La Sportiva Mantis

These are fantastic value, they are firmly in the low end of the price range for climbing shoes, but the quality and fit is excellent. The velcro straps are nice to have instead of laces, allowing for a quick fit or removal when belaying. The padded tongue and soft leather is very comfortable to wear, in fact I generally forget to remove them when I am taking a break from climbing.

It's funny to compare with friends who can never stop thinking about their feet because of the painful fit of their shoes. My Mantis' are a few sizes small for me, but don't cause me any undue comfort. OK they're not exactly down booties, but for climbing shoes these are genuinely comfy.

The rand is nice and high, and the vibram soles are sticky as hell, they smear well and the toe has a nice aggressive slant to it.

So I have to give them five stars, for the price, they really offer excellent value. Not the prettiest shoes on the market, but that's one area I don't really bother about.