Boreal Unisex's Joker Plus Sneakers

Product Information

On the whole, always hard to tell after just a few sessions but I’d say it’s not much different to the original Anasazis (other than the sizing). Then again, I thought the same about the new Anasazis, which some people didn’t like apparently. May be my footwork is so bad that I can’t tell the difference 🤣

When you try on a lace-up shoe, undo the laces completely and then tighten them accordingly from toe to ankle. These shoes do feel more 'old school' than some of the equivalents from other brands, but I think they will work for people that have been used to a more traditionally constructed climbing shoe and particularly those whohave fond memories of less techy FiveTen shoes from a decade or so ago. Have also noticed the dead space / loose material just below the laces. Seems a bit of a sloppy design (for my feet anyway) but not sure it’s an issue for climbing. But I think the Quantic might also have found a perfect niche at an edgier and slightly more budget-friendly end of the range. This is without doubt a really good shoe, with more than enough performance for most of us weekend warriors. Characteristics: The highest comfort level, thanks to its last, the padding in heel and upper, and the complete 3D mesh lining. For long climbing sessions. Fit in your street shoe size to wear all day or in smaller sizes for increased precision.At the heel, Boreal have provided a bit of cushioning, as well as a little textured tread that may offer a token amount of grip on a walk-off. I guess the padding helps with comfort on a walking descent, and it does accord with the old duffer/beginner image of this shoe. But it also seems a bit unnecessary, since you won't need it at a single pitch crag, while if you're walking off Tryfan you'll have brought a pair of actual shoes to do it in. Suffice to say, people who go in for heel hooking are not going to be faring well in the Alpha. That sort of thing is just not their game. Another factor that can be a great indication of product quality is the brand. Brands like Boreal are of course extremely well known, especially for Climbing Shoes. The rubber is Stealth C4 and I personally believe there's nothing better. It gives me the confidence to use the most marginal smears, or commit to horrible slopey volumes indoors. This has been a large contributing factor to Five Ten's success over the years and the NIAD Lace is no exception. The closure for the new Vapour V has changed, and you can see a lot of time and thought has been applied to make it a genuine improvement. Whilst the basis of fastening still comes from two velcro straps, changes to the tongue - and the addition an elastic strip - mean that it's easier than ever to get a good fit.

Alpha features the same super-comfortable semi-asymmetric last as the top-selling Joker model. A low tension rand means there is less unwanted pressure on the foot and the shoe retains shape over time. The unlined microfibre upper feels comfortable next to the skin straight from the box. Sizing - this has definitely changed from the original and is probably the same as the updated Anasazis, i.e. I need to go up half a size. The material the product is made from is often a sign of the quality for Climbing Shoes. Take a look at the product details over at Go Outdoors to get a feel for this. Boreal advise to fit in your street shoe size if you want to wear these all day, or to go down a full size for more precision. With a view to getting a bit of performance out of them, without having to suffer in something more aggressive, I downsized from my standard 47/12 to 46/11 (and yes, I've attempted to factor this into my assessment of width and volume). This has helped in terms of precision, and at my lowly level the Alpha gives me all the performance I usually feel I need. I've used both pairs on gritstone and limestone. Each works, but I prefer the Quantix SF on grit due to their softer nature, and the Quantic on limestone where, at least at my grades, edging predominates. I don't want to oversell the difference - I've climbed in shoes much stiffer than the Quantic (the Scarpa Techno X for example), and shoes noticeably softer than the Quantix SF. But during the testing period I have done a number of routes with a Quantic on one foot and a Quantix on the other, and then the different level of support is perceptible.

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The Engage lace is a medium to narrow width, with a pretty regular volume. Being fully laced, this shoe will adapt to lots of different foot types and you can reduce the volume. However, if you have a wide foot you may struggle. As ever with footwear, try before you buy. Summary: You might expect a more supportive, easy route model to be stiff and clumpy underfoot, but these slip lasted shoes have quite a soft feel, at least in the rear half of the foot, and this no doubt helps them feel forgiving on the feet. They come in a huge size range too, including half sizes, and in both male and female-specific lasts; top marks to Boreal there. Upper At the time I really liked their predecessors, but they now feel quite clunky, cumbersome, and a little basic in comparison, which makes the fact that the new version is actually heavier seem quite surprising (490g vs. 450g per pair, size UK 7 / EU 41). Whilst the fact it's a slipper undoubtedly make the Instinct S a more specialist product, it feels like it has more of a unique selling point than its antecedents, as it's just got that little more oomph. Plus, it looks unbelievably cool. Choosing the right size climbing shoe is the most difficult aspect of buying climbing shoes online - a pair of shoes that fit well will improve performance more than any other bit of equipment you own, and so getting the right size is important. There’s so much information available online when we’re shopping now, that it’s easy to find lots of detail about products like Boreal Alpha Men’s Climbing Shoe. This is of course really helpful, but there’s almost too much information available, so it’s important to know exactly what you’re looking for.

