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La Sportiva Futura vs Genius vs Skwama

Original Post
evan h · · Longmont, CO · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 360

So I'm a big fan of the Futuras as an all-around aggressive sport climbing workhorse shoe. They're especially useful in the gym, where you don't have to worry about loosing precious edge to highly textured walls. Testerossas will always be in my pack, but I'm looking for a new pair to replace my aging and horrifically smelling Futuras, which have been resoled three times. Should I stick with the tried-and-true, or have you guys had good experiences with the Genius and Skwama models? Let's hear the pros and cons.

WadeM · · Auburn, Ca · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 481

Instinct VS - Used them for 90% of this alpine season and love them. Technical slab to overhung diamond routes.

Sorry if that creates thread drift but thats my 2cents

Ted Pinson · · Chicago, IL · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 252

Well, are you looking to stick with no-edge shoes? That would make a huge difference if you switched to a Skwama or other brand shoe. The Genius would be a good option...laces will provide a more precise fit and the rubber coverage is much better. I've been super interested in the Futura, but the one major drawback IMO is the lack of extra rubber on top of the shoes for toe-hooking.

Callum Douglass · · Boulder, CO · Joined May 2013 · Points: 233

Both the Genius and Futura have rubber on theta of the toe for toe hooking. Neither shoe is nearly as good as on the Solution but still much better than the Testarossa. I use Futuras for gym climbing and Genius for steep sport climbing. I have found that the wider, more a symmetric toe box of the Genius (same last as the Testarossa) fits a little differently than the slightly narrower, less asymmetric Futura, but both work well for my foot. The Genius is a little more supportive overall and thus a little less sensitive. They both are far more sensitive than the Solution. I haven't had a chance to climb in the Skwama yet unfortunately so I can't comment on them. I can say that I much prefer the Futura and Genius to the Python which I loved for the first few months but I didn't find it to age well.

I size all of my aggressive shoes very small, 40.5 in the Python, Solution, Genius, Futura. I wear a size 44 La Sportiva approach shoe and a 44.5 Batura mountaineering boot. I almost never bother to lace the Genius because they fit so snuggly and the elastic upper keeps the shoe on my foot. I've only managed to pull them off once in a heel hook. With all of the above aggressive shoes I almost never use the closure methods (velcro or laces) because the shoes fit my foot so well. Their only purpose for me is to prevent the heel from slipping off in very weighty heel hooks. If you size your shoes larger than I do this almost certainly won't apply.

evan h · · Longmont, CO · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 360
Ted Pinson wrote:Well, are you looking to stick with no-edge shoes? That would make a huge difference if you switched to a Skwama or other brand shoe. The Genius would be a good option...laces will provide a more precise fit and the rubber coverage is much better. I've been super interested in the Futura, but the one major drawback IMO is the lack of extra rubber on top of the shoes for toe-hooking.
I should have been more clear. Yes, I realize the Skwama isn't a no-edge shoe, but just curious on early impressions of it overall. I would probably lean to a no-edge shoe, largely because I think they hold up longer with use in a gym.

As far as toe-hooking, I would wager that I encounter a critical toe hook probably 1 out of 1000 foot placements, so this is not a big deal for me (unless I start getting real strong and repeating Dave Graham lines). That being said, I haven't found the rubber uppers to be a problem at all, so give it a shot.
NCD · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2015 · Points: 50

It probably wouldn't help with the wear issue but the Skwama actually has no-edge wrapped on the inside and outside edges with a regular front edge. I get what you mean about wear, my Pythons will look brand new practically but the tip of the toe melts away quickly.

I havent climbed in them yet but handled the Skwama trying to get a feel for how soft it is. I am hoping they will be more supportive and versatile on routes than the Python or Futuras.

Here are the midsole specs. If I understand correctly the Futura basically has no midsole?

Skwama: 0.8mm LaspoFlex with P3®
Futura: 1.1mm LaspFlex (toe only) with P3®

Just for background. I have climbed in Cobras since 2001 then Pythons, Speedsters, and Futuras. I like a soft bouldering shoe for indoors/training but outdoors wear something stiffer. Like mentioned above the Instinct VS is a great shoe but different and best paired with Futuras. The IVS was my main shoe besides the Futuras which are certainly more comfortable and feel less clunky on plastic bouldering.

that guy named seb · · Britland · Joined Oct 2015 · Points: 236

Had a go with a pair of skwarma's yesterday they seem quite stiff, maybe i'm used to my speedsters but they felt stiffer than my friends geniuses.

M Bageant · · Los Angeles, CA · Joined Apr 2014 · Points: 70

I love, love, love my Futuras. Favorite shoe by far.

I don't own a pair of Geniuses, but I've checked out a friend's pair. I just got a pair of Skwamas, but I haven't climbed in them extensively yet because I'm considering if I want to go up a half size.

The Genius and the Futura are both super soft, which makes them comfortable even in a performance fit. The Genius has a different heel (generally better liked than the Futura, I think) and of course the laces, so you can snug it up better. Other than this, I think the shoes offer a very similar experience, with the Genius offering marginally more structure and performance.

