I needed to replace my beloved FiveTen Anasazi Velcros, and was all set to just a new pair of the same, but decided to go to the shoe demo at the local gym to see what else was out there. Little did I know that I would become a Mad Rock convert that night...

First, the negative: these shoes are not comfortable. But then, they are not supposed to be. If a high-performance shoe feels good, you have the wrong size. Over time, I have found that if I don't wear them regularly that they feel like they shrink about a half-size, but they stretch back out quickly. When not climbing, I need to take them off, as just standing around creates what feels like hot spots on my feet.

One other caveat is that I find these shoes are terrible on slab climbing. The edging is still there, but steep angle climbing in these puts my feet in to (literally) unbearable pain.

All of that being said, these things grip the rock. Tiny holds on vertical and overhanging climbs feel much more positive and allow for more confident climbing.

They are every bit as good as my old Anasazi's, but at about half the price. Great deal no matter how you look at it.

Best performance shoe in the MR line. Comes stiff out of the box but eventually softens up perfect. Excellent fitting heal and the best toe of any climbing shoes I've ever worn. This shoe can edge and front point on a the tiniest crystals. I even wear these on Jtree Slabs. The hemp lining does a pretty good job of keeping the funk away. The upper rubber material is also very helpful on those toe hooks. I'm going on my 3rd pair in 2 years but I also climb 3-4 times a week all year long. The price is also quite cheaper when compared to similar downturned performance climbing shoes by other companies.

Mad Rock shoes have come a long, long way... and they're still a very solid bang-for-the-buck, providing some very good performance for less dollars than The Other Brands. They're also quite durable - the shoes are well-built and the rubber does last quite some time. The only downside is that they're really not that tremendously great at any particular task...

Now, I've known many climbers that are fond of their Mad Rocks, and I've owned a set more than once over the course of my time on the rock. Unfortunately, I'm just not convinced by these shoes.

The Demons seemed like the successor to the Super Locos, which were (in my opinion) the turning point for Mad Rock in terms of the quality of their shoes. They're aggressive, they have a radical toe and that ridiculously overdone heel (reminds me of the ol' Montrail Tire-Tread Heel). They're pretty stiff and decent for edging. They also have zero sensitivity, are stiff and numb, and the rubber is (and I'm being generous here) crap.

They don't fit my foot well at all, leaving awkward gaps. The three-strap design worked fairly well for the Locos and, in my opinion, should have provided a much better overall fit. As it stands, they're not a terrible fit - not the worst I've had by a sight - but they're really nothing special, especially considering the pricepoint. The shoes are also not very durable at all - mine lasted maybe 3-4 months before they started falling apart.

At the end of the day, there are much better-performing shoes by 5.10 and La Sportiva for a few bucks more. If you must stay at or below the Mad Rock pricepoint, Boreal is an excellent alternative that has *excellent* toe-boxes and still has that overdone heel that some people simply must have. Any way you look at it though, these Mad Rocks are shoes that most climbers simply grow out of... I was never terribly impressed by them, and continue to be unimpressed.

Great shoe for the steeps. My go to shoe for anything that requires heel or toe hooks.

The Demon has been my shoe of choice since Madrock discontinued the super loco. Overall I think it is a great shoe for a great price. This is definitely a high performance bouldering/sport climbing shoe and I would highly recommend it.

Pros: Comfortable, Precision Edging, Rubber, Cost

Cons: Not great on pockets