Review: Butora Acro Comp

I’ve long been a fan of the Acro, a steep-rock/bouldering shoe with a passionate following. The Comp builds on its low-profile last to create a much softer (hence “Comp”) offering with volume climbing in mind—and that excels at its métier, in particular toe hooks, given the enormous scumming patch, which had me glomming around arêtes and under Kilter stalactites as if I had a tail. The Comps have an almost “gummy,” slipper-/sock-like fit and feel, and close with a high Velcro strap; coupled with the 4mm Fuse outsole, there’s just enough torque for mild edging and precision jib-smedging, though given the shoes’ forefoot flexibility, smearing is their strong suit. The new, 3D-molded heel deforms like Silly Putty onto big features to suck you in—the perfect match for today’s volumes—but wasn’t as reliable on precision hooks. The Arco Comp comes in both regular and narrow versions; Butora suggests coming down a half size off your street shoes. 

$160, hmhoutdoors.com