La Sportiva Futura

Type: Aggressive Climbing Shoe

Price: $185 MSRP

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

• Sensitivity – 5/5 Stars. The sensitivity of Futura’s sets them apart from any other shoe I’ve climbed in. Slip a pair of these on and you’ll feel every single little edge in the rock.
• Edging – 5/5 Stars. Edges superbly right out of the box and continues to perform well throughout its useful life. This is a shoe that you can trust to hold your weight on the most precarious of moves.
• Comfort – 4/5 Stars. For an aggressive shoe, this model is surprisingly comfortable. While clearly not an all-day shoe (at least till near the end of its natural life), my testing found the Futura to be comfortable on longer bouldering problems and sport routes.
  Durability – 3/5 Stars. A constant issue of no-edge tech is durability. I burn through a pair of no-edge shoes, whether Genius or Futura, more quickly than edged shoes such as Miura’s. The Futura holds its aggressive shape well thanks to the P3 midsole.

Pro’s

• Incredible sensitivity
• Amazing edging performance
• Comfortable for an aggressive shoe

Con’s

• Expensive
• Wears out relatively quickly

The Futura is one of La Sportiva’s premier performance shoes. Built with no-edge technology, its sensitivity, and edging performance are unparalleled among the variety of shoes I’ve worn. In a pair of Futura’s, you can expect to notice every indent in the wall and feel confident placing your full weight on even the smallest of edges. This sensitivity is a result of thinner rubber (3mm) than most La Sportiva Brand Shoes (4mm) alongside a lower degree of support than the Genius. However, this performance comes at a price. That of durability. The faster wear on Futura’s (due to the usage of XS Grip 2 Rubber and the thinner material) means that you’ll be replacing them a little more quickly than a pair of edged shoes. If your pocket can handle the price, the La Sportiva Futura is a worthy tool for your arsenal.