Acopa Shoes

 I recently bought a pair of Acopa Enzos and I really love them. Had a bit of an issue with the sole and they promptly replaced them. The customer service is great, the rubber is great and the style is on point.

Lately, I’ve been climbing exclusively in Acopa Spectres and love them. It has a relatively wide toe box, which I need. 

Sole delaminating? 

No 

I have heard that the durability of the rubber is unmatched. Does the build quality seem solid? I am considering snagging some once my current shoes wear out

The build quality is excellent throughout. I'm on my second resole on my Legends and you can't tell, they're feeling just broken in. Also have an old pair of specters that look like they could go for another decade.

There are a couple reviews out there where the shoes delaminate. 

The shoes I saw around were pretty sorry looking shoes. But that can be said about any shoes. 

Let us see those Legends. Who did the resoles? One good thing about acopa they resole shoes. 

http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web20c/ms-acopa-john-bachar-climbing-shoe

Felt like being vulnerable, thought I'd post.

I've been very pleased with the Acopas I own. Having some history with Acopa in the early '00s I was excited to see them back and I hopped on the "Ambassador Program" early on. My first pair came shortly after the re-launch, the Spectre. I was impressed with the build quality and dang could that shoe edge. Problem was that I got them a half size too small and after about a dozen days I just couldn't take it. "You'll climb better if your shoes are comfortable" so why was I punishing myself? I passed them off to a friend and moved on. 

The second pair we're the JBs. TC's are too narrow around the middle outside of my foot (styloid process?) and the new Grandstone ends up a bit too soft for what I wanted. I wanted a tank. Forget sensitivity I wanted a workhorse, protective, all-day moderate trad boot, maybe to even pair with some socks! So the JBs seemed like a great option, and it is. I've had them for about a year now. They have broken in wonderfully, the rubber is thick, sticky, and strong. There was some minor delamination after a few weekends of climbing in Vedauwoo. No biggie, I hit them with some barge cement, filled down the flapper and they're good to go. I also pre-inforced the stitching on the outside with a mixture of freesole and some rubber dust. (highly recommended for most shoes) I wish the upper was even a little thicker still for less sensitivity when jamming. 

The next shoe was the Nova. As an "ambassador" I got to provide some input on the design of this shoe which was pretty neat. Whether they used any of it or not, who knows? The closure system was my idea :)  This shoe solidified my love and appreciation for Acopa and I only got a "prototype" pair. My primary use and the primary arena for the Nova is indoors The upper is insanely comfortable. Supple but strong and easy on the skin during the extended sessions. The four-way strap closure really secures the upper well with no pressure points. RS II rubber I believe is intended to be a bit more durable and stand up to the abuse of the gym. Which it did for roughly 3 sessions a week for 9 months with no issues until the "smile line" between rand and sole told me it was time for a trip back to Acopa. 7 weeks later my shoes came back good as new. 

While I waited for the return of my previous Novas. I went back to some older 5.10 Arrowheads. It was winter and I was primarily climbing in the gym. They worked alright but my toes would be screaming after an hour or so and the rubber was burnished and glassy, probably because they're at least 10 years old at this point, they felt insecure and wanted to skate around on the also burnished and glassy gym holds.  Anyway, enter the Gama. The Gama has a great anatomic fit, precise toe profile, and minimal heel tension so no burning Achilles. It's comfy out-of-the-box albeit a little stiff at first (but what shoe isn't) it has great rubber and a very approachable price point. I might like the Gama more than my Nova's now. For the price, I'm convinced this is the best "performance" shoe out there. 

I guess in summary, while the design of the shoes is not as advanced as some other brands, the build quality is right there and only getting better. If your "mantra" is sensitivity you may feel the Acopa Rubber to be a bit thick. A few of the other testers of the Nova are 5.13/14 climbers who prefer Dragos and Theories found the shoes too stiff. However, I don't climb that hard and I'm finding the shoes to be totally adequate up to my limit of 5.12/V7 climbing. Acopa has a rich history and deserves to be supported by the climbing community. The Italians will do just fine if you decided to try out some Acopas, and who knows maybe you will climb better. 

I've got two pairs of JB's.  Best shoe I've ever owned.  No problems with wear, delamination issues or anything else.  In my book, they're the best.  Period.

2 years, 2 half-sole resoles, original rands. The first by Acopa, the second by Positive with Up RH. On the back heel you can see the only real delamination, which popped up after about 150' of toe-heel camming in Pratt's Crack, which is definitely not the shoes' fault. These things are sturdy and plush, note the extra padding around the ankle, super cushy. At first the toe box was a little tall, but it's flattened out with use as the rand softened so they're pretty agile for such a burly shoe. Well-structured, stiff but still pretty sensitive. I never feel like I don't know what I'm standing on, unlike with my YBs or other stiff shoes. The lining really does wonders for keeping the shoe together, all of the stitching looks good in spite of the laces coming apart from jamming so much. These things are going to last for a long time.

The next shoe was the Nova. As an "ambassador" I got to provide some input on the design of this shoe which was pretty neat. Whether they used any of it or not, who knows? The closure system was my idea :)  This shoe solidified my love and appreciation for Acopa and I only got a "prototype" pair. My primary use and the primary arena for the Nova is indoors The upper is insanely comfortable. Supple but strong and easy on the skin during the extended sessions. The four-way strap closure really secures the upper well with no pressure points. RS II rubber I believe is intended to be a bit more durable and stand up to the abuse of the gym. Which it did for roughly 3 sessions a week for 9 months with no issues until the "smile line" between rand and sole told me it was time for a trip back to Acopa. 7 weeks later my shoes came back good as new. 

