My new favorite shoes.
Much to my surprise, the latest Girl Tested, Girl Approved award goes to La Sportiva’s new womens-specific Miura VS.
I am saddened to say that my beloved pre-redesign, 2008-era Red Chili Corona Velcros — my favorite climbing shoe, which I’ve had resoled over and over and over… are finally on their last legs. Or toes. Or whatever.
Also, I’d rather shop for swimwear than climbing shoes. So the prospect of trying — again — to find a perfect pair of shoes made me Not Happy.
To make matters worse, earlier this spring, I got to fit test models from across the industry at an event at Smith Rock. Based on that widespread try-on of numerous pair of shoes in multiple sizes each, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t actually find a replacement for my Chilis. I seem to be in between sizes in just about everything, and while I can tolerate quite a bit of discomfort to break in a pair of shoes, I can’t tolerate just-plain-too-small.
Enter a sample pair of La Sportiva Miura VS that arrived on my doorstep for me to demo after I admired them at Red Rock Rendezvous this summer. I’d heard about the model at a shoe show from Mike with Pinnacle Sales NW, and then seen it during its pre-release in events.
I was initially VERY skeptical. I haven’t had much luck with La Sportiva’s fit in the past, especially in womens specific models. I have a bit of width in my forefoot, and sometimes their models are too narrow for me and cause pain and/or foot cramps. The sample size (size 37) were a snug fit right out of the box, but not intolerable, and they felt like they would break in just perfectly (I wear a size 8 womens street shoe).
Pretty much out of the box, I sent a project in them and fell in serious “like” for the Womens Miura VS. Here’s me, finally, leading Son of Jesus at Exit 32 in them, on one of their first days out.
I’ve been slowly breaking them in ever since — they are a bit more “aggressive” than I’m used to in a shoe, so I wasn’t sure that my feet would actually learn to love them. After a few climbing trips, enjoying the benefit of the precise footwork these bad girls allow, it was clear that they were worth fully breaking in despite the break-in discomfort.
Now, I’m in full on shoe love.
Details:
- Last: My friend (a dude) who wears the lace-up Miura indicated the last feels different on these; Sportiva identifies the Miura VS as a WPD 75 last, and the Miura lace as a Womens PD 75. I can’t say for sure — but if you are going from the Miura lace to this model, you should try them on rather than presume the same fit.
- Leather upper, with Dentex lining
- P3® with 1.1mm LaspoFlex midsole
- SOLE: 4mm Vibram® XS Grip2
As an aside, said dude friend climbed a pitch at Squamish in my sample pair, and even though they’re decorated with daisies, I’m pretty sure he’ll be picking them up for his next pair of shoes. At Red Rock Rendezvous, I saw more than one guy on the bouldering wall trying them out.
Daisies or no daisies, these are a killer model for lower volume feet and higher performance climbing. The are usefully downturned, though I never expect that to last much past the initial break-in, and La Sportiva went with the new-ish Vibram® XS Grip2 rubber to allow for better sensitivity over the XS Grip Edge used in some other models (more durable, less sensitive).
I have found the XS Grip2 to exceed my expectations: I am more of an edger than a smearer, and traditionally I’ve preferred a firmer rubber and midsole, but this model provides a perfect balance of support and sensitivity.
I spent a day on heinous (to me) Squamish slabs in them, and was shocked at the all-around performance on tiny edges, smeary slabs, and for toe-ing in on pockets and other small indentations.
I like the three velcro strap adjustment — I’ve had trouble with heel slip in the ladies’ Katana velcro, and that’s not an issue at all with the Miuras.
It’s been a long time since I’ve raved about a pair of climbing shoes, but the Womens Miura VS deserve the raves and get two thumbs (and ten toes) up. I’m looking forward to putting a lot of vertical miles on them.
And an edit…
I’ve seen user reviews like this:
“Girls who climb seriously don’t want flower petals on their shoes. I’d sure get a lot of crap from the boys at the crag.”
from women who don’t care for the flower print on the upper.
I’m going to go on record as a flower lover. Pastel pink, not usually. The same blue that everyone always uses for womens climbing shoes, meh. White with cute little black flowers? I’m totally in. I have enough unisex and girl-climbing-shoe-blue footwear.
Thanks, La Sportiva, for trying something a little bit different and hitting it out of the park. And if the boys are giving you crap at the crag for having flowers on your shoes, then go send sick hard-and/or-fun … whichever suits your fancy. And when the guys ask to try your shoes, daisies and all… well… I’ll leave that up to you.
