Description
For overhangs and technical face climbs.
- Aggressive shape for superior performance on the most technical routes
- Dual-material upper uses a combination of Lorica (doesn't stretch) and leather (does stretch) in a specific bi-lateral stretch pattern for edging
- Vibram XS Grip2 for serious edging performance, smearing performance, and durability
- 3D cupped hytrel midsole under the toes flows into the high-tension figure-eight rand to help with overall grab
- Full-length laces ensure a precise fit
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Share your thoughts
What do you think of the
La Sportiva Testarossa Vibram XS Grip2 Climbing Shoe
? Share a...
La Sportiva Testarossa Vibram XS Grip2
Backcountry Video
Member since
Do these shoes come with a carrying bag...
Bj and Emily Chauvin
Member since
Do these shoes come with a carrying bag by chance? Thanks.
Patrick Mulligan
Member since
none of the Sportivas do.
The shoe for steep climbing!
jon2718740
Member since
Recently purchased a pair of these shoes and I have to say I'm impressed. I've worn the Miura Lace for years as a sport climbing shoe, and have loved them for their versatility (great edging, smearing, stick pockets well), but decided to try a more aggressive pair of shoes for steep sport routes. After a lot of searching trying on shoes and reading reviews, I went with the Testarossa's and have no regrets. The shoe is the most comfortable aggressive shoe (if you can believe that, but make no mistake, they are aggressively down-turned - think rubber talons), that I've seen. The lacing system allows you to really adjust the fit around your toes, and the toe box seems larger than on similar styles of aggressive shoes. I tried on the Solutions and just couldn't get the fit right - there was always some odd gap or hot spot/discomfort, and I prefer laces to velcro straps on my climbing shoes to dial in the fit. The heal on the Testarossa's also fit my narrow heal better. I wear a 44 in the Miura Lace and went with a 43.5 in the Testarossa's and the fit is perfect (my street shoe size is usually an 11 or 10.5 depending on the brand). One interesting thing I noticed in these shoes is that the edging is just as good if not better than with my Miura Lace, yet, because of the down-turn and focus of power on your big toes, you can really stick small features with confidence. The smearing is pretty good too for an aggressive, down-turned shoe. Lastly, the rubber is really sticky in my opinion. I've used the XSGrip on my Miura Lace, as well as Evolv TRAX rubber from resoles, and have noticed a difference with the XSGrip2. The rubber feels stickier to me than the regular XSGrip, and not as stiff, but not as conforming as Evolv's rubber. Durability-wise, time will tell how long they last, but the construction seems really high quality. The downside: the XSGrip2 rubber doesn't seem to be available anywhere as a resole option.
where could i resole the testarossa's with...
spencer
Member since
where could i resole the testarossa's with the same rubber?
Thomas Ogasawara
Member since
No resolers I know of carry the XS grip2, but if you're ok with XS edge you have a lot of options.
The Rubber Room in Bishop, Rock n' Resole in Colorado, and Tom in Berkeley all have the XS edge and are great. Positive Resoles in Colorado is the only place I know of that carries XS Grip, but not XS Grip2. They're likely your best bet.
I honestly can't feel TOO big of a difference between the XS grip and XS edge, but others I've talked to swear they can. I guess it's really personal preference. Good luck!
Foot Glove
Chase Skidmore
Member since
These shoes are great. The lace up allows you to really dial in the feet. The leather is super supple and comfortable and the rubber is solid and sticky. I switch back and forth between these and the Miura VS. Performance is great in both shoes but the Testarossa's are more comfy for longer routes/days of climbing. I think these smear a little better than the Miura VS.
I currently use the Miura VS and love them....
m holyman
Member since
I currently use the Miura VS and love them. However, my second toe is longer than my big toe so the aggressive fit means I can't wear them for a long time. Looking at the image of the testarossas from the top, it doesn't appear as uncomfortable as the Miuras. How do they compare fit-wise? Also how do they compare performance-wise?
Thanks
Chase Skidmore
Member since
Hi m holyman,
This answer may be a little late but here goes. I own both pairs. I love the Miuras but I have the same issue, my second and third toes are longer than my big toe. The testarossa is a bit more comfortable than the Miuras. The laces help for that. Also I didn't size down as much in the testarossas. The Miuras felt sloppy unless I really sized down in them. You should try a couple of pairs on to find the size but I think you'll love these shoes. I think they perform on pretty close to the same level.
Right now It's the best shoe i've owned.
Paul K.
Member since
- Gender: Male
- Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer
These things just hug my feet and don't let go. I normally wear around a size 8us mens street shoe, and I decided to get a 39.5EU size. I have wider feet, so I tend not to downsize as much as some other people, plus I don't like my shoes hurting so much that I don't want to wear them. I probably could have gone down to a 39EU, but I would probably get 39.5EU if I get them again, which is highly probable. I used them in the gym a lot, which I'm kind of regretting due to the fact that I am now going to need a new pair soon. I do mostly technical face climbs, and some overhang. Absolutly love the fit and performance. The biggest con is the price, which is why you probably don't want them for casual use. Use them for working harder routes on small holds or overhangs.
