Cut to climbing in the gym yesterday. (Here comes my only complaint.) There is bad music playing, I am sweating in my women’s VS shoes, and the tall guy with a six pack next to me keeps spitting when he talks and trying to give me beta that involves just reaching up statically with no special attention to feet. My husband is all like, “You are the love of my life. I have complete faith in your ability to do that move,” and so I’m like, “OK, then. I’ll give it a serious whack.” (OK, he didn’t say that. In fact, he wasn’t even there. He was at work.) In my head I know that there won’t be anything static about this move because that guy is 6 feet tall and I am a 5’1” newt with short arms.
Embracing failure as our best teacher, I am trying this move over and over again. I feel like a spider climbing up the side of a bathtub. All the tall dudes are simply reaching up to this hold where I need a heel hook in order to make it work. It’s a technical, dynamic move out of the heel up to a sloper. And every time I load the heel with my weight and point my toe to get maximum holding power, I feel the heel cup of my shoe start to slip. I am even wondering a little if the shoe will come off.
In the end, it doesn’t come off, and, because I am wearing the shoe as small as I can, I would be surprised if the slippage is due to the sizing. Eventually I scrap the heel and move on to different beta. Maybe this is because the other beta just worked better, but maybe it was because I was having a shoe malfunction.
How often does this happen? Unfortunately for me, it happens often enough, both inside and outside, that it warrants a mention. Is it happening to other people? I don’t know. Dave Alie, who has reviewed the men’s version of the Miura VS, had no problems with heel slip. (You should let us know in the Comments Section below.) So is this due mostly to my narrow heel? Probably. Does this happen in the lace-up as well? I can’t really say—I didn’t become obsessed with heel hooks until after I started climbing in the VS. Nonetheless, the slippage in the VS heel is sometimes an issue for me. So if you have narrow heels, it would definitely be smart to try before you buy.
Bottom Line:
The La Sportiva Miura VS Vibrum XS Grip 2n is my favorite. Until something else comes along with all the Miura VS’s comfort, its technical toe, its versatility, and no heel slippage, I will plunk down the $170 on the counter, grumble about spending that much, and go on my merry, sport climbing, bouldery way.
Great work Marci. Great shoe too. You may remember and you may not, but it’s your fault that I got my first pair, at Stone Age that time that we all scaled the Mongolian Barbeque after. I think it was that time. JE went back for seconds. Typical. But yeah, great shoe. Sticky as hell and the right amount aggressive. It is what the Huns wore, I’m pretty sure. Very well done review.
Yep. That was an historical evening. But the real question, Adam, my friend, is this: Did the Huns barbeque?
Barbecued foes, with Salcitas.
Marci,
That was a fantastically and informatively written review. It is always an on going dilemma trying to differentiate between the extra letters and numbers after a shoe’s brand and name. Lucky for me we have the same exact feet and climbing styles, so I don’t have to drawback in consideration of what if my feet are different. Many thanks to your insight and clarity to the situation.Climb on!
-K2
i got these about 4 months ago. I usually wear street shoes between 5 to 6. and I bought the Miura VS 35.5 and I too was wearing before Anasazi in 37. I am not a fan of the ‘shoes being painful, gotta get smaller size’ feeling. i have chubby toes but i think slim feet, if that is possible. and I still find these are a bit too tight on my 2 toes next to my pinky toe. and my heel does not stay cupped in the corner of the shoe and yes I too get the feeling will the shoe come off… but it has not ever done that. but i do feel that the toe sticks in. i have only climbed indoor with these soo far… hopefully this spring i will see what it can do outdoors…
Great article- I am new-ish climber but soon found my Five Ten Rogue’s were much too soft. I didn’t set out to buy one of the most expensive pairs of shoes (though somehow it always happens that way) but the VS’ were undeniably the best fit for my foot. I am really excited about trying these out in the Bishop boulders. Thanks!