soft/supple (almost comfortable).
The yellow is also a cool color.

Hands down my favorite climbing shoe I have ever worn. Its edging is superior. It's heel is excellent. And it feels good. It sizes pretty true to your street shoe. Being lace up you can wear it a little more comfortably or tighten down and get that precision fit that you expect out of a high performance shoe. As long as this shoe is around, it will be in my quiver.

These shoes are great. You can stick to most anything you want with these shoes, great for edging. Even though they are synthetic they do break in over time for a comfortable fit. You'll want to make sure you do something to hold down the odor on these shoes after use. Start using those little deodorant balls that you can put in shoes from the get go. The heel doesn't fit like a glove for me, but I can't complain about it.

I love these shoes. With the lace up u can make it tight where u want it like up in the front. These shoes edge great. But i agree with the person who said they smell terrible after like 2 uses. But overall a great shoe. Worth every penny

The lace up is a very good shoe; does all that everyone else here says it does. Stiff for edging and vertical climbing. But that doesn't add or help much, does it? Nah, the only reason I'm writing is to add some fit data for those considering the shoes. I use a 10 running shoe: in the Defy, good gym shoe, I use a 9. Also a 9 in the Pontas velcro, but 9.5 in the lace up. They all fit just about the same (which is odd), pretty tight, without pain after break in. Translation: you could go down a full size in the velcro but only a half in the lace up, unless your feet are less bumpy than mine. The velcro is much more an all purpose shoe than the lace up. If you're undecided, go for the velcro. Wipe them out when you're done and spray them occasionally with Lysol, and the smell won't kill you.

If you loved the velcro pontas, but wanted something for cracks as well, these are great! I wear a women's 6.5 normally and the 5 is a tight fit, or 5.5 would be flatter, and better for cracks.

This shoe is nice and stiff, providing excellent edging power, but less so with smearing--at least not till the shoe is broken in. The toe rand makes hooking easy and adds some stability and control for the steeps. I wear a size 8-9 shoe regularly, depending on the brand and type, as well as an older model Evolv Bandit in an 8.5 (with the XT-5 rubber). I got the lace-ups in the same size and it fits comfortably, not too snug. It comes with the newer eco-trax rubber which works just as well, however, there's varying reports about eco-trax soled shoes fitting just a bit looser than XT-5 soled shoes. Can't comment on this. One thing I do notice between the Pontas and Bandit is that the Pontas fits my foot better, no dead space like I got with the Bandits. Look into this shoe if you have a narrower, smaller heel or if your heel angle is not so sharp. One last thing...to all those complaining about the smell due to the synthetic leather: air out your shoes, wipe down the insides with a towel if you must to keep the sweat from lingering, and store with some old bounce dryer sheets or a bag of odor absorbing charcoal (can be bought at Home Depot, or similar stores) in it. Believe me, I've done this for over 3 years without any problems.

I've worn these for about a year now and they are definitely an amazing shoe for climbing slabs and overhangs. The rubber on the sole provides great edging support and the toe points nicely for precision footwork. But they do build up a funky smell if you don't air them out or even clean them on a regular basis.

These are great for edging but you can't smear in them at all.I have a very thin heel and these fit me quite well.The rubber is very grippy but wears out fast.They dont smell if you air them after use (dont leave them in your bag or they will eat your feet as with any synthetic boots) Mine smell like daisies:)

All in all a very good boot

It is a pretty stiff soled shoe, edges really well. The lace system is great, very fast and easy to adjust/untie. These shoes STINK like none other, you really have to make sure to let them dry out in the sun, evolv claims it is because they don't use harsh chemical treatments to keep odors down, so i guess it is a positive in that respect. Work well for cracks too. I use mine mostly as my gym shoe as the toe can be a little uncomfortable for long multipitch climbs, at least for my foot. Got to love the color.

Stoked to the bone on these shoes, sized a half size down from street shoe. Get yer climb on !

I love these shoes. I tried out the pontas slippers, and I wanted a bit more support. So I got the lace-ups. They work so well for micro-edging. I wouldn't use them for crack climbing, it hurts my foot to toe jam with these shoes. Also, they don't have the same support as a crack climbing shoe. They are not made for it. They are made for steep face climbing and overhanging routes.