Scarpa Generator Mid 2023 - the next high top rock shoe to get excited about?

Here we go again...I've tried every high top made in the last decade and the Evolv General is the best that I have found for my foot shape but it is too clunky/high toe box for me to want to use for all trad climbs. I have a "Scarpa foot" but found the Maestro to be one of Scarpa's few misses, like surprisingly bad. 

Well, a few years in development and not out until next year,  Scarpa just introduced the Generator - which is actually a recycled shoe name from a high top Scarpa had out in the early 2000s. Here is SS23 Workbook page:

And a better pic from Gripped. 

I am only interested in the mid (high top) but like the Maestro, they will also have a low top.

OK, we only have a year for armchair, wild speculation about this shoe so lets get going...

First person who writes "TC Pro clone" loses two points, it's obviously a Butora Altura clone/killer (grin).

Oh well huh. I have 100% found that while my foot fits the Maestro like it was the model for the last (wide forefoot, smol heel, high arches) the extreme wtf-ness of the gigantic GOJIRA-SMASH toe made it a no-go everywhere I wanted to use it.

You have my interest. I have a tiny foot - like 35ish sized - and I typically find that standard things don’t scale + get weird at the extremes of sizing, so who knows if this shoe will be any better than the Maestro in that respect. Interested in seeing more!

These look great! TC Pros kill my Achilles and the heel has always felt loose on them, I’m excited to see how these fit. 

I similarly have a “scarpa” foot and wear scarpas for everything outside of my trad/granite shoes, which I also use generals for. I do think that a slightly hooked toe is pretty underrated and it’s one of my favorite parts of the general; I feel like it really gets on top of the tiny edges and gives you that extra precision. Super excited to maybe give these ones ago since the generals are sadly getting discontinued. 

Has anyone ever been excited about a Scarpa rock shoe?

rock climbing wrote:

people should. better made than la sportiva

But I like my rubber sticky.

rock climbing wrote:

people should. better made than la sportiva

yep, in my experience. usually much more plushly lined, too, without the seams inside that make Sportivas feel cheap

I wore my OG Generators for years through many resoles. I hope these are as awesome

Marc H wrote:

But I like my rubber sticky.

LS and Scarpa both use the exact same rubbers made by Vibram. For soles anyway.

Chronically Injured wrote:

I do think that a slightly hooked toe is pretty underrated and it’s one of my favorite parts of the general; I feel like it really gets on top of the tiny edges and gives you that extra precision. Super excited to maybe give these ones ago since the generals are sadly getting discontinued. 

I wore TC Pros as my multi pitch trad shoes for more than ten years, just replaced them with the 2022 Vapor Lace, and am finding the Vapors to be a better-performing alternative for exactly this reason (among others). I wonder how the upcoming Generator will compare... if they are flatter shoes, I'll probably stick with the Vapor Lace.

PS the generals are getting discontinued but will be replaced by the new "Yosemite Bum": https://convention.oberalp.com/en/evolv

2023 is looking to be an exciting time for high top trad shoes.

james james wrote:

LS and Scarpa both use the exact same rubbers made by Vibram. For soles anyway.

It’s been more than 20 years since I’ve tried a pair of Scarpa rock shoes. Maybe the rubber has improved. 

james james wrote:

I wore TC Pros as my multi pitch trad shoes for more than ten years, just replaced them with the 2022 Vapor Lace, and am finding the Vapors to be a better-performing alternative for exactly this reason (among others). I wonder how the upcoming Generator will compare... if they are flatter shoes, I'll probably stick with the Vapor Lace.

PS the generals are getting discontinued but will be replaced by the new "Yosemite Bum": https://convention.oberalp.com/en/evolv

2023 is looking to be an exciting time for high top trad shoes.

FWIW, from friends in the know, it is intentionally going after the TC market. Where the Maestro mid was intended to be a long day climbing in the Dolomiti type shoe for more edging sort of stuff, the generator is intended to be an actual crack shoe with all comparable performance features to the TC.

Eunny Jang wrote:

Oh well huh. I have 100% found that while my foot fits the Maestro like it was the model for the last (wide forefoot, smol heel, high arches) the extreme wtf-ness of the gigantic GOJIRA-SMASH toe made it a no-go everywhere I wanted to use it.

You have my interest. I have a tiny foot - like 35ish sized - and I typically find that standard things don’t scale + get weird at the extremes of sizing, so who knows if this shoe will be any better than the Maestro in that respect. Interested in seeing more!

GOJIRA-Smash?

https://www.ssbwiki.com/Smasher:Gojira

What?

So.. is this a replacement for the maestro or a new shoe for the lineup and they will keep both?!?!?

I Have tc pro's, Maestro and the general..

like the maestro a lot for allround climbing, very stiff and fairly confortable. but after 2 hours of climbing it hurts in a way i acnt even describe.. it seems to be on the aquiles region, and the toes gets a bit numb, but they have plenty of room.. its a weird pain, but the shoe itself was a good surprise.

tc Pro's are my option for projects and serious climbs, but i dont see much difference.. i mean, i could only have the maestro, but since i have both.. tc is my number one(because someone have to take the first place) and besides, it doesnt hurt my feet

The generals are the most confortable shoes i ever wore, but they hurt like hell(might have gone too small) and take forever to break in.. also, as mentioned before, they are indeed clumsy and you have no sensibility at all.. i dont even know where i am standing, which leads to not trusting a hold sometimes.. but i still believe them to improve over time

tho i believe the regular climber would be fine with any of those,  im with JY, if you have to choose one for each type of climbing

These look like the baby that Katana Laces would have with Acopa JBs. 

Marc H wrote:

It’s been more than 20 years since I’ve tried a pair of Scarpa rock shoes. Maybe the rubber has improved. 

The rubber is as good as it gets, and the construction/quality is top notch. Loads of people get excited about Scarpa shoes. If you don't count the Tarantula/Tarantulace they actually outsell La Sportiva.

I can't wait to try the new generator. I got to see one at OR and it looked great.

When is the expected release?

Next spring. Unsure of exact date.

Fingers crossed Scarpa releases this also in a size 50...

Marc H wrote:

But I like my rubber sticky.

Just resole early with unparalleled's rubber. 

Worth re-stating that Scarpa uses the same Vibram rubber that's on almost all high end climbing shoes.

I can't believe some of you actually like the rubber on the Generals. I liked that shoe but the rubber was so hard it wouldn't stick to anything. I gave them away for free.

Yukon Cornelius wrote:

Worth re-stating that Scarpa uses the same Vibram rubber that's on almost all high end climbing shoes.

I can't believe some of you actually like the rubber on the Generals. I liked that shoe but the rubber was so hard it wouldn't stick to anything. I gave them away for free.

+1 for the rubber being so hard, its kinda glassy