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Scarpa helix women's (purple) to ???

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Old lady H · · Boise, ID · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 1,374

My first (and only) rock shoes are finally dying. I have Scarpa Helix (purple) which are 2+ years old, need resoles, and now have a seam starting to unravel. :-(

I'll send those in to resole, but I need my next pair.

Trying on every pair possible, these are what I could get my small, wide feet and high arches into:

La Sportiva: 971 Miura lace (men's), Finale lace (women's), Katana velcro (women's)

510: Rogue VCS velcro (women's)

Scarpa: Origin velcro (women's)

I climb almost exclusively on our local black columnar basalt. Shoes need to edge well, smearing is less important, and, they will take a lot of abuse. I'm climbing much better than last season, but I'll still never be great shakes as a climber. 

All of that said, I set my latest routes in the gym in sandals, lol! 

My preference would be strongly toward the laced shoes. Black (all that velcro on top) is a bad choice in our sunny area. 

Thanks! Helen

Edit to add: I'm pretty much a 37, which ruled out most of the men's shoes.

Bill Czajkowski · · Albuquerque, NM · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 20

Try on a pair of La Sportiva Kataki's if you can. I have wideish feet and they fit pretty nicely. Fairly stiff and edge very well. White lace-up too. 

I've had them for a month or so and have been using them on basalt and, most recently, limestone. I'm very impressed with the fit and performance.

Gavin W · · NW WA · Joined Feb 2015 · Points: 181

Although your local retailer may not carry them, pretty much all men's shoes are available in size ~37 online. If you have wider feet, you're more likely to find a good fit in a men's shoe.

And I'm not sure about the others, but the Rogues won't edge well (really comfortable though!).

Old lady H · · Boise, ID · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 1,374

Anyone else wanna throw in their two cents? I'll be picking in the next week.

Thanks! OLH

Nick Drake · · Kent, WA · Joined Jan 2015 · Points: 651

Miura lace and katana velcro are more precise than the other shoes you listed. If you view the edge of the sole from above the inside of the big toe on the origin and finale is a really large radius, that makes it harder to nail placement of the inside edge. Katana and miura come to more of a point and have a straighter edge on the inside of the big toe.

The rogue isn't quite as much of a radius on the inside of the big toe, but it doesn't excel at edging by any means.

SkyB · · PDX, OR · Joined May 2012 · Points: 0

 I also wear a 37 or 37.5, with wide feet. The La Sportiva TC Pro is like a dream shoe for me, very comfortable after breaking in.  I feel like I could stand around in them all day. Not your favorite smearing shoe but that's not what you are looking for anyway. They are just super pricey and it took some searching to find them in the small sizes. Edge great and super crack shoes!

John Barritt · · The 405 · Joined Oct 2016 · Points: 1,083
Baba Fats · · Philadelphia, PA · Joined Aug 2016 · Points: 0

My first shoes were the Helix's, too.  I might be a Scarpa fan, but the next step up for me were the Vapor V's.  If you like laces, the laced version might suit you well.  They are 1 piece outsoled instead of 2 on the V's.  The XS edge rubber is really durable and edges perfectly.  The fit is, while not similar to the Helix, consistent throughout Scarpa's lines.  The toebox is a bit wider, and the heel is shallow and a bit narrower than average.  The gentle downturn gives you more power, but flattens out for a pretty comfortable all day wear.  

Patrik · · Third rock from Sun · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 30

Finale are actually very soft shoes, similar to Mythos. Good for smearing, lousy at edging, and painful in cracks. They feel really good for a few months, but softens up fairly quickly. If TC pro doesn't fit your feet and downturn-toe shoes are too painful, try out Scarpa Techno X, which is at the stiffer end of climbing shoes (good for edging).  I think these are Scarpa's main competitor to TC pro, but has a very different fit better for wide and high feet. I tried TC pros, but they were too painful for me. You mentioned Helix, which were great fit for my feet, but I slaughtered the seams in less than two weeks doing some crackin'. Yes, the Techno X are almost double the price of Helix/Finale, but well worth the extra $ for durability and quality.

Old lady H · · Boise, ID · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 1,374
Patrik wrote:

Finale are actually very soft shoes, similar to Mythos. Good for smearing, lousy at edging, and painful in cracks. They feel really good for a few months, but softens up fairly quickly. If TC pro doesn't fit your feet and downturn-toe shoes are too painful, try out Scarpa Techno X, which is at the stiffer end of climbing shoes (good for edging).  I think these are Scarpa's main competitor to TC pro, but has a very different fit better for wide and high feet. I tried TC pros, but they were too painful for me. You mentioned Helix, which were great fit for my feet, but I slaughtered the seams in less than two weeks doing some crackin'. Yes, the Techno X are almost double the price of Helix/Finale, but well worth the extra $ for durability and quality.

Lol! A seam is going on one of my Helix shoes after a climb where I was using the tops of my feet to grab both sides of a flake I was shimmying up.

Guys, all these other shoe recommendations are thoughtful, but I only have a few (listed above) that I know my feet can even get into. My son is buying, I just have to tell him what to buy, and I'm not going to take a shot in the dark on fit. 

Thanks anyway! Helen

BTW, to all the TC Pro fans, it doesn't appear the smaller sizes even exist anymore. If it's one you like, and you find your size, better nab it.

Old lady H · · Boise, ID · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 1,374

I am sorta leaning toward the Miuras. They felt quite good, but, it did seem like that sort of shoe might rub on the back, above your heel? Is this a problem with the down turn? Do you just get a callous and it's fine, or what? Or is this going to make me unhappy down the road?

I'll be trying them on again before I decide.

OLH

Baba Fats · · Philadelphia, PA · Joined Aug 2016 · Points: 0

If you're definitely set on one of shoes you've mentioned, the miuras are probably the best bet for your needs.  I've heard a few tales of them falling apart after some time, but that might be as believable as how much evolv shoes smell like moldy dog hair in a hot summer day.  Some people just abuse their shoes more than they are designed for.  If you treat them well, they should work great for you 

Old lady H · · Boise, ID · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 1,374
Baba Fats wrote:

If you're definitely set on one of shoes you've mentioned, the miuras are probably the best bet for your needs.  I've heard a few tales of them falling apart after some time, but that might be as believable as how much evolv shoes smell like moldy dog hair in a hot summer day.  Some people just abuse their shoes more than they are designed for.  If you treat them well, they should work great for you 

Thanks, this helps.

I'll also really look to make sure I tried everything, when I am able to get back to the stores. Stupid hot here, working long hours in the heat is melting what little passes for brain cells, but I hope to have time soon.

Best, OLH

Old lady H · · Boise, ID · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 1,374

I tried the men's Miuras again yesterday, leaving them on for 20-30 minutes, "edging" on store racks, milling around. That sealed it, and the information has been given to my son, who is buying them.

I do like the Scarpa helix purple, and I'm thinking I'll buy a pair a size up from what I have now, while the purple's are still around. Whatever they did to the new Helix besides the color, they don't work for me at all now. 

Once the new shoes are rolling, I'll get the originals resoled. 

Thanks to all for the feedback here, via emails, texts, and in person! It really helped avoid some costly mistakes.

Best, OLH

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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