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La Sportiva Testarossa Climbing Shoe- Discontinued Rubber

La Sportiva Testarossa Climbing Shoe- Discontinued Rubber

Rating for this product: 5 February 19, 2009

I wear a 42 Birkenstock, so I first bought these in a 41.5. Brutal! I had to return them because they were too painful, and I finally settled on a 43.

At this size, they are comfortable, and I can wear them tied up for an hour before I have to let my feet out. The comfort comes at the expense of having a perfectly fitting heel, so if you plan on heel hooking a lot, you might want to buy these shoes painfully small. Also, as the heel isn't completely covered in rubber, the shoes don't make for the most secure heel hooks, but they get the job done.

The extremely down-turned shoe takes a little getting used to, but it works great for most moves. For me, there was a learning curve with toe-hooking, because of the shape of the shoe. In a few uses, I acclimated to the shape.

These shoes are designed for overhanging boulder routes, and that is where they shine. Getting a toe on a tiny hold in a cave is a breeze with these shoes, which saves time and energy. One can put a big percentage of body weight on poor holds without slipping.

As a bonus, they don't smell.

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