Testing The La Sportiva Theory [Unsponsored Review]
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- Опубліковано 19 лют 2023
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Today, @BeorOng reviews and tests out the La Sportiva Theory climbing shoes!
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Loved this one, you should definitely think about doing more shoe reviews. I'd love to see one on the new Solution Comp, maybe even in comparison to the original Solution.
I have more reviews on my channel, the solution has been on my to do list for a while.... I just have a problem with it that holds be back from using my money to get it myself so hoping for a bit of a sponsorship for that one haha
Congrats in your first V7! Also, I agree that the Theory are amazing for boulder both indoor and outdoors, in my opinion they are better than the Solution and Skwamas since the heel is much more sensitive. Also, I found that the toe patch rubber is waaay better than the toe patch of the Phantoms.
I actually prefer the phantoms toe patch rubber mostly cause I like having a thicker patch overall to cut the sensitivity down, I deffs prefer the theory heel over the skwama...mostly because its thinner so I just know what Im on and not slipping out of it no matter how small. Thanks for the congrats as well but the V7 was pretty soft haha, I'll take it for now but I still call myself a V6 climber until I get my next V7
that side rubber is absolutely amazing on heel-toe cams that's found a lot in outdoor bouldering/sport climbing!!
As somebody that falls into the heavier side for a climber, I didn't care for them very much. The rubber would roll off of dime edges if I put all of my weight on them and I don't really care about doing the parkour style problems indoors. They were great at standing on volumes but any soft shoe would do the same thing. The heel had a little dead space at the bottom kind of like the Solution Comps but my heel fits perfectly in the Skwama and Solutions. I really never found a use for them so I sold them to a friend and switched to the Madrock Drone Comp which is a bit stiffer and is probably the most innovative shoes since the original Solutions back in 2007.
sounds like you might fit more in the narrow camp for foot profiles, so the drones are a fantastic choice, Id also throw in the tenaya oasis or even maybe the evolv shamans
I just got my pair today and have been wearing them at my computer to try and get my feet used to them, I dont expect them to really stretch at all but i hope the at least mold to my feet a lil cause they are tighter than expected for my feet even though I didn’t downsize.
I tested them at a la sportiva event. Both the male and female version. They told me that the female version is slightly softer (the la sportiva employee said that it's missing a midsole element, you said it doesn't have one, so count me confused). I can confirm that the female version _is_ softer as I (now) own both. I was confused about why they do not put that information anywhere. The preference of a slightly stiffer or softer shoe is (imho) not fixed to a gender. So might be worth checking out both.
What surprises me mostly is your sizing however. I have a 39-39.5 street shoe size. My 39er theory are a good ~3cm shorter than my foot on a flat surface. That is pretty much my pain tolerance for short sessions or if I can change shoes (below 38.5 is too painful for even a few steps). My 39.5er are a perfect fit. Really tight, but I can usually even wear them for long sessions. The heel unfortunately does not fit my foot that well. It's okayish (still better than a furia air), but my tenaya mastia are wayyyyy better (I tried both at the same difficult heel hooks and it was day and night). Overall, I love my "Theory"s.
I have the opposite experience between my Mastia and Theory! My heel does not fit completely in the mastia, so it rolls a bit when I heel hook.
@@aracanthe7251 Every foot is different. I think it's probably because my lower heel does not extend too much. So there is an Air pocket down below. WIth my Mastia it sits like a suction cup. My guess would be, that your lower heel extends more, so it's thight at the bottom and a bit loose towards the ankle?
Also since you have the same shoes: What sizes do you have? I took the Mastia in 38.5 and they are a perfect fit (right on the edge of my pain tolerance for long sessions) just like the Theory in 39.5.
@@hidden_sense9839 Definitely, feet are pretty unique to fit. I guess? The air pocket on the mastia are on the sides for me. And personally I have the Mastia in 40 for Theory in 40 (which I guess is why my forefoot in there is quite painful), for a 41 street shoe size.
