Scarpa Boostic Climbing Shoe Review

The Scarpa Boostic is a serious high-performance rock-climbing shoe. It’s… AWESOME!!! Comfortable yet high-performing, the Boostic can edge like crazy on everything from low-angle rock to extremely steep routes, and it can also smear pretty well too, considering how aggressively downturned it is. Heel and toe hooking feel extremely secure with a superb yet comfy tight fit and plenty of featured rubber in the front.

This is my go-to climbing shoe for vertical to steep overhanging sport climbing and bouldering. If you’re in the market for a secret weapon to help you red-point your next project, the Boostic is your weapon of choice! After a couple months of consistent sport climbing in the Scarpa Boostics, and during which I climbed routes from 5.10 up to 5.13b, I have to say that it’s the best high performance rock climbing shoe I’ve ever used. Based on my own experience, and from what I’ve been hearing from other Boostic-wearing climbers at the crags, the Boostic (designed by the famous Heinz Mariacher) is destined to be a winner.

I have a medium to small foot, and the shape of the Boostic offers amazing precision with medium stiffness. The toe box is pointy without being too tight, and allows all 5 toes to work in unison, which delivers superior holding power. The boostic is semi-stiff and still allows for plenty of sensitivity. A tensioned rand, which Scarpa calls V-tension Active Randing, retains the shoe’s shape throughout its life. So far my Boostics have not lost any of their downturned shape.

Another great feature is the stretchy material at the shoe’s opening, similar to LaSportiva’s Solution, but better… Sliding your foot into a Boostic feels like wearing a leather/rubber climbing sock; absolutely tight with no deadspace anywhere. The two opposing Velcro straps help you fine tune the exact amount of tension desired, and you’re now ready to SEND!!!

About the only thing that the Boostic doesn’t excel at is crack-climbing. But I use it for any other face-climbing situation, steep, slabby, edgy, pocket, etc. I LOVE these shoes and it’s hard to imagine how Scarpa could improve on this design. Once again, well done Scarpa!