The innovative design continues over the top of the foot, without the laces providing a completely sock-like feel to the shoe without compromising on its toe-hooking capabilities – the shoe can perform on marginal scums without the outside of the foot as well as deeper toe hooks that wrap much of the top of the shoe. The result is a superior version of the No-Edge technology in the La Sportiva range – a grip that is at the same time precise and sticky. But it’s the interaction between the rubber and the toe that makes this shoe so remarkable.Īs the rubber compresses under weight, the initially sharp edge under the big toe deforms onto small footholds, creating what has been referred to as a ‘smedge’ – an edge that also smears onto the rock. The toe itself is blunted, with the shape roughly mirroring that of your actual foot ie wider and flat around the top of the big toe, then tapering back in a smooth curve. The key to their success is in the toe, although in reality the toe gets its incredible performance from a unique rand, made up of eight individual strips that, when the laces are tightened, create amazing tension from the toe all the way through the midfoot and right round the back of the heel. SCARPA Chimera is a climbing shoe, evolution of the historical model of the same name, which perfection and makes it even more performing on sport routes. But in my experience, they can do almost anything well – and if your footwork is halfway decent, they can be a game-changing tool. When you put them next to a 5.10 Anasazi, they look like shoes designed for a totally different sport.Īt least theoretically, they should struggle on hard vertical climbing, trad etc – they are intended to be used for viciously difficult double-digit boulders and immense sport climbs in the 5.14 and above region. They’re bright to the point of being ostentatious, downturned to the point of being extreme, soft to the point at which you can almost crumple them up in your hand. The brainchild of Scarpa shoe genius Heinz Mariacher, the Chimera is described by them as “the pinnacle of modern climbing shoe design and innovation” and without mincing words – it’s true.Įverything about them states their next-level credentials. As a reviewer, you don’t want to sound like too much of a starry-eyed fan but when you encounter a shoe that performs this well, it’s hard not to. It’s hard to know what to say about the Scarpa Chimera review. Taking its name from the hybrid creature of Greek mythology, the Scarpa Chimera features Vibram XS Grip 2 for maximum grip, an elongated toe patch for toe.
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