La Sportiva "Kubo" is an indoor climbing shoe not only for beginners
8.6.2022
Translation: machine translated
From La Sportiva comes with the "Kubo" a men's all-round climbing shoe for beginners and advanced climbers. I have tested him and am satisfied.
Since I first hung on the wall in a bouldering gym three years ago, this sport has never left me. The mixture of technique and strength and the fact that climbing always means short-term maximum load fascinate me. It's kind of stop-and-go, or rather go-and-stop. Half a minute of maximum effort - mastering the boulder or not - then several minutes of rest. And then the whole thing all over again. I know nothing comparable.
In the meantime, the climbing virus has also gripped my daughter and so we pack our bags every now and then and head off to the bouldering hall. Besides strength training and regular tours with the gravel bike, there is (too) little time to improve my climbing skills. Therefore, I will probably remain a beginner for all times.
A beginner's mistake
A beginner's mistake was also the purchase of my first climbing shoes. To understand, you go into the shoes without socks. You can rent these at any climbing gym, but it's kind of weird to step into shoes with bare feet where other bare feet have been. It's like bowling, only more uncomfortable. So three years ago I spontaneously bought a pair of climbing shoes at Galaxus. Another point: these shoes are made extremely small, the toes are really bent and pushed back. In size 42.5 shoes, I have the feeling of having accidentally landed in my 12-year-old daughter's shoes. It is unfamiliar and painful at the beginning.
And naive as I am, I bought a shoe from Red Chili at the time without any prior knowledge, whose target group is probably more performance-oriented climbers, not bloody beginners. A few bloody toes later, I then got me a beginner model of Millet, with which I climbed until recently. The Red Chili uses meanwhile my daughter. The shoe is actually too big for her, but it is comfortable and serves its purpose for her needs.
La Sportiva Kubo: the all-rounder
Now, however, I am no longer happy with the model from Millet. Somehow the shoe is too soft, almost too comfortable. I also tried the Red Chili again for a short time, but it is definitely not for my feet. With him, bouldering is no fun for me. Now comes the "Kubo" from La Sportiva, an all-rounder that could be the solution to my shoe problem.
La Sportiva divides its climbing shoe collection into three categories: Beginner, Allround and Performance. Right in the middle is the 200-gram "Kubo." It is not too tight and trimmed only for performance, but also not too comfort-oriented. That makes it a good all-rounder. You can find more technical details here.
My first impression: fits
This indoor climbing shoe for men is just right for me. As I said, I'm probably an advanced bouldering beginner by now and will probably stay that way forever. To become really significantly better, I simply lack the time. Nevertheless, I like to go bouldering in the hall. And I have with the "Kubo" from La Sportiva meanwhile the third shoe on my bare feet.
The models from Red Chili and Millet that I have tried so far are either too performance-oriented for me or too comfortable in the meantime. The "Kubo", with its combination of suede and microfiber material, including a construction that allows resoling, is somewhere in between. Or in other words: if the shoe fits, put it on.
Patrick Bardelli
Senior Editor
Patrick.Bardelli@digitecgalaxus.chFrom radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.
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