text: I really wanted to like these shoes, since they are Outdoor Gear Labs favorite approach shoe. I first ordered a size 8, which was too big. I had a lot of heel slippage and my toe was miles from the end. No big shakes, I sent them back and got a 7.5. Unfortunately the 7.5 crammed my little toes and I still had heel slippage. I contemplated trying to get by with them, but ultimately they are just too expensive to &#34;try out&#34; and the last thing I want to do after a day of climbing is take off my rock shoes and put on a less than comfortable shoe for the hike out.<br /><br />I didn't knock them too hard for not having a last that fits my foot. The rubber seemed very sticky. Walking around my house they were a magnet for dog hair, which might be a good indicator for their ability to stick to rock?<br /><br />They seemed very stiff. Maybe the leather ones are a little softer? But I'm also very used to wearing minimalist shoes that fit like a glove and mold to my feet. I also disliked the laces, they are very small and a little fiddley to tie. Had I kept the shoes I probably would have swapped out the laces.<br /><br />The La Sportiva Boulder X is the next stop on my path to finding an approach shoe.