User Review: La Sportiva Testarossa

La Sportiva Testarossa
Above: The current Testarossa, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed April 12, 2004 by Jesse

Rating:
Materials: leather and some crazy sticky rubber
Use: sport/short trad/bouldering/indoor
Break-in Period: na

I've only owned these for a couple trips now but so far I love them. I upgraded from zens and the difference is phenomenal. I can smear like none other. I haven't used them on a roof yet and anticipate doing so soon but they grip so well I doubt they will have trouble.

They are very comfortable and in my opinion more comfortable than Anazazi's. The difference is night and day. Don't get this if you aren't serious about climbing, it's truly an advanced climber's shoe. Would do well bouldering. Keep your less radical shoes for those longer trad and multipitch routes. But if you have the endurance you could do a four or five pitch route without much trouble. After that you'd be taking them off on belays.

By the way I have a wider foot but I think if you tightened the shoe it would work well for a narrow foor also. Look for them on sale.