2009 Shoe Review - August 2009

Scarpa Force

$125, scarpa.com
The Force is designed for comfort, durability, and all-around performance; our testers agreed that the shoe, with a symmetric, flat last, lined suede/synthetic upper, and 4mm Vibram XS Grip sole, delivers. One tester wore them at Indian Creek, finding the narrow toe made the Force his thin-crack favorite; another tester sized them large for moderate bouldering at Hueco Tanks; and yet another wore them with socks for long routes in Eldorado Canyon. Our only complaint was the two Velcro straps not reaching quite far enough down the toe box.
Ideal Uses: Moderates, multi-pitch, cracks.
Bottom Line: Above average at everything but the super-steeps. Remarkable versatility and comfort.

Scarpa Veloce

$109, scarpa.com
The Veloce is a comfortable two-strap Velcro with a flat, symmetric last and durable 5mm Vibram XS Grip sole. (This thicker-than-average width was a bit clunky until after break-in, when the Veloce became a solid edger.) With a cozy, unlined suede upper that stretches generously, the Veloce is geared toward novice/ intermediate climbers, though the straps are sited too far from the toe box for performance tightening. No matter — the Veloce is meant as an all-day comfortable kick, where pampering is key.
Ideal Uses: Multi-pitch climbs, beginning/intermediate climbers.
Bottom Line: Comfortable, durable, middle-ofthe- road shoe.