I’m very stoked to bring you another review of some climbing shoes! Today we're going to be talking about the La Sportiva Solution Comp.
The Solution Comp, new to the 2020 lineup of La Sportiva products, is very similar to the La Sportiva Solution with the exception of a change in design of the heel cup and more rubber coverage on the top of the toe. The Solution has a molded heel cup, which some folks have had issues with fit and sensitivity wise, whereas the Solution Comp has done away with the molded heel cup and has instead opted for a traditional narrower heel that is more sensitive than the Solution. I personally never had an issue with sensitivity or fit of the molded heel cup of the Solution and found heel hooking in the both the Solution and Solution Comp just fine. I don't utilize toe hooks often enough in my climbing and didn't have an opportunity to perform them outside before writing this review, so I don't have much to say about the changes to the rubber on the top of the toe. However, it makes sense that the more rubber there is on the toe, the easier the shoe will catch and hold toe hooks. If you want to see the Solution Comp perform toe hooks, I highly recommend checking out Favia Dubyk's instagram feed (click here for an example).
Similar to the Solution, the Solution Comp is also a drastically down-turned, aggressive climbing shoe that excels on overhanging sport routes, bouldering, gym climbing and technical face climbing. The P3 rand system in the Solution was also used in the Solution Comp, meaning that the shoe will retain its downturn aggressive profile for the life of the shoe. The Solution Comp also features the Fast Lacing System that cinches down with a hook and loop closure, which I know folks have complained about in the past. I personally haven’t had any issues with the straps breaking or fraying on either the Solution or the Solution Comp in the time that I've owned them. As with the Solution, it’s super easy to adjust the fit of the Solution Comp with this system. In terms of sizing, the Solution Comp sizes the same as the Solution.
The Solution Comp’s downturn shape and pointed toe offer the precision needed for bearing down on footholds - which was exactly what I was looking for when I went to Smith Rock this October. A lot of the climbing I did at Smith Rock involved trusting small numbins for feet, which reminded me a lot the climbing at Pinnacles National Park, but didn't feel like I was climbing choss. The Solution Comp, as you can see in the photo above, was extremely confidence inspiring for me while I looked around for a bit for my next hand hold.
The Solution Comp’s downturned shape isn‘t the most pleasant for vertical and slab sport climbing (though maybe if I climbed faster than a tortoise this wouldn't be as big of an issue). I'm a bit of a masochist though, so I would 100% sport climb in these again and again and take the discomfort in exchange for the mental boost of feeling solid with my foot placements.
All in all, I'm very pleased with the La Sportiva Solution Comp.
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