One Shoe To Bind Them

By John Young Ranked #201 - Rock Climbing Shoes May 26, 2010

These shoes hug your feet like nothing you've ever worn before. They feel like broken in climbing shoes with padded uppers and with soles supportive enough to walk in. I love these shoes for approaches and for climbing up to 5.9-ish.

The laces to the toes do a great job of adjusting the shoe's fit back and forth between horizontal and vertical work. I have hiked about 5 miles in them and they did just fine. Not too grippy in the grass, and they do tend to get hot, but they hiked much better than I had expected from a "climbing" shoe.

I have had to force myself to NOT wear them everywhere for fear I would destroy the rubber too quickly. And it does wear fairly quickly.

UPDATE: I wore these up Teewinot, Mt. Moran, Grand Teton, South and North Maroon Peaks, Pyramid Peak, and countless sport and trad routes - and I absolutely love them. No complaints. Their claim of hiking 3 - 5 miles in them is right on the money. Any farther and the lack of cushioning in the fore foot starts to bother my feet.
Lastly, after a full summer of use the rubber at the toes is getting thin. The nubs are gone. I may try to stretch one more year out of them, but I am doubtful that they'll make it.

View Details: La Sportiva Ganda Approach Shoe - Men's

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