@@aracanthe7251 ok, wow, that is quite interesting! I guess the Mastia just fit my feet really well, which is why I can downsize them that much. For me, the air pockets are quite substantial on the Theory and also mostly on the sides. How strange!
It uses the P3 powerband system to generate a bit of stiffness. I try and do my research on the shoes as I make these videos. Some sites have the shoe as having a thin midsole while others don't citing the P3 system so when I wrote the script I just followed along on what others have written in regards to it. Regarding my sizing, my US size 7 is definitely my "STREET SHOE" size, which is half a size up from my TRUE SIZE, my feet are a 6.5 exact but obviously street shoe size I wouldn't want them to be overly tight, but I did still size a whole size and a half down overall which has been a good size for me overall for bouldering
I have used them for quite some time for bouldering. Overall they are decent but I wouldn't recommend downsizing too much if you have wide feet. I have made that mistake and after resoling and making them bigger by 0.5 EU size, they actually perform much better. They have not break in too much and hurt even after months (before resoling)
Solution Comp would still be my pick and recommendation for "do it all" shoes if you climb V6+ (I already have 3rd pair)
Solution Comp are slightly worse than Theory on slabs (sometimes) but they are much better than Theory on overhang (and also generally outdoors)
I have also tried Otaki but I didn't like them. I am using Ocun Ozone outdoors and I am considering trying Skwama (indoor and outdoor).
I want to get the otakis eventually just to try as well and the solutions are on my radar but still hesitant on making the purchase myself for now
How did you get the size adjusted? I love mine but the tightness makes toe hooks uncomfortable as hell. Think being 0.5 size bigger would be perfect for me!
@@CamMackay96 It was an option when I have sent them for resoling. The company can make them smaller or bigger by 0.5 size.
these are the best shoes i’ve ever owned, having used solutions, dragos, phantoms and more - it fits my foot shape really well and is great both indoors and outdoors!
heck yeah dude... these are the first shoe Ive actually bought a second time (I own like 13 pairs or so, so that tells you how much I love em)
Have you tried Solution Comp?
@@codyheiner3636 im hestitant to buy cause I know the strap will break (its the common thing with everyone i know who has em)
You mention that you wouldn't use them as your everyday climbing but that's the kind of shoe I'm looking for. Would you say the same thing about the solutions comp? If so, what shoes would you consider to be the best of the best but also durable enough?
I really loved my Theory, trhey were my favorite shoes. Only problem I had, was that they took so long to break in. 8-10 sessions is a really painful long time. I'm currently using the Mantras, and boy are they comfy... They fellt good from the first session, very soft, very sticky. Not as good at edging as the Theory, obviously, and feel a tiny bit less secure on heelhocks, but amazing shoes! Maybe you could revies those too :)
I was looking at the mantras as well! Look like the perfect gym shoe
If theres interest I will do it =], lots more reviews on my own channel if you're interested, we have a special one coming up specifically for climbers crag but Ill be reviewing the madrock drones comps as my next one =]
Can you compare more Theory to Skwama, becouse I've got Solutions and I bought Skwama for comp bouldering but aslo I was intresting in Theory before purchase Skwamas and I would like to know your opinion. Great review
What specifically would you like to know? The theories personally for me trump the skwama, its slightly thinner than the skwamas toe box so it squeezes my foot a bit more. The skwamas have also gotten really soft over time but not the worst. My biggest advantage over the skwamas Id say is that the heel is thinner and because its not a round ball it allows me to heel better on thin edges. Other than that the skwamas were quite a great shoe for me personally as well. Just never needed to change back into them since getting my theorys
you should totally do the La Sportiva mantra or Scarpa instinct vsr next
Seems like there is an interest in the mantra from a few people so might have to throw it in my list, the instincts are deffs in the timeline =]
@@BeorOng the mantras would also be a good choice, I dont have them but I do have the la Sportiva speedsters which are very similar, just an older model
Looks like a great show that has minor improvements that could change the game. Wonder how it would do in cracks where it would be harder to roll out
It is very high volume so it would need a really wide crack to even fit. They'd be terrible compared to any kind of flat shoe that is typically used for crack climbing. Having had them, I never found a use for them over other shoes and sold them to a friend in favor of Sportiva Skwamas and the Madrock Drone Comps. Really the Drone Comps feel like a much more revolutionary shoe than the Theory while being considerably less expensive in the states.
