Mad Rock Mugen Tech Climbing Shoe - Men's - 2010 BCS

Don't really know what to make of the Mugen Tech. They were pretty comfortable after a break in period, and the initial slickness of the rubber wears off quickly and makes way for pretty solid friction on granite and gym walls, but science friction is far from the best rubber on the market. The heel is kind of gimmicky to me. Works great for heel hooking a jug I guess, but for anything smaller it just equates to less rubber in contact with the rock. The heel cup is great though. The dual density sole makes for awful smearing, and the thicker part around the toe becomes disfigured permanently on sharper edges. The hemp liner is a tad scratchy, but definitely worth it since they all but eliminate the odor that usually will plague your climbing shoes. I would call these a solid bouldering shoe, but as far as the mad rock product line goes i still prefer the conflicts...maybe even the flashes.

These things have tiny edge-crushing power, but don't smear worth a damn. Go figure. If you ever want to do well on an overhanging route, without killing your wallet, then get these. Great for toe and heel hooking, with decent stretch and good friction. You can't go wrong with these guys, and while they are rough on your feet like any other shoe, they are still tolerable on longer single routes. Just don't try to belay in them.

I have rented climbing shoes for the past year waiting for a good deal on some really good quality climbing shoes. I bought these at 50% off and love them. The 1st day i wore them was rough as any climbing shoe needs to be worked in, but at this point, I can imagine wearing anything else. I have had them for just over a year, and the toe and heal hooks are still catching every time. I had to tie so many laces, I never wanted to tie again. The velcro straps on these hold perfect every time and dont need to be adjusted, yet they rip open quick when you just got to get your foot out of the vice.

I personally love bouldering and these shoes are amazing for it. They are very solid and have a very sharp toe and edge that gives a huge advantage over a rounded edge like you may see on some other common shoes like the evolv defy's.
They are very tight though because they are lined, so although i normally wear a half size to a full size smaller than my street shoes when climbing, because these are lined i had to go to my exact street shoe size, and even so at 10's, they can lose feeling in my toes after an hour of straight climbing. But i can't complain they are very well designed, it hooks very well, and grabs your ankle very well because of the design. They have yet to smell bad at all, i think it may have something to do with the lining, they smell better than any other shoe i've ever had, and i sweat in these bare foot.

Definitely recommended for the price.