Price – as you’d expect the price of a product can be an instantly recognisable factor on what sort of quality you can expect. Whoever came up with the phrase “you get what you pay for” pretty much hit the nail on the head. Whilst it’s not always the case and there are many bargains to be had, you can as a general rule, expect the higher priced products to offer better quality than a the cheapest option. We’ll dive into the price of Boreal Alpha Men’s Climbing Shoe in more detail in a moment. Other examples exist, but given that these are relevant and recent they hopefully goe some way to countering your claim and should allay anyones fears that just because a brand pays us money it doesn't grant them free license to a good review. New heel rand construction provides a more stable and higher friction zone for enhanced performance on more loaded heel hooks. When you're looking down at your foot, something that's important - but often goes unremarked - is your ability to see where your edge is and place it on the hold accordingly. I would say this is critical, because it allows you to be precise with your foot placements, and no matter how strong you are with your arms, good footwork is vital.

In terms of their sport/trad focus it was quite obvious from first use that you were going to have to push very hard through your feet if you wanted to use or rest on a given foothold. This was obvious even to my belayer who commented on how high my heels and the rest of my foot were raised in an effort to maintain pressure, which was - unsuprisingly - quite tiring! If you're off vertical and into overhanging terrain this is less of a problem, but that isn't exactly what I'd envisaged the Vapour V to be best at. Uppers I definitely do not find the Alpha broad, at all. I think it's fair to say I've always felt Boreal shoes come out narrow. Perhaps it's partly a toe profile thing in this instance, and the fact I down-sized clearly hasn't helped, but on me they are very close throughout, so much so that I cannot imagine a size larger feeling suddenly wide in comparison. If you haven't tried on any of these shoes before then (to recap) the Instinct S, and Instinct range as a whole, sit at the wider end of the spectrum within the forefoot, but the narrower end of the spectrum around the heel. They feature a relatively central toe, so aren't radically asymmetrical, and are slightly downturned. It's quite a forgiving last, which fits a wide range of feet, and they don't have to be worn obscenely tight to perform well (snug yes, painful no).

The achilles heel for most slippers is, literally, the heel; and a large part of whether or not you feel they work for you will come down to how they fit your foot shape. If they fit well, they'll work well, if they don't - they won't. Our recommendation, with footwear in particular, is - as always - to try before you buy. I'll begin with the things that are similar or the same, then go on to the design features and materials that set the shoes apart from each other. This shoe is pitched as an all-rounder. Out of the box, it's an edging machine. It's got a stiff, supportive midsole that stretches the entire length of the shoe, making it a great option for long routes on edges. Over time, the shoe softens up considerably, giving it a new lease of life – its forte becomes smearing, ideal for gritstone or sandstone where you really want to feel what's beneath. That’s why we’ve pulled together this list of key factors for Boreal Alpha Men’s Climbing Shoe below, to help you choose if it’s the right product for you and your budget.

By streamlining the key features, Alpha provides a durable, comfortable and great value shoe for any newcomers to the sport. The uppers are made from lined microfibre, which certainly gives the NIAD a comfortable feel. Five Ten believe the use of this material helps the shoe to 'maintain a consistent fit,' whereas in reality the shoe's shape changes considerably over time. That's not to say this is a bad thing – the Anasazi always changed over time, and as previously mentioned, what this means is that the shoe's purpose changes too: from an edging machine to a sensitive smearer. We’re really pleased to have scored Boreal Alpha Men’s Climbing Shoe so highly, givimg it 9.9 out of 10, making it well above the average for all Climbing Shoes. The Flagship LV has a lower volume, is a bit narrower (both around the forefoot and the heel) and has a lower cuff around the ankle than the original Flagship, but that's not the only change - the sizing also differs (which is definitely something to be aware of). I have a UK5 in the original Flagship and so got a UK5 in the Low Volume version, assuming it would feel smaller; however, I should have gone for the half, or even full size smaller, and I'd highly recommend doing this if it's outright performance that you're after. The Flagship LV seems larger than the full volume version for a given size, and in the future I would definitely go for the plastic bag approach with this shoe to get the most out of its features. Even just being half a size too big has meant that the heel slips on easily and in some cases slips off too. I have really enjoyed wearing a slightly bigger shoe. Warming up in them and wearing them for everything has worked well, plus they've been great for smearing.