Climb safely with the right shoes

[On the cover: Daila Ojeda with Quantix SF by Scarpa ]

From the safety that comes in practising climbing in gyms, to the adventurous charm of an extreme sport on rocky walls of varying difficulty, the difference is substantial, but the common denominators are unique: the footwear must be reliable, comfortable, and high-performing. There are, of course, those for traditional or sport climbing, bouldering, and indoor practice, each of these requires more or less aggressive shoes or with different stiffnesses, more or less flexibility or softness, but the construction makes the difference, especially if it is ‘Made in Italy’, which brings an added value for technical shoes as well as fashion ones.

Francesco Delladio, the marketing product manager of La Sportiva, a company in the province of Trento, is convinced of this: “Climbing shoes are real technical tools, the only help that is placed between the climber and the rock”, he explains. He continues, “The choice and care of raw materials and the experience of our craftsmen in manual operations are what allow the best climbers to overcome their limits. All this complicated, but extremely fascinating craftsmanship, would not be possible were it not for the passion and rich tradition of our surroundings, the Val di Fiemme. Since 1928, La Sportiva has been studying, developing, and producing all the most technical footwear in its catalogue in the fantastic scenery of the Dolomites, and this can only be an added value for a company aimed at mountain enthusiasts”. The Solution model has been the iconic shoe of the Trentino-based company for the climbing community for 15 years, a hyper-technical product that incorporates three different patents that characterise the construction method to guarantee the climber the best performance on any type of wall. Thus, not only technicality and great performance, but also design: so much so that the ‘Solution’ won the IF Product Design Award for the Leisure, Lifestyle category in 2007.

La Sportiva – Solution model

Scarpa, an Asolo-based company specialising in climbing shoes as well as mountaineering, trail running, trekking, hiking, ski mountaineering, and telemark shoes. For climbing, Scarpa proposes the Quantix SF model, perfect to use on crags and on long routes and suitable for all types of rock. It is a shoe with Single Frame technology that supports the foot from the bottom like a hand allowing precision and dynamism and equipped with a dynamic Flexan midsole for a perfect seal both on rock and indoors. To these features are added the PAF system for the distribution of pressure evenly on the heel area and the Vibram sole to ensure grip and stability.

Scarpa – QUANTIX SF

Wildclimb shoes, belonging to the M&M Calzaturificio di Montebelluna group, which boasts over 25 years of experience in the production of mountain shoes, are also ‘Made in Italy’. For sport climbing, the various models are designed on 4 types of climbers based on their ability to use/lift their feet. Microfibres, woven cottons, laser processing, and rubber research are designed to offer comfort and performance.