Scarpa Mago Climbing Shoes (For Men and Women)

Best shoes on the market?

I bought these shoes because I wanted a more aggressive shoe than the La Sportiva Miura VS. As for sizing, I wear a 10.5 (US) street shoe, 44 (euro) Miura, and a 42.5 (euro) Scarpa Mago. They fit great and the asymmetrical lacing towards the front of the shoe keeps the shoe nicely tight and makes the toe box very responsive. I used them a lot on a recent trip to Vegas where I climbed vertical to slightly overhanging walls with some very small foot holds. These shoes proved to be totally worth every dollar spent on them. Bottom line: they are awesome!

These shoes are not for the faint of heart. They are aggressively down turned, and are highly asymmetric. If however, that's what you're looking for, then you have found a great shoe in the Scarpa Mago. Great sensitivity, and a tremendous amount of toe power make this an excellent bouldering shoe. One thing I would note is that the heel is rather narrow on both the Mago and the Booster. For me this is a plus since my heel is narrrow, but it might be uncomfortable for some. Purchased this shoe one and a half sizes down from my street shoe, and after the break in period I now have a perfect fit. Expect the break in period to be rather painful, but not super long. By my third climbing session I could wear this shoe without discomfort for up to an hour.

My first Scarpa's were the Booster's – And I loved them. Great for steep, slab, face, edging – not so for thin cracks. These Magos are similar but stiffer, break in faster. I got a tip from a friend to order half a size larger than the Boosters and I can't thank him enough. They are narrower and a tad more painful initially – but break in faster than the Boosters and perform miracles!

These shoes are my first pair of truly aggressive shoes and I must say that I am not disappointed. These shoes provide a great toe in ability as you can clearly see from the pictures though I'm nervous about any smearing that may have to be done. I wear a 10.5 US street shoe and originally got the 41.5 (8.5 US) only to find out that I was completely unwilling to toe onto things due to the pain. However, the replacement 42.5 (9.5 US) fit excellently [...]. In the end I would definitely recommend these shoes to people.