While I waited for the return of my previous Novas. I went back to some older 5.10 Arrowheads. It was winter and I was primarily climbing in the gym. They worked alright but my toes would be screaming after an hour or so and the rubber was burnished and glassy, probably because they're at least 10 years old at this point, they felt insecure and wanted to skate around on the also burnished and glassy gym holds.  Anyway, enter the Gama. The Gama has a great anatomic fit, precise toe profile, and minimal heel tension so no burning Achilles. It's comfy out-of-the-box albeit a little stiff at first (but what shoe isn't) it has great rubber and a very approachable price point. I might like the Gama more than my Nova's now. For the price, I'm convinced this is the best "performance" shoe out there

Tim, how was the sizing/fit on the Gama and Nova compared to the JBs? Obviously they're different shoes, but if JBs fit my feet super well, would I get the same size Gama? I'm definitely in the market for a new gym shoe.

Isaac Mann-Silverman wrote:

Tim, how was the sizing/fit on the Gama and Nova compared to the JBs? Obviously they're different shoes, but if JBs fit my feet super well, would I get the same size Gama? I'm definitely in the market for a new gym shoe.

My Gama's and Nova's are a half size down from the JB's. I probably could have gone a half size smaller with the JB's as there is some dead space in the heel, but when the shoe is "loaded" it frees up the toes just a touch (think flexing a ski boot)The Gama/Nova are glove like with no dead space. 

Isaac Mann-Silverman wrote:

2 years, 2 half-sole resoles, original rands. The first by Acopa, the second by Positive with Up RH. On the back heel you can see the only real delamination, which popped up after about 150' of toe-heel camming in Pratt's Crack, which is definitely not the shoes' fault. These things are sturdy and plush, note the extra padding around the ankle, super cushy. At first the toe box was a little tall, but it's flattened out with use as the rand softened so they're pretty agile for such a burly shoe. Well-structured, stiff but still pretty sensitive. I never feel like I don't know what I'm standing on, unlike with my YBs or other stiff shoes. The lining really does wonders for keeping the shoe together, all of the stitching looks good in spite of the laces coming apart from jamming so much. These things are going to last for a long time.

 

Tim, how was the sizing/fit on the Gama and Nova compared to the JBs? Obviously they're different shoes, but if JBs fit my feet super well, would I get the same size Gama? I'm definitely in the market for a new gym shoe.

Oops is that one of the famous Positive resole delaminate? Locker I'm not impressed. 

I would blame it on the manufacturer. Send them back to Locker to fix both.

Which model would you guys recommend for a foot with a shallow heel and wide toe box? Looking for a comfy mulfipitch and crack shoe that fits well. 

Wall Mart wrote:

Which model would you guys recommend for a foot with a shallow heel and wide toe box? Looking for a comfy mulfipitch and crack shoe that fits well. 

Honestly I'd just email them, info@acopaoutdoors.com, super helpful. The JBs, Legends, and Aztecs are all good trad shoes

What is the best model of Acopa's for narrow feet? 

I really like the fit of my Tenaya shoes which I have been told are built quite narrow. I have the Oasi, Traifa, and Inti. I go down 1.5 from street shoe size (10.5USM) in Tenaya. I have been looking for a slipper model of shoe for the gym and easier climbing outside, and since Tenaya does not offer a slipper Acopa has piqued my interest! 

Christopher Weaver wrote:

What is the best model of Acopa's for narrow feet? 

I have been looking for a slipper model of shoe for the gym and easier climbing outside, and since Tenaya does not offer a slipper Acopa has piqued my interest! 

The Acopa slipper is a wide fit. 

Arin F wrote:

The Acopa slipper is a wide fit. 

Not as wide as their other shoes, they list it in their narrowest category. That said, all Acopa shoes I've seen are on the wider side.

From their FAQ:

The Enzo fits medium to narrow feet particularly well. High arch and low volume? You'll love it. It's supple build and relaxed-fit design make it comfortable for a wide variety of types of foot.

just picked up my second pair, within 10 pitches having minor de-lam problems again. The rubber patch on top of the leather seems to be the first to go. Not a huge performance concern, but not ideal. Also noticing minor separation of the sole @the toe cap. Same issues i had with my last pair that  i should have resoled, but ended up climbing them to the point of no return.

Pictured are my attempts to slow the process w gear aid-aqua seal SR shoe adhesive 

their customer support has indeed been very responsive in the past.

Got a pair of JB’s earlier in the summer as TC pro replacements due to problems with my heel and Achilles pain in the latter.  After a break in period the JBs were phenomenal, great in wide cracks but also very sticky on slabs.  The toe box is a bit more bulky than TC pros which makes them less than ideal in smaller than thin hands cracks, but they felt like secret weapons in offwidths especially.  The leather uppers held up well but the rubber began delaminating, first on the heels, then the toes, and then also the inside forefoot.  It became too much to barge glue back together and I sent them in for a resoling with a stiffer rubber hoping the durability improves.  The rubber durability is unfortunate because it’s one of the best constructed shoes I’ve worn otherwise.  For comparison, I replaced the shoe with a pair of Grandstones which have held up much better to the abuse but feel inferior in hands and wider cracks (superior in thinner cracks like the TC pros are due to both shoes having a narrower profile) and also on slab as the Acopa rubber is a bit stickier.  

My 2cents

Maybe they need some Zucchini glue that the Italians use. Factory is not far from colussiv

Does anyone have an opinion to share comparing the SCARPA Instinct S against the ACOPA Enzo? Curious how the two shoes stack up against each other. 

It is also unfortunate to learn about durability issues with the ACOPA brand. It seems to be a standard through line for the company at this stage. However, they are really just getting started again so I am sure that is bound to change over time.