La Sportiva Solution

The Rolls of bouldering

La Sportiva Solution

Innovating, it is the least we can say. Once again, La Sportiva proves that its production can design climbing shoes of the highest quality. We?ve been waiting a long time for an innovation of the Italian brand. Even if it had feminized some of its models (Mythos, Katana, Miura), since 2005 a true innovation missed. And believe us, we were right to be patient...

Because the Solution is a total revolution. As soon as we have it in our hands one guesses that this is a climbing shoes no one tried to produce before. We could even stop this article and tell you to go buy it immediately. Unfortunatly, it is there that the pack wounds. The only disadvantage of the Solution is its price. You will have to spend 129 Euros to get it. Perhaps the most expensive pair of climbing shoes of the market? You want a Roll's Royce, you have it...

We can?t complain because quality is really there. 3 months of test did prove us wrong. Starting with the look, nice. Followed by some bouldering sessions in two climbing gyms Bleau and Blok. Two types of surfaces for the same result: it sticks!
The climbing shoe is radically asymmetrical. So cambered that I sometimes had some difficulty to take them off the holds. Effect assured in entry of roofs when you need to stick your shoes the quickest possible on the wall.

Conceived for bouldering, the Solution is manufactured on the basis of a system which ensures a lever action between the point and the heel of the foot. It is the well named Randing System P3® (Permanent Power Platform). The more you push on the edge, the more the pressure on the foot is important. Striking?

We could think that it would be quite useful at Freyr. The problem is that the system is based on the flexibility of the sole. The good behaviour of the foot on a 20 meters route in Freyr seems a bit complicated. At most I could identify some climbers with the Solution on the steep walls of the World cup of Chamonix. We recognize the result of the Fast Lacing System. No laces but well only one ?flying? velcro connected to the climbing shoe by a strap. The velcro acts like a compressor and makes it possible to avoid an undesired movement of the foot like there is in all ballerinas.

On the boulders near Chamonix the recorded feelings were identical. An excellent tension of the foot (see higher). A good friction (the catalogue says about 15% of friction moreover with the Vibram® XS Grip sole (I didn?t see the difference with the previous one). An effective heel hook (with a heel quite resistant and oddly very deep). A maintained comfort (the internal part of the climbing shoe is made up of a membrane of lycra).

I recognize that the list of enumerated qualities is long but the Solution deserves them. Its performance was recognized outside the climbing world by the IF design Awards 2007 decreed at the beginning of year by a jury made up of international designers (main criteria of evaluation: quality and universality of the design, degree of innovation, functionality, choice of materials). What else could we need?

Technical details

+	Precision, pressure of the foot
Use	Pro models for bouldering and climbing on steep walls
Fabric	Sweden leather combined with Lorica®
Sole	Vibram® XS Grip 3,5 mm
Color	Ice/Black
Size	EUR 33 - 45 (half-size available)
Weight	440 grams
Advised public price	129,90 EUR
Info	www.lasportiva.com

Hubert

 

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