Alas, my gecko guides are finally pretty much dead. They are easily my favorite approach shoes ever: decent support, climb nicely and have a low and soft toebox which makes them great for jamming.
Sadly, Scarpa no longer makes them and I'm at a bit of a loss for a replacement. I have a pair of la sportiva gandas, but the toebox doesn't fit me as nicely as the gecko guides, leaving me with bruised toes after a long approach. What are people wearing for approach shoes that actually climb decently (say 5.9~ish face) while still being comfortable for daily wear and approaches?
Anyone actually tried a pair of the Scarpa Vitamins? Finally, I can find the women's geckos in a 42 (my size). Are they exactly the same design only in green?
Moritz: I have yet to see a review of them. Do you have them?
I ended up finding a pair of women's gecko guides dirt cheap (but still new!) in my size. Different color scheme, but exact same fit. Looks like I'm set for another few years!
I´m still using my Gecko Guides. Some of my friends switched to the vitamins (or the Zen Pro) and they love the shoe. I don´t think any shoe has the perfect, low volume tow box of the Gecko Guides though :-)
W L
·
Apr 24, 2014
·
NEVADASTAN
· Joined Mar 2010
· Points: 851
At a recent show I saw the Vitamins, very similar to the newer generation of Gecko Guides. I really wish Scarpa had something like the original generation of the Gecko Guides, with the dot rubber on the bottom. Mine are pathetically blown out after 3 or 4 years of heavy use, but I refuse to retire 'em...keep them as short approach shoes. Best approach shoe ever, who says I can't have my cake and eat it too? Stiff enough for Red Rock approaches but climbs very well (have climbed up to 10+ in them.) My Guide Tennies are floppy and I may even unload them and just buy the damn Vitamins...
We use cookies to improve your browsing experience, to show you
personalized content, and for statistical purposes. By continuing
to navigate our website, you accept our use of cookies. Read our
Privacy Policy to learn more.