I got the Skwama in the same size as my Futuras (Skwama EU38, Futura EU38, Solution EU38.5). They fit slightly larger than my Futuras at that size, with a slightly wider toebox out of the box.

Though they're the successor to the Python, they're more like a toned-down Solution in feel. They took the heel and cut the bulk, made the shoe overall somewhat softer, decreased the downturn, widened the toebox, and added features to improve comfort.

Depends on what you're looking for, but based on initial impressions I'd say the Skwama is a nice alternative to the Solution if you want something that has similar functionality but is more sensitive. It's not really a replacement for the Python and fills a very different niche from the Genius. It feels like they took the Solution and chilled it out.

EDIT: Fixing photos by switching from URL to upload.

Top view: 38 Skwama, 38.5 Solution, 38 Futura

Side view

Bottom view

More flexible than the Solution, less than the Futura
Toebox is slightly wider/more blunt on size 38 Skwama vs. size 38.5 Solution

that guy named seb · · Britland · Joined Oct 2015 · Points: 236

I see no pictures sir.

NCD · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2015 · Points: 50

I agree the Skwama feels like a softer modified Solution and not like a Python replacement which is a let down. I personally don't like the Skwama at all after trying them on in my size. Other people may certainly love them and everyones different about shoe preferences but here are my thoughts...

I don't want to be too critical but there were several things that really bothered me and I think could've been designed better. The materials feel cheap compared to other Sportiva shoes. The ankle and velcro closure bite into my foot and are rather sharp. There is this weird synthetic plastic they used on the sides of the foot opening and the edges are raw and sharp. The velcro strap also doesn't seem to stay on top of the stretchy liner fabric and cuts into the top of foot sometimes. Also, the heel is rather poor. I love Python and Futura heels but cant wear Solutions due to narrow toes and bad heel. The Skwamas had the same Solution like fit on me.

Overall, good shoes for someone who gets on with Solutions but for people who use Futuras and Pythons cause of the fit, better comfort, and overall more balanced sensitivity, these are not going to be too awesome. I do however seem to dig the Otakis though the heel isn't perfect either.

M Bageant · · Los Angeles, CA · Joined Apr 2014 · Points: 70
that guy named seb wrote:I see no pictures sir.
I fixed the photos, linked from a URL that wasn't publicly accessible, whoops!

Also, after wearing the Skwamas for another day, I have to say that they're pretty comfortable out of the box compared to Solutions, except for where the heel rand hits the achilles. The Solutions have a nice little notch made of soft leather there which the Skwamas do not have. At least for me, I think the notch helps keep my heel down in the heel cup a bit better, and definitely improves comfort. But the toebox/midfoot comfort on the Swkama is wayyy better out of the box, at least for me.

Also, yes, the hard plastic on the edge of the foot opening seems like a terrible oversight and is not very comfortable for a "slipper-style" shoe. It hasn't bothered me as much as the heel rand yet though.

The Skwama probably feels cheap because it is cheap...$140 for this much tech in a shoe means the cost savings had to come from somewhere.

Heel rand on Skwama vs Solution

Hard plasticy material on the side of the Skwama foot opening

Solution soft sock/leather for comparision
Brutus Youn · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2013 · Points: 39

I have worn all the shoes listed, Genius, Skwama, Futura, Solution, and Testarossa, and I feel that at least for me the Genius is the best all around performer. The fit of the genius is nearly perfect for me and is the right balance of sensitivity and support. It is a direct upgrade to the Testarossa in my opinion, pretty much everything I like about the fit of the testarossa, but with better toe hooking and lace placement that doesn't make the shoestrings wear out. The Futura I feel is a tad softer than the Genius and is probably the most sensitive, but for me  practically performs almost the same as the genius, just slightly less good a fit as the laces on the Genius conforms to my foot slightly better. Of course because of the velcro it is more convenient for bouldering and generally is what I consider my outdoor bouldering shoe. The Skwama is an outstanding value shoe, great fit and peforms well although the toe box is a bit larger you do lose some performance, however that might just be a sizing issue. I probably could downsize to get tighter performance, but I do enjoy wearing it more because this gives a little bit more comfort than comparably sized La Sportivas. Honestly I would choose to wear these over solutions, they have almost the same performance, but better comfort and no strap breaking on you. Also on the plus side for Skwamas is that they are also fairly durable, considering it is my workhorse pair I've worn it the most it has endured quite a lot of use, due to it being a less expensive and more comfortable shoe, I don't feel as bad beating on them whereas I'm more careful about wearing the genius and futura as much in the gym . Also, because the Skwama is not no-edge it is cheaper to resole. I reserve wearing the futura and genius sparingly and for outdoor sends because they perform best but they are not as durable shoes and do not want to have to resole them too often. 

Ted Pinson · · Chicago, IL · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 252

I still don't get how people break those Solution/Futura straps.  My Solutions are out for their first resole and the straps never showed any signs of wear.

evan h · · Longmont, CO · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 360
Brutus Youn wrote:

...I'm more careful about wearing the genius and futura as much in the gym . 

