Bargain

This was my very first climbing shoe and I have used these for 3 months. I intended to purchase these to test the waters of the hobby, and they are extremely good for this purpose. They have thicker rubber and extra padding when compared to the more expensive, advanced level shoes. Unsurprisingly, as a beginner, you are not climbing as efficiently as an advanced climber would, which means you're often bashing your foot against the walls, and taking foot holds quite aggressively. These are extremely well designed to protect you from these otherwise painful, novice mistakes, until you get better :) Other pros of these shoes are the quality of rubber, the amazing convenience of the Velcro straps and overall comfort. My street size shoe is a UK 9 (EU 43), and I purchased these shoes in UK 9.5 (EU 44) as they were more "comfortable" for me at the time, as climbing shoes can often feel tight. They do stretch a bit (as with EVERY other climbing shoe - even advanced level ones), so in hindsight, I would purchase a size 8 (EU 42), even if they do feel rather tight initially, they quickly stretch out. Overall: Buy this shoe if you're a beginner.

I just got back into climbing after many years. I was renting Scarpa shoes at the gym, then decided to buy my own shoes. But I found myself slipping on some of the holds with these shoes. They are also quite stiff in the sole. Hopefully they will start to break in.

Unfortunetely I had to take the tags of to actually try them out, but they have absolutely no support in the toe zone (it just kind of broke). I am used to other climbing shoes at the gym, and they are absolutely not comparble, also hugely unfconfortable even though I got the right size. very dissapointed. I thought this type of shoe would be fine for a beginner, but I wasn't able to do the problems/courses I normally could. when I switches for shoes from the bouldering/ climbing gym I could dot he problems again, so it was clearly in the shoe. I am very dissapointed, and will go somewhere else.

These are my first pair of climbing shoes. As comfortable as climbing shoes are expected to be. Very happy with them

bought as a replacement when i needed something cheap. these are good for beginners/intermediate but i wouldn’t recommend for climbers beyond that. i used these once a week for around a year and a half on routes, and they have worn down significantly to the point of being glassy. good for people who climb only a few times a month since they wear down fast. they’re alright for bouldering but i find the toe quite wide and not enough flex in the shoe.

Bought these a couple of months ago. The shoes look good but they started to really stretch where the rubber meets the grey material and I can see them ripping in a month's time. Also, either the dye or the lining causes me an annoying skin irritation which after a two hr session becomes a proper allergic reaction. Unfortunately, I will have to bin them.

Good shoe with appropriately snug fit

I normally where a size 12 and it was easy to find in store. I have had issues trying to find shoes that go to this size. I love the fit as I can spend 4-5 hours with groups in these shoes

Purchased for indoor climbing. Pleased with how they fit and perform. Disappointed that blue dye leaches onto my feet - maybe due to friction or sweat. I am hoping this will cease to happen the more I wear them.

Too small. Usually I'm a size 41-42. These are a size 42 and they're too tight. Therefore, badly sized.

I have gone through 2 pairs of these shoes - they are a bargain. I have climbed V4/V5 bouldering in them and 6b+/6c in lead and top-rope. These were my second beginner shoe (having worn several other beginner pairs previouly) and I now carry on using them as a comfort pair and for roped climbing where comfort matters more and I can't be bothered to mess about with different shoes when belaying. This shoe has several advantages for a beginner. Firstly it has a stiff sole with rubber running through the midsole. Stiffness helps to support your weight during edging and means less foot strength is needed - something beginners will lack and will need to build up. Secondly, it has Vibram XS Grip rubber. This is a quality rubber and on the grippier/softer side of the Vibram range. Many of the expensive soes use the same rubber so it's great that Simond have used this - many other beginner shoes use a cheaper rubber. Finally, this has 5mm rubber and a thick toe rand. Beginners will burn through rubber with poor foot work (trust me!), so your first pair won'tlast long. The thicker the rubber the more they will last and 5mm is about as thick as it gets for climbing shoes - most advanced pairs will only have 3.5mm ruber. The Rock+ last me about 80-100 climbing sessions before I get down to the toe rand. Most other beginner shoes have these exact same characteristics for good reason. However they are usually a good £30 more expensive at least. THe main thing that matters is a good fit, so if these fit you, buy them because they are a steal! They are a few poorer features. The heel is padded. This makes it very comfortable but means there is less of a tight fit around the heel. This makes a difference for aggressive heel hooks. That said, the rand rubber covers the whole heel so you can get quite a bit of contact. The build quality is less good vs some of the bigger names. The velcro buckles are a bit cheap, and the rand loosen up and peeled off the fabric where the foot flexes a lot after 3-4 months of climbing. However, the shoes have always lasted me a good year and the rubber will be worn before any of the rest of the shoe wears through, so its not a major problem. Finally there is some poor attention to detail. The rubber has a indented Vibram stamp - Simond don't really care where the stamp goes so there are many pairs where the stamp ends up under the toe. This is stupid because you lose 1-2mm of rubber in a crucial area and can be entirely avaoided if they made these with a bit of care. Same with the gluing of the sole to the base of the shoe - a bit careless in places. I still recommend this shoe despite quality control issues. These aren't shoes you will resole and they will last you a good while and you'll lose the rubber before any of the rest of the shoe breaks. Size at street size for a comfortable fit and 1 size down for a tighter performance fit.