La Sportiva Genius

La Sportiva Genius Climbing Shoe Review

Price: $195 MSRP

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

• Sensitivity – 5/5 Stars. Other than its sibling shoe, the Futura, the Genius is one of the most sensitive shoes on the market. Be prepared to feel every edge and bit of grit on the wall.
• Edging – 5/5 Stars. Every edge, every time. The Genius is able to produce power well off of small edges and holds.
  Comfort – 4/5 Stars. As an aggressive shoe, one would expect the Genius to feel uncomfortable. However, the Genius performs surprisingly well as a rope shoe and over longer climbs.
• Durability – 3/5 Stars. Due to the usage of slightly thinner rubber than most shoes, the Genius seems to wear out a little faster than normal. However, the shoe does seem to keep its aggressive feel throughout its natural life.

Pro’s

• Very sensitive
• Strong edging ability
• Surprisingly comfortable as a rope shoe despite the aggressive fit

Con’s

• Lower durability
• Expensive

No-edge tech is a hot commodity in the climbing community. The sensitivity and edging performance of La Sportiva’s Genius is brilliant. With a 3mm rubber-thickness (compared to the 4mm standard) and XS Grip 2 rubber, you’ll feel every bit of texture on the wall. Unlike the Futura, the shoe has a little more support due to a 1.1mm midsole throughout the shoe (the Futura just has it in the toe). This, along with a higher volume, leads to a little more comfort while sacrificing slight sensitivity. The Genius also has a very aggressive shape, featuring a strong downturn and very high asymmetry. Due to all these great, performance-focused features, this shoe, unfortunately, does wear a little faster than what you’d expect from a standard performance shoe. Overall, the Genius is a great all-around performance tool to add to your quiver.