Stingma

tried every shoe in the shop then the assistant suggested these, i hadnt ever thought of going for boreal but they fit my oddly shaped feet like a dream! not a beginner shoe by any means and they really do perform. break in time was virctually non existant, never had the 'too hard' feeling that many shoes do when first worn. i think this is some what due to there being no midsole in the front inch or so of the shoe, under the toe box. this serves to cut the balance between a precise shoe that holds your foot well, and a nice soft sensative toe. not been wearing these for long though so it remains to be seen if durability is an issue.

to counter many arguements you will hear against them, the rubber is good, coming from 5:10 anasazi slippers i notice no loss from stealth. the padded tongue is nice, in reply to the review complaining about it folding over, these shoes would feel odd with a regular leather tongue and the overlap is no more than on many velcro shoes...

I found these shoes to be not all that they added up to be. The rubber wears fast, and after 5 months of constant use the rand was almost blown through. The fit is comfortable and conforms to your feet after about 2 days of use, but stretched well beyond my duck feet over time. I would say that they are alright in the line of shoes, but they are not my first reccomendation.

I found that these shoes are great for smearing, and an overall great shoe, but they aren't that durable. I have had my shoes for only 6 months and they are falling apart, and I am not climbing on an everyday basis (I am lucky to get out once a week). I think since the sole and the side rubber are two separate sections they tend to rip apart a little.

I purchased the Boreal Stingmas as my first pair of climbing shoes. I read somewhere that beginners shouldn't purchase beginner's shoes as they end up purchasing a higher performance pair shortly after they fall in love with the sport, therefore, costing twice as much. This pair excells at edging and smearing. Heel hooks are not a problem due to the solid ammount of rubber and jamming in cracks is bomber. As a first pair for me, the Stingma have allowed me to progress to an intermeadiate level quickly and without spending more money. The only negative is the size of the tounge... way to padded and requires it to be folded over itself for a proper closure (pain in the @$$)... less padding is good sometimes.