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Scarpa Force X

Original Post
Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545

So I pulled my Force x's out of the box yesterday...literally 30 minutes before heading out to the local crag, shoved my feet in them, cinched them up and climbed!

First impressions are these:

This is an extremely well built shoe. Totally lined throughout..including the heel cup. A generously padded tongue keeps the top of the foot protected and comfortable, velcro (hook and loop) system (opposing straps) is easy on easy off. I am not a fan of the xs edge rubber, but even on the steep slab that I tested them on yesterday, they seemed to hold quite well on small depressions, nubbins and thin cracks. They smeared quite a bit better than I expected...a happy bonus for sure. They also held an edge quite nicely, again...much better than anticipated. I got these shoes for all day guiding and long routes..I needed something comfortable but not so big and sloppy that they were useless to climb in. I have found that these shoes do a nice job bridging the gap and are extremely comfortable right out of the box. I did size these shoes up considerably from my Instincts. The instincts are a 44.5 and I went up a full size to a 45.5 and am psyched. I probably could have gotten away with a 45, but at close to 50 years old...why? lol. My dogs have suffered enough...(think 80's). Toe rand is good and has nice coverage. These are not a real technical shoe by any stretch and probably not a great choice for steep overhanging sport or bouldering, and they were a bit painful in the cracks (more like a slipper or even an Anasazi/Galileo). Despite the flat last and stiffer rubber the forefoot was pinched in the fist to hand jamb wide cracks.

So...first impressions are very good. I put 6 pitches under these puppies..starting at 5.8+ to 5.10 and never once reached for the velcro tabs or ibuprofin!! These would be a great beginner to intermediate shoe, but you guys in the higher number range may want to consider this shoe for those moderate all day outings and long routes (I am thinking Winds, etc...). More to follow as I start to break these in more.

Ray Pinpillage · · West Egg · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 180

How stiff are they?

Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545
Ray Pinpillage wrote:How stiff are they?
Not terribly stiff Ray. I found them easy to smear with and the torsional flexion is good...pretty reasonable support in cracks and edging.
S. Neoh · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 35

Amazon.com has these for $85 in some sizes, incl free shipping and free return!
Chris, take these in the same size as Vapor V or 1/2 size smaller?

Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545
Dana Bartlett wrote:I have the Force and the Vapor. In my experience the Force runs larger. I use a 45.5 in the Vapor and a 44.5 in the Force. As always, with shoes, YMMV.
I ended up going big...45.5 with the force x, but I would agree that they may run a bit bigger than the vapor v's. just sent a 10d with these puppies...no problem at all. Very impressed thus far.
S. Neoh · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 35

Thanks Dana and Chris.

Moritz B. · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2013 · Points: 185

They are incredibly comfortable for sure! One time in Moab I ran to the car from the crag wearing nothing but Force X (and pants, obviously ;-))

Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545
Moritz B. wrote:They are incredibly comfortable for sure! One time in Moab I ran to the car from the crag wearing nothing but Force X (and pants, obviously ;-))
lol.. ;)
Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545
Brendan Blanchard · · Boulder, CO · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 590
Chris Graham wrote: My Scarpa Force X Review
Chris, any comparison to the older Forces?
Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545
Brendan Blanchard wrote: Chris, any comparison to the older Forces?
Hey Brendan!

The most noticeable differences between the Force x's and the old Forces are the following:

1. much more padding on the x's. Fully lined throughout...including the heel which was a bit of a bone of contention with me on the old ones. I found the heels to be quite painful...not the case with the new x's.

2. XS Edge vs XS Grip 2. The x's are sporting the new edge rubber and I am not a huge fan although I have had little problems with the edge on these shoes like I had experienced with my TC Pros. I think the flexibility of the x's adds a bit more sensitivity and feel that allows me to utilize the rubber on smears and thin edges alike better than the last of the TC Pro. So far so good with the new Edge rubber.

3. Finally, the V-tension randing sytem on the x's retains the principles of high-end power transfer better than the old forces. So despite a rather flat last, it has the feel of a bit more of an aggressive shoe (somewhat) vs a slipper that I though the old model suffered from.

Hope that answers your question?
Brendan Blanchard · · Boulder, CO · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 590

Thanks Chris, I was just curious as I bought a pair of Forces as they went out and got cheap. I've liked them so far and wanted to know if I'd have something to replace them with eventually.

Sounds all good to me. I've enjoyed them as a moderate shoe or an all day, just popping the velcro at belays.

Chris Graham · · Bartlett, NH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 545
Brendan Blanchard wrote:Thanks Chris, I was just curious as I bought a pair of Forces as they went out and got cheap. I've liked them so far and wanted to know if I'd have something to replace them with eventually. Sounds all good to me. I've enjoyed them as a moderate shoe or an all day, just popping the velcro at belays.
They were a nice shoe. I just had some problems with the heel digging in to my achilles tendon...not sure why, but it bothered me enough to move up to the Vapor V's. Really digging the Force X's though. Heinz knows his shit! ;)
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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