I agree with george on this one, I don't recommend it too much for crack climbing, the toe patch rubber will most likely delaminate as well, me jamming my foot has caused bits of the edges of the toe patch to flake off. My only counter to George would be that the drones are quite narrow so not great for wider feet (currently breaking mine in for my next review )
How much are they going to stretch or break in? I got 2 size down than my street shoe. Same as I've done with other shoes. And they're a bit painful. Not extreme. But enough to not want to wear them long
bout a half size up
They definitely open up a little, and warming them up a bit helps me. My feet are a little wide, so they were painful at first. I ended up wearing them around the house and sitting down while wearing socks for a few hours the first few days and they opened up within two climbing sessions (without socks)
@@theconnorhansen i just naturally do this for all my shoes haha
Question, I bought a pair of La Sportiva Tarantulas which have been great, but after about 7 sessions I noticed that the sole has begun to separate from the shoe. Is this normal because in the video it was said that it would need 7-8 sessions just to break them in.
No, that definitely isn't normal. If you can't return them to the place you bought them from, try contacting Sportiva. They'll want pictures and probably proof of purchase to make sure you bought them new. They have been good about refunding or exchanging shoes for me in the past.
@@TheRightish Thanks I appreciate
George is a legend for answering these questions but yeah deffs not normal. I would get them refunded
Anyone have thoughts on this vs Solution Comp for lead climbing?
Id opt for the solutions for lead, theyre a bit stiffer overall which makes more sense in my opinion, just be aware that solutions have a tendency for the straps to break so id avoid toe hooking on em. But for lead in general Id say opt not for the comp but the normal solutions instead then
In my experience the Theory shoes are almost too soft, I find myself using a lot more energy on routes whereas the solutions can more effectively "hook" onto holds in overhanging routes and feel more secure on small edges. This might also be because I downsized my Theories too much. That being said, they definitely work well for smearing on volumes and look really cool lol (I prefer the color of the women's version tho).
I like using the Theories when I'm messing around on the boulder wall but don't really care about performance. If I am going to redpoint a boulder or a lead route I am going to go for the solutions 99% of the time.
That’s just you preferring hard shoes over soft, it doesn’t mean everyone should listen to this. I find the solutions far to hard and much prefer softer shoes like these. It’s just preference
@@Spyziy that's fair. It probably also depends on the style of climbing you're doing. I typically don't really like comp style boulders so the soft shoes don't get to thrive as much.
The theorys for me are my preferred level of stiffness overall, and as @spyziy said its really just preference. My hi-angle pros and my furia airs were much much softer both of which I don't really care for too much, but I know people who want stiffer shoes than the theorys which isn't a wrong opinion, just personal preference and the style you climb in
@@FtwXXgigady That makes a lot of sense as well. I love dynos and volumes so it makes sense that I prefer soft shoes.
a bit off topic, but what happened to the Dyno compete with Matthew vs Toby and Josh from STORROR? I loved that video and its gone.
My issue is always that I have a regular forefoot and a very narrow heel. Most shoes do not fit me. I'm currently running the updated Katana Lace and with break-in, it's still a bit narrow on the forefoot and a bit baggy in the heel.
The Theories are listed as wider than the katanas, which is probably a no-go for my heel.
try women side shoes, normally smaler heel
I feel like their heel were quite small (perfect for me). The forefoot though is not exactly wide though.
I have same issue. Finally found Unparallel TN PRO LV, try it :)
i wear UP's TN Pro LV
i've got a low volume, pretty wide forefoot coz of bunion & narrow heel. i can't fit european climbing shoe brands too (scarpa, sportiva)
the old 5.10 heels are a gem for me and now i wear UP ☺️
on a side note, evolv's phantom has a pretty slim heel too
@@samchu5335 Several people recommended me to check UP, I'll try some when I get the chance
had to do a triple take, thought you were at my local gym!
