Great all around shoe
I have worn the La Sportiva women's velcro Katana for many years. Since they discontinued that shoe, I have resoled my shoes so many times, I'm afraid they can't be resoled anymore. That is when I started looking for a good, all-around replacement shoe. I tend to have a narrow heel and historically La Sportiva has fit my foot the best. I also prefer the conveinience of velcro over lace-ups. First I tried the Skwarma, but didn't like the split rubber in the front, and they seemed to be designed more for bouldering than an all around shoe. The Futuras were just an exercise in pain. Then I tried these and I knew I found my new shoe. They are similar to the Katanas with an asymmetrical last. However they are stiffer and slightly more down turned than the Katanas, and the heel cup is slightly larger. The heel isn't so large it slides off, but I do get a squishing sound if I step on it. I have found that these are more of a precision shoe, so you have to be a little more mindful of toe placement. Not that that is bad- it forced me to improve my sloppy technique- but I wouldn't recommend these for a beginner. I normally wear a size 5 or 5.5 street shoe and got a size 34.5 in these which is equivalent to about a 4.5 street shoe. They were uncomfortable at first only because it needs some time to break in and mold to your feet. It does stretch a little bit since it is a leather shoe, but I would say less than a half size. It took about 6 weeks climbing twice a week in the gym plus 5 days of outdoor climbing to fully break in for me.