Excellent shoes, not just for overhangs but also for technical face climbs.
I'm mainly a gym climber and gravitate towards technical face climbs. I wear size 9.5 street shoes, 9.5 Evolv Pontas, and size 9 FiveTen Anasazi VCS's. The Pontas and Anasazi VCS are both very snug but my feet start slipping in the toebox when I start to sweat. I don't have that problem with the 41.5 Instinct.The Instincts were a little uncomfortable at first, but after 8 sessions they've broken in nicely. Out of the box, my feet felt like they were sitting awkwardly in the shoe, but after the break-in-period the fit is almost glove like. I may have been able to size down to 41's if my right foot was a tad bit smaller (left foot felt great in 41's).These shoes excel in edging, even better than the Anasazi VCS. No slippage on heel hooks, even with a teeny bit of dead space, there.
✔ Verified Purchase
D
Dominique Woods
February 03, 2025
Size matters
They run small and hurt like hell. On the plus side they’re really good with tiny holds and are lightweight.
✔ Verified Purchase
S
Sarayah
December 21, 2017
First off I have to say I love Scarpa and they fit my feet the best
First off I have to say I love Scarpa and they fit my feet the best. That being said, I do realize that their climbing shoes run a little small especially the aggressive ones. I had a pair of this shoes already and wanted to get another as a back-up pair. They fit well but will take a bit of time to break in. They are leather so they will stretch a little. Overall, this is a great shoe.
✔ Verified Purchase
A
Alan M Monroe
January 03, 2017
Tight squeeze but high performing shoe.
I'm a 8.5 mens and I needed to return these and get the 42s and those are a bit tight, i.e. my feet looked like hamburger when I pulled them out and there was a slight bulge in the laces leaving me to believe I could have gone to 42.5's... I've tried on other Scarpas and I tend to be a 41.5 or a 42 so this shoe is just a bit smaller. The easy and free returns was unexpected and much appreciated.The shoe itself is pretty aggressive and performs well. Great for edging and finding the small chips to wedge a toe in. I like the covering over the toe box which should make them last longer.For the money, I'm quite happy with the shoe and can't wait until it breaks in.
✔ Verified Purchase
Great overall climbing shoes.
Not my first pair of these shoes. The first one lasted almost two years (I interchange them with Instincts). I like the fit and how confident my feet are with them. Likely overkill to what I'm climbing but hard to get rid of it, just overall climbing shoes. They wear well without developing any holes and seems good for second life when resoled.
✔ Verified Purchase
Hi performance rock shoes
The leather stretched nicely and fits my feet really well. The sole is stiffer than most other shoes I've used before but still very precise and sensitive but not painful. I just ordered a pair of the velcro as well.
✔ Verified Purchase
Good shoe but be careful choosing size.
I wear a 10.5US in men's brooks running shoes with a 1/4 inch of room tops. I got the same size in the scarpas. If I had to estimate, I would say the scarpas felt like they were a size 9US. Surprisingly my foot did fit into them, but it hurt too much after immediately trying them on. I sent them back and ordered one full size larger. So for these particular shoes go at least one half size to a full size larger than a normal shoe that fits you snuggly. Although I have not had a chance yet to put my shoes to use, the quality of material and stitching is impressive, purely based on inspection and feel. At this point I can not speak to the reliability of the product, but based on research, Scarpa appears to have a good track record. Overall I would recommend the shoe. I highly doubt you would be dissapointed.
✔ Verified Purchase