Which gym?
@@BeorOng industry Boulders!
@@SiIentAzn haha unfortunately thats a bit far for me, but if you're ever down my side definitely come say hi and lets have a climb together!
Am I the only crazy person who got these in street size? Side note: I have other sportiva shoes in either one full size down or two. My best fitting shoe is skwama two full sizes down. For some reason I wanted to venture into the street size territory for comfort.
I did the same. I think my feet are a little wide, and it took me trying 3 pairs of shoes to get a pair I could commit to breaking in.
These absolutely do stretch out at least a little bit, and by far the biggest help in that is to have them on a heater, which I have been doing before climbing because it really does make a difference. It seems like they ‘warm up’ if you will.
@@theconnorhansen just be careful with not over heating them, all climbing shoes have the rubber glued on so heat can make the glue run and melt and deform the rubber
I actually think that there isnt any need to downsize massively tight for most climbs. Id say the only times you need a shoe with that ultra tight fit is when you have an extra hard cranking heel hook which honestly when you own as many shoes as me, you really just need 1 of them to do that for you which, yeah would be my theorys. But to give it a fair comparison for all shoes I review I always size the same so that I don't comment that "it doesn't fit well" just because I sized different
shoe is great for smearing
but imo too soft for standing on really really small holds, it works but is just really painfull
yeah... you can compensate by having really strong toes... but I do agree with this... I have boostics specifically for those situations lol, and also the shamans have proven to be great for this as well
Haven’t finished vid yet and already want to buy them
If it fits your feet, wont regret =]
Bought them, tried em twice and then threw them in the closet to collect dust and buy a pair of Scarpa Instinct VS. Also on first toehoek with the theorys’s the rubber on the top tore and a flap of it came loose. All very ‘meh’ for the € 150+ I spent on it.
I mentioned this in another comment but the toe patch definitely has that tendency, mine have a few chunks taken out of it but still holding out quite well even after a resole
They seemingly kidnapped @Beor Ong and reposted his year old video 🤣.
hahah ive been their hostage for a little bit over a year =P
the real magic is the red theories.
everyone I know who owns both seems to feel the same.
Agreed. My red pair just died, and I could only find yellow in my size to replace. I’m a few sessions in and feeling like i want my red ones back 😂
Interesting... maybe Ill make the purchase haha
@@BeorOng yeah I don't know why but they just feel stickier and nicer. I guess the slightly thinner rubber on the red ones just make it mold to you foot better.
@@BeorOng as a side note, 2 of the 3 boulders in your vid are in a closed area as far as I’m aware. Maybe not the best ones to post on such a huge public platform 😂
@@KezzadawG andersons yeah, this was taken when the ruling wasnt so clear yet and right main at least on the map looked half in. Unfortunately parks vic only cleared up the decisions more recently with actual naming. Still fingers crossed access is regained someday.. still a lot more projects id love to clear in the area some day
this is sponsored
Please provide a source from where you got this information.
You had a project, La Sportiva made a solution… you still have a project, well this time La Sportiva can only give you a theory.
Is this not just stealing content? This isn’t Climbers Crag video.
They probably paying him, or at least have his consent, but either way they should make it clearer
I believe that Beor Ong works for climbers crag so yeah they probably have his consent
@@jadedsnail3833 I’ve just noticed he had a climbers crag T-shirt on in one of vidoes so must be associated with them somehow. 👍
I appreciate looking out for me man, I do make content for climbers crag and a regular for the team, and we wanted to try out one of my videos on this channel to see the general response to it to see whether we want to make more videos of this nature. I'm working with them for the evolv Shamans coming up and I have the madrock drone comps on my own. Honestly really appreciate your concern again and actually wasn't expecting it. Thanks for being an absolute legend
@@BeorOng No problem bud, just glad your not getting ripped off 👍