I was initially skeptical about the degree to which these shoes would be able to handle anything other than big features on severely overhung climbs. However, once I learned to use my edges differently (i.e. there are no edges on these shoes) I was able to climb on small features with my weight almost entirely on my feet. It seems that these shoes must be used in the way that you can imagine climbing barefoot - instead of using an edge and driving the outside (or inside) blade of the toe into a hold, you actually almost smear the side of the shoe against the hold and drop your heel lower than the hold. Imagine edging in bare feet minus the pain. Initially I fell off of small chips (indoors) but it was simply a matter of making a new technique automatic.

Sensitivity, stickiness and the ability to pull with your feet make these shoes some of the best I've ever climbed in. I still have trouble believing that they're going to be durable, but after 3 months of almost daily use they're still looking new (no edges to blow out...).

5 stars.

A second skin. I felt "naked" the first time i tried the Speedsters. Before you can fully take advantage of their features, you need to get used to them.

The sole gives a really weak support, so you need strong feet, but this gives you a super sensitivity, you can feel almost every single feature of the rock under ur feet.

Good heel, kinda similar to the Miura VS imho.

A particular feature i noticed its the rubber of the sole that continues on the toes, this also protects the shoe from the tipical damage that occours indoor.

An excellent shoe, successor to the Mantra S.

Very flexible, very soft, very sticky, it requires strong feet and excellent footwork to take full advantage of. Foot protection is much improved over the Mantra (especially the heel, but there's just better protection over the whole foot.)

It is literally as close to climbing barefoot as you can get with a modern climbing shoe (the Mantra being discontinued many years ago.)

Edging and tiny footholds may provide a challenge until you strengthen your foot and toes enough. The good news is that if you use the shoes, your footwork and footstrength *will* improve dramatically. It will suck at first but the gains are fast and very significant. You will stop relying on platform edges, hard rands, and downturned toes to do your climbing for you. This doesn't mean that you won't turn to the specialized shoes to tackle some challenges, but you won't *rely* on them.

Using a shoe like this will make you a stronger climber, inside and outside. It's not for everyone, and some people very much hate using a shoe this soft and flexible, but the advantages are many and (in my opinion) worth the necessary time to become accustomed to them.

Incidentally, the only aspect I don't love about these shoes is the color. Ugh. :)

I highly recommend these shoes for an all-around climber of moderate to expert climbing abilities. I use them on everything ranging from hard sport routes and boulder problems to training in the gym.

Cons:

- The toe is not as down-turned as most shoes, so using them on small edges is sometimes frustrating. However, I find that with good footwork my feet don't slip very often even when the feet get small.

- The rubber on the front of the shoe is good for toehooking, although with time it starts to peel off. This can easily be fixed with some glue though.

- The shoes are very soft, so when you jam your foot in a crack is cam be pretty painful.

Pros:

- The show is very flexible and the soft toe works very well on slabs and on medium - large sized footholds (basically 99% of feet in the gym)

- The rubber on the front of the shoe is great for toehooking, something that many Sportiva models lack.

- The heel is also very good and I have found that I can use a lot worse heelhooks then with the Testarossa or the Muira VS.

- The shoes are very comfortable and great for a long route or a long climbing session.

- The design is very stylish and you will look good on the wall, regardless of your climbing abilities.

- It is cheaper then many of the top Sportiva models, but just as good or better in my opinion.