Climbing Shoe Review: La Sportiva’s Mythos

Bill Brown July 28, 2008

Like I said on A Note to Newbie Rock Climbers, good footwork is essential to any climber’s arsenal. You stand on your feet all day, so it makes sense that your feet will hold you up on the wall as well. That said, it’s very important to have a shoe that will stick to the wall-even when there aren’t any footholds.

Smearing is pressing the sole of your shoe against a flat, featureless part of the wall, relying on the friction from your shoe’s rubber and the wall to hold you up. It’s a very important technique for climbers to learn, and unlike most of the other tactics known to climbers, a large part of smearing depends on what gear you have.

That said, I’ve got to give some love to the Mythos. After a season of scrambling feet, it’s great to have a climbing shoe that is great for smearing. La Sportiva’s Mythos shoe is a sticky-soled, comfortable climbing shoe that’s useful on any surface.

The Mythos scores on two huge areas-grip and fit:

Grip
The Vibram XS grip is outstanding, as well-it’s like I’m a completely different climber. Footholds that were inconceivable are now child’s play, and I’m finding myself able to smear on most surfaces.

Fit
The upper consists of a stretchable leather that molds to your feet instead of squeezing it into the shoes’ shape, and the flat-toes fit makes it an extremely comfortable shoe. As if that weren’t enough, the laces wrap around the heel to minimize shoe slippage while you’re on the wall, making it ideal to wear on the wall or while you’re waiting for your next climb.

It’s a great all-around option for those of us who can’t afford shoes for every type of climb-comfortable enough not to scare off a beginner, but sticky enough to please the veteran.

VIsit La Sportiva for more info, or take my word for it and pick them up here.

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