I'm looking for a new rock shoe and I'm...
Guilherme
Member since
I'm looking for a new rock shoe and I'm not sure which one would be better. I'm in doubt about La Sportiva Testarossa, Katana Lace, and Five Ten Anasazi Verdi. I'm a sport climber and I want a rock shoe for overhang sport routes. So What u guys recomend?
Benjamin
Member since
Hey,
I did climb both, the Anazazi and the Katana Lace for a long period of time. I also tried the Testarossa. My foot fit all three models (not the case with some other brands). I'm a fairly technical climber and use my feed a lot, also on very small edges (smears). The Testarossa is really agressive and THE weapon for hard routes including overhang but might be to sportive for longer routes. Plus its sole is the thinnest of the three models and wears accordingly fast. The Anazazi is a good shoe too but gets stinky pretty fast and streches more than the two others. Due to the velcro it's faster in and out but not as tight. My favorite, current and also next model is the Katana Laces. Absolutely top performance in the gym, on the rock, boulder problems, routes long and short, heal or toe hook. Not quite as aggressive as the Testarossa but unless you are a boulder champion no disadvantage there. I really love it!
Hope this was kind of helpful.
Guilherme
Member since
Thank you very much Benjamim, actually I'd buy the Testarossa but from some reviews I think I'm gonna buy the Katana lace.
Best shoe
Reed Rombough
Member since
- Gender: Male
- Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer
I've demoed all different types of shoes, been to tons of shoe clinics, tested hundreds of shoes and nothing fits me better than this shoe. Truthfully, I despise the solutions and the pythons, and the futuras but I love these, totally different fit and sportiva nailed it. My current pair have seen 3 resoles and they're still holding on. Might just need to get a new pair now though, they're getting pretty stinky. The pic is me wearing them on the perfect limestone of American Fork, UT
My go to for hard boulder problems...
Jonathan
Member since
These shoes look awesome and I climb like a machine in them.
Best shoe put out by La Spa in my opinion.
They have worn REALLY well and I find the lacing system is just as easy as velcro.
I LOVE THEM!!!!!!
Quality shoes
Jason
Member since
I wore through a pair of Miuras and bought a pair of Testarossas after reading the great reviews. Couldn't find them locally so I went with the same size (42) as the Miuras. They felt like comfy slippers as soon as I put them on, so I returned them for a pair of 41s and 41.5s. I went with the 41.5s and generally wear a US 10 mens street shoe. So far I have only used them on an Entre-prises "natural" wall, and they performed well. I felt like I could smear much better with the Testarossas, and could stick to tiny edges much more easily. The break-in period has been a little painful, but expected. I can definitely tell that there has been some stretch, but I wouldn't expect a lot of stretch overall. Little expensive, but they look and perform better than cheap shoes.
Good shoes....
dds5459328
Member since
So I got these 4 months ago. They were painful at first, but bearable. Then I noticed one foot hurting way more than the other.... and then I just found today that the stitching is all messed up on the left foot... I'm, going to return these for a new pair, because my whole toe is in pain... I'll see how my next pair feels. Great shoe otherwise though!
Awesome Shoe!
a3ng25
Member since
Sizing: I wear a 9 in Nike AirMax 2012s and a 9.5 in Sperry Original Boat Shoes. I wear my shoes as tight as they will get without hotspotting. I generally wear socks with my shoes but for the first week or two I usually cant stand to have the socks on with the shoes (break in period). I wear lace up Miuras in size 40 and 5.10 Arrowheads in a 43 (US10).
I wear testarossa's in a size 40 and feel like they fit the same as my other climbing shoes.
This being said, I don't think everyone should size this way. I barely pull these on. They make that suction cup sound when I put them on and off. My room mates gf wears a size 7 street and thinks her scarpa vapors in 40.5 are really tight.
The downturn is awesome. Our gym here has a bunch of overhangs...as steep as like a 60 degree from north (if that makes sense). I immediately felt like I could toe holds better than with my arrowheads or miuras. It wasn't magic, but definitely a noticeable improvement.
Toe hooks arent bad either. I didnt feel like I lost any capability to toe hook between these and my arrowheads.
Theres a V8 under the overhang with a heel hook crux move and these shoes handled it just fine. People talk about the heel giving out on them but I didnt feel they were really any worse than my other shoes. I didnt even tie them up... theyre soo tight right now lol
They have a padded tongue and the shoe feels great barefoot.
These are my new favorite shoes! (although I wish they were cheaper!) Hope this helps!..esp with sizing since when I bought mine there werent many helpful reviews.
Joshua Bruch
Member since
Thanks VERY much for the comments on sizing. I'm a US 10, wear Mythos in a 40.5 (which were initially crazy painful but fit perfectly after a week or so of wear). Tried these in a 42 at my local shop, and they felt house-slipper roomy. I suspect it's either going to be 40.5 or 41 for the Testas. Thanks again for the helpful sizing information!
