Page 19 - 2016 AMA Spring

but almost everything I tried to climb in these shoes I got up. I’m more a Anasazi Guide man than a Sportiva Muira, and therefore I found these shoes almost as useful on rock as my stickies. Volume wise there is less of the shoe than the others, and the toe is definitely the narrowest of those reviewed, it may well be worth trying these on. As with most of the shoes reviewed here, the Crux costs over £100 a pair, and so I recrained from wearing it “down the pub” and kept it for “proper use”. I think by doing this you get a lot more life out of a high quality approach shoe. The tread on all of these shoes isn’t very deep, therefore they wear out quicker, obviously, if you wear them all day every day. The technical fit of the Crux might not auit some wearers for all day use anyway.
Haglofs Mens Roc Icon GT Shoe
When I first looked at the shoes I thought, “Wow”, they are
very brightly coloured
indeed! This is
probably because
I usually wear the
rather dull coloured
La Sportiva Boulder
X. From the moment
I started wearing them,
people kept asking what they were and how they performed! Probably clever marketing by Haglofs there !
Initially the shoes felt very snug and secure, almost like wearing a walking boot. After a few outings they began to break in and now feel very comfortable. I am not a fan of Goretex lined shoes as my feet usually get too hot. However after wearing these shoes for a week of rock climbing instruction in Spain, I can report that they were very comfortable and that my feet remained cool enough to wear them all day.I have wide feet so tend to opt for boots and shoes designed with this in mind. The Roc Icon was very well sized
for me, even when wearing slightly thicker socks. The asymmetric lacing system provided a fully adjustable fit which was really good.
I usually judge an approach shoe by the grip it provides on sloping rock whilst on approach to the crag. The Rock Icon certainly did not disappoint in this test. The Vibram sole is exceptionally grippy, probably even more so than my normal shoes.
The shoes have a rubber reinforced toe and heel which gives the shoes an armour platedfeel. The jury is out on how long theses shoes will last compared to what I already wear. I have no reason to suspect that they will not last as long if not longer.
The shoes are definitely ideal for use as an approach shoe, but the remit goes further than that. I have used these shoes for scrambling, easy climbing and teaching lead climbing. They were more than up to the job in all cases.
At 1kg a pair, they are not light. They are almost 25% heavier than my normal approach shoe. I certainly noticed the difference when they were clipped onto the back of my harness.
Our thanks to Salewa, Haglofs and Five Ten for providing shoes.
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