Find them online at:
- Backcountry.com
- Moosejaw.com (on sale until 10/19)
What’s your new favorite of the season? Share your thoughts in the comments!
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been considering trying these. I have the women’s Miura lace up and they’re a little too narrow (and just a little too small in general) I may have to check these out. Thank you for the review!
You’re welcome, and I’ll poke around more on your blog, too!
I prefer the velcro version… the lace ups I think I went down to a 36.5 in (not positive – might have been a 37) and they were just plain too small for me, given the time it took to put them on and peel them off. The velcro in and out makes it more tolerable to break them in.
Good luck!
Thanks for looking at it! I’m pretty new at the blog thing and I don’t know if it’s of interest to other people really at this point.
I smiled a really big smile when I read that comment and thought to myself… it really doesn’t matter if it’s of interest to anybody else…
haha that’s true.
LOL! Love the part about the daisies. I second what you said – bring on the girlie detail!! I’m a girl that wants to climb badass stuff, have great technical gear and have my girlie little details too.
There’s no reason it can be technical and pretty!
Although I haven’t quite broken them all the way in, I am loving the Katana Laces (even though there’s no women’s version yet). They’re the perfect combination of Miuras and Katanas (clearly incorporating the knowledge gained from Miura VS, too). Although I’m still not sold on the heel. Katana heels have always been sub-par compared to Miuras, IMHO.
Have you worn the comparable size in Men’s Miura VS? I have the men’s version and I just don’t seem to like it as much as my plain old lace-up Miura’s, but I’m wondering if it’s a width issue.
After yesterday, running and I are going to need a little break from each other and I think climbing is going to benefit from all that extra time and energy…
I actually came close to buying the Men’s Miura VS, although I can’t remember what size… it was the next closest I could find prior to this model coming out, but the volume was just a teeny bit too much for my feet. The womens fit just a bit closer (as in – I have to crank down the straps on the mens, the womens adjust in a really nice spot of their adjustment) without being too narrow for me.
I’ll be curious to hear what you think if you get a chance to try them, since I know you’ve worn a lot more Sportiva models than I have… I’ve only fit the Miura VS mens, womens and mens katanas, and womens Miura lace in stores; the only Sportiva model I’ve owned before this is the Nago, which is a great shoe for what it is, but for some reason, that last gives me foot cramps even if the fit is 100%…
I think flowers are cool if it’s unique, but when every single piece of gear has flowers it gets a little old.
I just bought the Miura’s and love them. I had tried all the other pairs on the market and had given up. I was wearing my old shoes – almost worn down to the stitching when I caught sight of these bad girls at the gym one afternoon. I figured I try on one more pair…and they were awesome. I was never a fan of the velcro but I’m sold now.
Thanks for the great blog posts and reviews!
How much do the VS’s stretch/break in? I have a pair of the w’s katana’s and am thinking about switching to the muira velcros… the katana’s toebox is just slightly too small for me, and the muiras feel slightly roomier. I’m trying to figure out how I should size them.
THanks for the review!
Sorry for the delay!
Mine have molded to my feet well, but not stretched a lot. They are noticeably more comfortable now than when I first got them, but they don’t feel bigger / roomier. They’re lined leather, so the lining will keep them from stretching the way unlined leather do… I’d say even though it’s lined leather, my experience so far has been that they mold to the foot, but don’t stretch as much as some other shoes I’ve climbed in. So, I size mine snug, but not excruciatingly tight.
I bought the women’s Miura lace-ups just before our trip to Yangshuo, and while I truly do love them, I have to say… Dang. I wish they had daisies. *sigh*
My friend / La Sportiva rep Mike shot me an email in response to the review to clarify that La Sportiva builds a different last for every shoe. Even though the Miura and the Miura VS share the same number last, the VS is “radically more downturned. Trying them shows the difference immediately.”
He seconded my recommendation to give them a good solid real-life fitting.
And I have to add… Mike gets +1 rep points. Nice work, Newby.
Great review. I just bought these shoes and I am in love with them! From the get go I like them more than the lace up Miuras that I’ve been climbing in, and don’t even get me started on the Evolve Evos I used for a hot second. Anyways, I’m glad to hear from another girl that she likes the flowers, because I was beginning to think I was really lame
i have been whanting thease for a wile. i climb v5. i lead 512b.i have the tallen by evovle and i hate them. i am looking at the WMN’S MIURA VS. are they good for boldering i have a big comp comming up and i what new sheus. what do u think?