These shoes wer phased out for a good reason. I don't like them at all. I made a mistake by purchasing them on impulse.

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Boreal Indo, La Sportiva Ghibli, Flip-flop slippers

These shoes are great! Though they are weirdly shaped, I was surprised at how well they fit, though I have to agree with other reviewers, they're not really a beginner shoe; unless your foot is used to being that kind of position for long periods of time (aka you have strong foot muscles) these shoes can quickly cause cramps under the arch. you get used to it though. These shoes are great for steep and vertical climbing, I simply haven't found a better shoe for that. My one and only complaint is their smearing capabilities which is limited at best. Most of the climbing around here is slabby and smearing is imperative. You can smear with these, but unlike most shoes, you have to come in from the side rather than straight on. also i find that i have to constantly take them off after every couple pitches or so because of the inevitable cramps, but they're not too bad. they're great for cracks, moab's stuff, and most everything else. a great shoe!

Customer Service

none needed

Similar Products Used:

other la sportiva shoes with a smattering in each company's products here and there

None

The Mirage is an incredible shoe. It is a great shame that La Sportiva have decided to discontinue them. They fit my feet like a glove. Inside and outside edging is precise and powerful. They are a sensitive and very focused shoe. Heel hooking in them is also very good and the lacing system helps this. Because of the shape of the sole, I find that I smear in them a little differently to other shoes. But still find a way to do it effectively. On thin faces and overhangs, this shoe is in a class of its own.

Customer Service

Their email customer service has been very helpful, friendly and prompt.

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La Sportiva Cobra 5.10 Anasazi Scarpa Paranoia

WOW! I have never seen a shoe, that made such a difference in extreme routes. EXCELLENT for those overhangs, A bit screwey on the heel side, but oter than that SUPERB overhang climbing shoe. Also works perfectly indoors, especially in the roofs. This shoe is so good, that my first pair got stollen in the first month.

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Boreal Stinger

What a strang shoe, but if you have a high arch, it's a great shoe. I only use this shoe indoors because it is totally impractical for outdoor use, except maybe single pitch sport routes. This shoe definitely takes some breaking in and rubbed big sores on the top of my big toes for a while. But now they fit like a glove. You can toe into little pockets, edge and smear on anything. But you look like a duck if you try to walk in them.

Similar Products Used:

Boreal, Five Ten

I'm just a beginner but I bought these because they were relatively cheaper then the other brands here in the land of limited availablity and (the Philippines), and more importantly, they had my size. I was aware that they're always had good reviews, and as such felt lucky to get them. Man, those reviews were dead on. They stick to your feet like glue (great lacing system) and get into every nook and cranny you get get your toe on. I was literally climbing the walls in my house, standing on hinges, bricks and window sills. Only common sense stopped me from attemting the same outside and climbing to the roof. They feel like hell on a flat floor though, where they're probably as comfortable as ballet shoes or the bindings they used to make little chinese girls wear on their feet. Lacing and relacing them is a hassle, but you have to do it again and again when your in the gym.

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rental gym shoes of probable ill-repute and doubtful history that looked like a cross between converse jack purcells and a retreaded automobile tire

Well, I was looking for a shoe that did not come to a point at the toe to create its tight fit like the boreal aces do cuz these kinds of shoes always enflame my bunion and I wante something super sensitive. As tortuous as the shoe looks, it actually was extremely comfortable for my wide toe-box need and excedingly tight not side to side but from to back, so that when I flexed into the downcurve of the shoe when I was toe-ing inside or out it stuck like mad. You can feel EVERYTHING in these shoes, sometimes too much if you are outside trad climbing and standing on a sharp edge: it can hurt and your foot/calf can get tired because these shoes are like strapping supertight superthin rubber right to your feet.

People look at you little funny when you waddle up to the climb, but that all changes when you have to smear blank face or toe down onto hold under big hangs. You'll be like, "Oh my god, I just stood up on nothing."

You CAN'T wear these shoes all day at the crags, you can climb really hard stuff in them and they'll give you a contact with the rock that is superb.

I've worn through my second pair already and if you are heading into 11 and above climbing you should try these on. The downfalls of the shoe, besides the fact that you can't wear them as an all-round outdoor shoe (you can take them off after every pitch though), are the following: 1) they don't edge on tiny chips on the inside of the big toe all that well--there's a little too much space there and you'll find yourself smearing with your front toes on it instead (outside edging is superb, however) 2) they are so thin (you'll love it) that they wear out rather quickly (bummer) and it's hard to find someone who is comfortable resoling it.

After using only the mirage for the last year I'm actually looking for a more comfy-for-long-days shoe to complement them. Still, I love 'em to death.

Similar Products Used:

None

This is definitely NOT a beginner climbing shoe by any stretch of the imagination. The Mirage has little foot support for sensitivity, so strong foot muscles are required for effective use of these shoes. The Mirage excels in steeply overhanging routes where the camber (the funky shape) of the shoe positions the foot in the perfect position for toeing in to small pockets and outside edging on thin features. On rock that is anything less than vertical it is terrible and flimsy, but the second the rock gets steep you can hook and grab and push on little nubbins with surprising accuracy and power. Once again, this is not a beginner shoe, and the Mirage was not designed for anything other than steep rock, but I still gave it a five-star rating because it excels where it was focused to excel. Great Shoe!

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Boreal Ace
Boreal Vector
Boreal Ballet
La Sportiva Miura
5-10 Newton
etc...