You might expect a more supportive, easy route model to be stiff and clumpy underfoot, but these slip lasted shoes have quite a soft feel, at least in the rear half of the foot, and this no doubt helps them feel forgiving on the feet. They come in a huge size range too, including half sizes, and in both male and female-specific lasts; top marks to Boreal there. Upper On the whole, always hard to tell after just a few sessions but I’d say it’s not much different to the original Anasazis (other than the sizing). Then again, I thought the same about the new Anasazis, which some people didn’t like apparently. May be my footwork is so bad that I can’t tell the difference 🤣 The Crux features a comfortable, easy access, wide opening tongue, which is constructed using recycled materials. The opposing twin strap closure system provides good adjustment and keeps your foot firmly in place - something that is further aided by the lining, which helps to absorb sweat from your foot. The microfibre/lined combo doesn't make it the coolest shoe to wear, or the lightest - coming in at 510g per pair. Thinking of how to summarise the Crux, the words that came immediately to mind were "all-rounder". It's capable of doing a lot of different things, and doing them well, and if you were looking for a single shoe to do a bit of everything, the Crux would be a great option. Boreal advise to fit in your street shoe size if you want to wear these all day, or to go down a full size for more precision. With a view to getting a bit of performance out of them, without having to suffer in something more aggressive, I downsized from my standard 47/12 to 46/11 (and yes, I've attempted to factor this into my assessment of width and volume). This has helped in terms of precision, and at my lowly level the Alpha gives me all the performance I usually feel I need.

There are however some methods that you can use to determine a product’s quality without needing to physically have it. It's nice to have shoes that I trust completely for climbing but don't want to pull off the instant I finish. They really do combine performance and all-day comfort

The reason the Booster sits higher up the list is partly a reflection of just how soft the rest of the range is, but also because there is that little bit of support - albeit quite minimalist - in the forefoot. This provides a little edging ability, but understandably not too much as a result of an extremely soft midsole. A shoe for small footholds on vertical limestone, this is not. When buying Climbing Shoes, the quality of the product is going to be one of the factors that you really scrutinise before you commit to buying. I'll begin with the things that are similar or the same, then go on to the design features and materials that set the shoes apart from each other.

By streamlining the key features, Alpha provides a durable, comfortable and great value shoe for any newcomers to the sport. Characteristics: The highest comfort level, thanks to its last, the padding in heel and upper, and the complete 3D mesh lining. For long climbing sessions. Fit in your street shoe size to wear all day or in smaller sizes for increased precision.

While superficially nearly identical to the Quantic, the Quantix SF actually have some quite different things going on under the hood On the flipside of this, they are probably the version best suited for bouldering, with a number of features such as the rubber toe patch and improved heel that will be a boon for those in search of a more technical shoe. That said, out the box it isn't overly sensitive, with a stiff forefoot, but we'll go into more detail on that in the section below. Forefoot The Joker's flat last, relaxed heel, and semi-asymmetric toe profile are another key to its success, because this is an extremely forgiving combination. There's no trying to force your foot into something radically bent or downturned, with a heel that aggressively digs into your achilles. The Joker are a supremely comfortable and adaptable pair of shoes that are capable of fitting a wide array of foot shapes and sizes. As per my comments on Zenith Quattro within the relatively recent review of the Boreal Beta and Beta Eco, it wasn't - in my opinion - the grippiest; however, it was, in turn, much more durable. You can't have everything and Boreal have designed that compound with longevity in mind.