Awesome Shoe
cra5590701
Member since
If you want a great review on this shoe Gear View does a youtube video on it here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4VsLw1pDaU
My pair does not have a cut out circle on...
dds5459328
Member since
My pair does not have a cut out circle on the bottom. Is that normal?
Thomas Ogasawara
Member since
Is the logo there, but not recessed? because I've seen that before, nothing wrong with it
dds5459328
Member since
yea, that's what, but my older pair is recessed
dds5459328
Member since
What's the difference?
I'm in love!
FlameShogun
Member since
Recently I decided to upgrade to a more aggressive shoe. After several weeks of research, I finally decided on A great pair of Testarossa's. Best decision of my climbing life! I was looking for performance first and foremost. Comfort was far from my mind. I made a trip out to a local gym to try and test out some new shoes. My main focus was on the Solution and the Testarossa. Function wise, it was a very close. The solution had the better heel, but I liked the Testarossa's toe more. In the comfort department, the Testarossa blew me away. I never expected to find an aggressive shoe that was this comfortable. They're no gym shoe in comfort, but hands down the most comfortable aggressive shoe I've ever worn. I normally wear a 42 climbing shoe. I downsized to 40 1/2 for this pair and it was still comfortable. At the end of the day I choose Testarossa.
In conclusion the pros are almost too numerous to list and the cons are negligible.
Pros:
- Awesome toe
- Great edges
- Very comfortable (for an aggressive shoe)
- Super sticky rubber
Cons:
- Heel could be better (not a bad heel. Other shoes just do it better)
- Beware the stretch that comes with any climbing shoe
- Pricey (but worth it)
Chris Duan
Member since
I wear size 10.5 in street shoe size, but want to get these as size 40.5. What are some tips on fit/breaking in?
dds5459328
Member since
So my pair came without the recessed hole in bottom, but with La Sportiva Stickers.... and the stickers came off. Has that happened?
Awesome shoe.
jonathan
Member since
A lot of my buddies at the gym have thees shoes and love them, My climbing partner just got thees last week and I have noticed a really big improvement in his climbing both top roping on the vertical wall, and on the deep under cling of the bouldering wall. All in all It is an awesome shoe and every one i have talked to has loved it and has recommended it to me.
hi I saw your shoes brand on zappos .com...
Jose Delsol
Member since
hi I saw your shoes brand on zappos .com and I was wondering where is your brand from? usa. or outside the usa, could you please let me know.
Gone Fishing
Member since
Jose, about 60% of La Sportiva products are made in Italy and the remaining are China.
T.J. Rutter
Member since
La sportiva is originally a european brand.
Anyone know any key differences between...
brent
Member since
Anyone know any key differences between the Mammut Samurai's and the Testarossa's beyond color?
I can see the heel is slightly different, as is the shape of the rand material, but everything else seems identical. . or at least very very comparable.
James Jenden
Member since
They are basically the exact same shoe, as is the Evolv Shaman. Go with the La Sportiva, I've heard better things about them than the Mammut.
pathos
Member since
The fit is very different from the Shaman.
brent
Member since
I've worn the shaman and I'd say it just feels "stiffer" and twists your foot less. There's also the velcro vs laces difference though.
dan3937447
Member since
La Sportiva is a SHOE company for a reason. There is also a reason that the Mammut Samurai's is 80 bucks. The thing in this industry you will pay for quality. Any La Sportiva shoe that i have worn ive had no complaints. The testerossa and Shaman are very different. The Shamans have a synthetic upper so you will get no stretch. With the testerossa the whole shoe will stretch. There is nothing like wearing a full leather shoe. If you get them sized right they will perfect conform to your foot. The testerossa's are a softer shoe once you get them broken in. The shamans feel a bit cheap to me. In all reality it depends on what kind of climbing your doing.
a3ng25
Member since
It's hard to explain but anytime youre comparing different company's shoes youre talking about pretty significant fit differences. From what I've seen, people that wear evolvs dont wear sportivas and vice versa. Maybe 5.10 & sportiva. Maybe evolv and madrock. But even in those pairings...the way each company generally shapes their shoes is just different.
It's like asking how a Honda and Toyota compare... They're both reliable car company's. Both foreign, Asian, manufacturers. Both have full lines. But there's a pretty clear difference when youre sitting in a Honda vs sitting in a Toyota. Make sense?
Go try them on...but like dan said...Sportiva is a SHOE company. I'm a sportiva fan, they fit my foot... well crafted, quality. I'd buy $175 testarossas over $50 mad rocks every day...and im not rich...
Awesome Shoes!
jmerriner375779
Member since
Pros: Best shoe for shredding, and not sacrificing the comfort of your feet.
Cons: Probably one of the most expensive models on the market.
Thomas Ogasawara
Member since
But worth every penny if you're crushing!
View all contributions... Be patient, it might take a while.

Paul K.
Member since