La Sportiva Women's Skwama Climbing Shoe Review

History: I'll be comparing to 5.10 because over the last 15 years, that's mostly what I've worn. Largely due to Boreal ceasing shipping to the US for a while (alas, sweet Vectors), and 5.10 rubber just being far better than anyone elses. I had Sportiva, Boreal, Asolo, and Scarpa that I sent off new to have resoled in 5.10 because at the time, their rubber just wasn't up to par, then I just started skipping that step and buying 5.10s. I also have several pairs of Evolvs that I picked up for cheap. Which are ok, but never better than ok. They feel like 5.10 copies, and break down just like 5.10 copies. But the fit (who has heels like that?) and build of 5.10 shoes has become lacking over the years. Aside from the Moccasyms, which are still a great shoe (and which I just noticed that despite having been made for more than a decade now, 5.10 just jacked up the price on), every other shoe I try on from 5.10 either has a weird heel, falls apart, or loses its shape after a few weeks.But on to the Solutions: Great fit for me. Their rubber is (mostly) the equal of 5.10 rubber. The rubber on these shoes is almost as good. Except when it's cold - 40s, low 50s, which is too bad because those are prime sending temps. It's a bit slippier then. Not a lot. But the comfort, build quality, fit, and performance of these shoes is just head and shoulders above 5.10. Yeah, when I get them resoled, I'll put 5.10 on them. But they're good enough that I'll wait til they need it. And though mostly these days, my shoes wear out before they need resoling (I don't paw around with my feet so much) and aren't worth resoling, these seem sturdy enough that they'll last for a resole. My bud N. verifies that he's had his resoled twice. Which is a plus on a $175 shoe.This shoe is the what the Team aspired to be, except it doesn't take me five minutes to get it on my foot. And, wearing these, I did so much better on the proj that even the spectators told me "it's gotta be the shoes." They're not magic though, so I still haven't sent, though I've been doing really well on everything else in these...I can't tell you anything about the sizing relative to other shoes. I tried three different sizes and kept two (one for regular days, a half-size smaller for sends). Yay free shipping both ways from Amazon and Zappos. Which I guess is Amazon now. I would have bought these at my LCS (or non-local CS - I couldn't find a pair within a five hour drive) for the privilege of trying them on in a store, but the LCS doesn't carry much of a selection anymore. I wear a size 12 street shoe, and in 5.10s anything from size 10 to size 11.5 depending on the shoe (again, wt?...). For these, size 12 translated into a comfy 43.5 and a tight 43. 44 was too big.My bud N. has been raving about these for years. He was right. I shoulda bought them then.

Do yourself a favor and try these on at an EMS or REI before you commit to buying from Amazon or any online retailed. Climbing shoes are designed for all different kinds of feet, and just because these are expensive and recommended by the pros doesn't mean they are right for you.My dad once told me, "A Ferrari owner does not make a Ferrari driver." That is especially true about climbing shoes, and fitting given that La Sportivas are also Italian.With that said, these shoes have a very steep downturn and you might have to take them off in between climbs. That very same downturn keeps you close to the wall, while the suction cup heel is like no other for when you need a good heel hook to send that problem you're working on.I owned a pair of these shoes previously which lasted about a year of climbing in a gym, 2-3 days a week. The toe was the only part of the shoe that showed an exceptional amount of wear. I would have had them resoled but the shoe itself was a little too small and was uncomfortable for all day use. The 2nd pair I bought was a size bigger, which still fit me nice and snug. They are more of a project shoe now, for after I have been messing around with beta in my old Scarpa Vapor Vs. This preserves the life of my good shoes, and prevents me from having to buy another pair of expensive climbing shoes. Which, honestly, they are all pretty expensive.

I wear a 9-9.5 US street shoe but found the 41's fit me best. I don't quite have Morton's toe but my middle toes are the same length as my big toes. My toes also curve slightly outward and these shoes were perfectly comfortable. I've had them for about 9 months, climb in a gym 3-4 days a week and get outside roughly twice a month in the spring and fall seasons, do both sport climbing and bouldering, and have not burned through the rubber yet. They are getting close and I expect I'll need to resole or buy a new pair in the next 30-45 days so I've been very pleased with the life of these shoes. The velcro system allows me to get these on and off quickly and select the tightness I need for my chosen climb. The heel suctions to your foot and provides the grab you need for strong heel-hooks. One of my favorite features is the rubber around the toe. This allowed me to take my climbing to the next level with some technical toe-hooks. These have not stretched much over the past 9 months. Just slightly but for the most part they've remained tight. If you feel you are similar to me, I recommend these shoes without questions. Oldie but a goodie and worth every bit of the $170.Me: 5'11", 170lbs, boulder (V5-V6), sport climber (5.11-5.12), like to stay static but not afraid to cut feet and go dynamic.

The shoe is a little small for me, but I have big feet and the size I need wasn't offered. While the shoe does stretch a little, eventually, don't expect them to expand too much; They're almost entirely wrapped in rubber, which makes them great for clinging to the wall, but not great for stretching to fit your feet. The rubber is very tacky and works great at clinging, but also wears out faster than I'd have liked. A trade-off between performance and durability. The design of the shoe itself is excellent in all it is advertised for.

I've bought many pairs of these over the years. Most are top quality. A few occasionally have a bit of the strap nylon cut too long down into the foot where it's secured in the shoe. The result is a tiny bit of scratchy nylon that rubs a hole in my foot over the course of a few hours of wear. It's pretty awful for an otherwise awesome shoe.

Shoes came with glue stains and threads already popped. General cosmetic issues. Feels like they were pulled from the back of the shelf. Functionally fine. Bought these shoes because I couldn't find solutions in my size, have had skwama's in the past, didn't had these issues before.