Our verdict
The Skwama is an excellent climbing shoe for longer sessions of hard bouldering and rope climbing at the gym or crag. The shoe provides quality support while retaining the flexibility to give you a superior sensitivity in all of your climbs. The Skwama is a rare find with its combination of superb comfort and performance.
Pros
- True to size
- Snug fit
- Excellent heel and toe hooking
- Comfy for a performance shoe
- Durable
- Same brand only
- Flexible
- a combination of comfort and performance
Cons
- Less breathable
- Expensive
La Sportiva Skwama review
The La Sportiva Skwama does everything very well, won't hold you back on any type of terrain, and are exceptional for securely heel and toe hooking. However, the real standout feature of this shoe is that they manage to be excellent shoes while still being very comfortable. I've never climbed in a shoe with this combination of comfort and all-around performance.
Who should buy the Skwama
The Skwama is a little less than perfect, but only slightly climbing shoe that offers:
- a newer, inexperienced climber in this case, consider the
- a combination of comfort and performance
Who should NOT buy it
The Skwama should not be your first pair of shoes. They are an aggressive performance shoe making it the wrong choice for:
- a newer, inexperienced climber (in this case, consider the is worth checking out)
- those looking for superior edging (the Miura is worth checking out)
Top 4% most popular climbing shoes aggressive climbing shoes, which is also an entry-level model.
a newer, inexperienced climber in this case, consider the
I like my climbing shoes to fit snug without being excessively painful, and these fit the bill. I ordered my typical climbing shoe size for La Sportiva and that was the right choice. In relation to my typical tennis shoe size, I go down a half size for climbing shoes.
I found the Skwama fit to be slightly different from the comparable La Sportiva Solutions, specifically a slightly shorter shoe length, and a slightly wider toe box. Despite the differences, I think my typical climbing shoe size was still the right choice as anything smaller would have been too painful, and anything larger too loose.
The shoe is a slipper style and the strap is only there to ensure the shoe stays put. My foot is snug and secure without having to tighten the strap, but I have found the shoe performs better with the strap tightened up.
The heel design on the Skwama holds your heel in without being uncomfortable or overly difficult to put on, which I prefer to the more snug fit of the comparable Solutions. The only drawback for me on the Skwama fit is that I also own a pair of La Sportiva Solutions and they fit perfectly. Excellent heel and toe hooking.
La Sportiva Skwama is easy to break-in
I was surprised at how fast the break-in period was, especially for a more aggressive climbing shoe. After 2 climbing sessions, I found that the shoes were easier to put on and I was able to wear them for multiple problems without needing to take them off.
The Skwama uppers are mostly leather, which means that over time they will stretch out. In the time I was trying these out, I began to notice the stretch already and could easily see these stretching out ½ - ¾ size which is a bit more than normal.
Comfort comes quickly
This shoe quickly became a go-to long climbing session shoe for me due to how comfortable they are. As with all aggressive climbing shoes, I will often need a break between climbs but I found very quickly that I was needing fewer breaks with the Skwama. I’m able to climb for extended periods of time and my feet stay happy. This shoe will definitely be in my bag for the longer days at the crag or gym and I’d even happily strap them on for a multi-pitch climb.
Amazing at heel and toe hooks
If you enjoy using heel and toe hooks in your climbing, this shoe is for you. Full coverage on the top of the toe allows the shoe to be used for crack climbing as well!. I feel confident in heel hooking knowing that my heel is going to be supported, snug, and still comfortable in my Skwama. The heel is supportive and comfortable and gives me confidence wherever I place it.
Sensitive soles
The rubber sole has a cut-out in it and the midsole support system is not as rigid as the Solutions. The combination of these features creates a more flexible shoe that provides increased sensitivity while climbing. Trusting your feet in this shoe happens almost immediately.
The flexibility in the Skwama improves confidence and comfort when climbing more slabby routes. I quickly was able to use the smallest footholds confidently and effectively.
Crack climbing is not off the table
The rubber is quite durable but it is on the softer side. Despite that, the Skwama’s have full coverage, primarily leather uppers and the toe rubber goes up much higher than the Solutions. This design and the comfort of the shoe make the Skwama a solid option for crack climbing.
I’m not sure I’d take these to an exclusive crack climbing area such as Indian Creek, UT but I would definitely bring them to an area with more varied climbing where you will definitely encounter a crack or two, like New River Gorge, WV or the Gunks, NY.
The Skwama offers long-lasting durability
This shoe is extremely durable. I climbed indoors multiple times and have only found normal signs of wear that I would see on any climbing shoe. With good climbing technique, these soles will last quite a while. When they do finally wear out, this shoe can be resoled!
Does not allow for much breathability
The upper portion of the shoe is primarily leather, which does not allow for much breathability. This shoe retains moisture and I’ve noticed the leather is damp after a longer climbing session. Overall, this doesn’t detract from the shoe for me. As a bonus, because the material is leather, the shoe does an excellent job with odor control. After 8+ climbing sessions, over 20 hours of climbing, my shoes still smell new!
The La Sportiva Skwama is expensive
The average price for a climbing shoe is $146. At $170, the Skwama is expensive for a climbing shoe. But compared to other shoes of this caliber, such as the La Sportiva Solution The Skwama is a little less than perfect, but only slightly.
Conclusion
If the Skwama fit my foot just a tad more perfectly, this would easily usurp my current favorite, the La Sportiva Solutions. However, this is definitely a close second and I know many climbers whose go-to shoe is the Skwama because it fits like a glove for them. The level of comfort combined with performance that is found in this shoe is very uncommon.
This shoe will continue to be my go-to for longer climbing sessions. If I could combine the comfort and design of the Skwama with the perfect fit of the Solutions, I think that would be my ideal climbing shoe.
