Our verdict
Drifter is another climbing hit from Mad Rock. Yes, they were able to create an edging machine that makes trying out the sport for the first time as comfy as possible. And this is without mention of its budget-friendly price tag yet.
Pros
- Super affordable
- Superb rock shoe for beginners
- Relentlessly grippy underfoot
- Immensely comfortable
- Relentlessly grippy underfoot
- Excellent sensitivity
Cons
- Track and field
- updated Mar 17, 2023
- Long break-in period
Who should buy the Add a product
The Add a product has enough convincing qualities to woo in climbers unfamiliar with the brand. It is a solid option if you:
- Prefer a climbing shoe that makes ascents as pleasant and reassuring as possible
- Prefer a climbing shoe that provides sufficient forefoot traction and underfoot slip resistance, respectively.
Add a product's profile
Downturn. The Drifter is one of Mad Rock’s neutral climbing shoes. Since it is practically a downturn-less piece of footwear, it is ideal for climbs where smearing is hugely required. These neutral rock climbing shoes are excellent for multi-pitch projects.
Applications. Sport routes, bouldering, and trad are the types of climbs for which the beginner-friendly Add a product is suitable. Its set of components grants climbing competency in slots and cracks. It is for both indoor and outdoor use.
Fit
Mad Rock’s Drifter is a low-cut shoe for male climbers. Its interior has a slight asymmetry or curve, which helps the foot to contort inward in it. With time and regular use, its leather upper stretches. The shoe is given a 3D-molded rearfoot reinforcement, resulting in a more intimate fit around the heel. The Drifter’s two-strap closure provides lockdown personalization.
Provides slip and skid resistance
The Drifter from Mad Rock grants its wearers ample slip and skid resistance with its Science Friction 3.0 outsole. Its overall thickness is 3.8 mm. This sticky rubber component is exclusively produced in the United States.
Lasting durability and abrasion-resistant
A 1.8-mm thick midsole is what gives users improved support in the Drifter. It is made of polyester, a synthetic material characterized by lightness, lasting durability, and abrasion resistance.
Easy to wear
The Add a product climbing shoe encloses the foot in its full-grain leather upper. It comes built with a liner made of polyester. Access to and from its plush confines is a relatively swift affair thanks to the shoe’s duo of synthetic pull loops.
Excellent rearfoot support and heel-hooking friction
Covering its bottom section (midfoot + forefoot) is the Science Friction R2 rubber rand, which improves wearers' climbing security. Its heel zone also comes with the unlike reinforcement that grants extra rearfoot support and heel-hooking friction.
Secure lockdown
Rounding out all things upper in the Add a product is the gear’s Velcro closure. It uses two adjustable hook-and-loop straps that rein in the foot and keep it in place.