Interesting, I do the opposite. I feel the no-edge shoe is more durable in the gym. I guess when I want an edge, I want an edge, so I rarely wear my testarossa or other edged shoe in the gym.

So, as a summary to the last year, I did end up going with the Genius. I still have no input on the Skwama, but I can agree with most of what is being said comparing the Genius to the Futura. I do believe the Genius has a slight advantage over the Futura for all reasons mentioned above (better fit in heel, lace-up ability, etc). I wear this shoe 80% of the time, and only whip out my Testarossa's when I really need to edge or especially on limestone. I prefer a stiff shoe on limestone, plus the Genius/Futura toe box is way too big for getting purchase on small pockets. For general overhanging sport/bouldering with reasonable feet (or smedging), the Genius is a great choice. In summary, this is not a shoe for everything, but it will get the job done on a lot of terrain.

John Sullivan · · Portland · Joined Feb 2017 · Points: 0
Ted Pinson wrote:

I still don't get how people break those Solution/Futura straps.  My Solutions are out for their first resole and the straps never showed any signs of wear.

On the early models of Solutions the rivets that the strap runs through would rust easily and become abrasive, eventually wearing through the strap. They changed the material for for the rivets and it's much less of an issue with newer ones

Brutus Youn · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2013 · Points: 39
evan h wrote:

Interesting, I do the opposite. I feel the no-edge shoe is more durable in the gym. I guess when I want an edge, I want an edge, so I rarely wear my testarossa or other edged shoe in the gym.

So, as a summary to the last year, I did end up going with the Genius. I still have no input on the Skwama, but I can agree with most of what is being said comparing the Genius to the Futura. I do believe the Genius has a slight advantage over the Futura for all reasons mentioned above (better fit in heel, lace-up ability, etc). I wear this shoe 80% of the time, and only whip out my Testarossa's when I really need to edge or especially on limestone. I prefer a stiff shoe on limestone, plus the Genius/Futura toe box is way too big for getting purchase on small pockets. For general overhanging sport/bouldering with reasonable feet (or smedging), the Genius is a great choice. In summary, this is not a shoe for everything, but it will get the job done on a lot of terrain.

I hear you about the edge, but eventually edges do wear out fairly soon regardless and you have to end up either resoling a lot or just learning to climb with an edge-less shoe, so I prefer to do the latter. Yeah the no edge shoes tend to get beat up pretty bad outside, but for me the ratio of how often I climb in the gym to outside is so lopsided I like to reserve them for those occasions because I am most likely redpointing a hard route or problem that I care about. Also my gym has pretty textured walls and holds, climbing on them a lot I notice wear is pretty significant unless you have really quiet feet, it's a heck of an incentive to get better foot technique... I remember when I first started out my foot placements were so harsh my shoes started getting holes in less than a month, that gets expensive really quick... 

Jesse van der Heijden · · Nijmegen · Joined Jul 2017 · Points: 0
Brutus Youn wrote:

I hear you about the edge, but eventually edges do wear out fairly soon regardless and you have to end up either resoling a lot or just learning to climb with an edge-less shoe, so I prefer to do the latter. Yeah the no edge shoes tend to get beat up pretty bad outside, but for me the ratio of how often I climb in the gym to outside is so lopsided I like to reserve them for those occasions because I am most likely redpointing a hard route or problem that I care about. Also my gym has pretty textured walls and holds, climbing on them a lot I notice wear is pretty significant unless you have really quiet feet, it's a heck of an incentive to get better foot technique... I remember when I first started out my foot placements were so harsh my shoes started getting holes in less than a month, that gets expensive really quick... 

In which size do you have your Skwama's compared to the Futura's?

David K · · The Road, Sometimes Chattan… · Joined Jan 2017 · Points: 423

I'm not sure where people tried their Geniuses, but I'd like to add that the no-edge shoes didn't click for me until I used them outside. Indoor climbs just don't have the miniscule features where the molding properties of the no-edge shoes really give an advantage. The first time I took my Geniuses out I found myself standing on what in other shoes would have been blank-face smears. But indoors they're just a regular downturned shoe, the only difference maybe being they're slightly more comfortable.

John Sullivan · · Portland · Joined Feb 2017 · Points: 0
Jesse van der Heijden wrote:

In which size do you have your Skwama's compared to the Futura's?

I size Skwama's and Futuras the same, and Genius' a half size larger

Brutus Youn · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2013 · Points: 39
Jesse van der Heijden wrote:

In which size do you have your Skwama's compared to the Futura's?

I got them the same size, but Skwamas are slightly larger around the toe box compared to other LaSportivas, probably safe to go 1/2 Euro size down, unless you want a looser fit.

Dan Austin · · San Francisco, CA · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 0

FWIW, I just got my first pair of Geniuses, and they fit great at size 40.5 -- extremely tight and need to be taken off pretty much immediately when not climbing, but for a high performance boot I wouldn't want to have gone any looser. I have worn Miura Laces for the past ~10 years, size 41 is comfortable but tight and what I wear the majority of the time, though I also have downsized to 40 for a little extra snugness. 

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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