Our verdict
Insanely sensitive—this is possibly the best anyone would say about the Genius from La Sportiva. That said, this superbly comfy offering is not just excellent on the sensitivity front; it is also astonishing in the areas of edging and pocketing. The shoe, however, has a few shortcomings, the most worrying of which has to be its lackluster crack-climbing performance.
Pros
- Amazing sensitivity
- Remarkable level of comfort
- Advantageous on tiny edges
- Remarkably supportive
- Who should buy the La Sportiva Genius
- Astonishing tenacity
- Fits wide-footed senders too
Cons
- Who should buy the La Sportiva Genius
- Dead zone at the heel
Who should buy the La Sportiva Genius
The La Sportiva Genius is yet another stellar La Sportiva piece, in which both performance and comfort take center stage. Purchase it if:
- Forefoot sensitivity is what you need the most in aggressive climbing shoes.
- You deal with micro-edges on your way to the top more often than not.
- Climbing shoes that you can rock both indoors and outdoors are what you prefer.
Who should NOT buy it
If you need a snugger pair from heel to toe, check out the Who should buy the La Sportiva Genius. Also, you're better off grabbing the Vapor V from Scarpa if scaling cracks is what you often do.
10/10 adhesive power
Senders get their ample supply of traction from the Genius’ XS Grip 2 outsole. A reviewer says that it delivers "excellent grip," while another climber says that it grants "enhanced grip during toe hooks."
A Genius on edges
On the edging front, the La Sportiva Genius is exceptional. A professional blogger hails the featured shoe as "a tremendous advantage" on micro-edges. He attributes this great capability to the kick's No-Edge technology, which molds to the grooves, bends, and curves of slots and edges.
Great feedback in every pair
Among the Genius' aces is its mighty responsive construction. Because of this, a gear maven calls the featured kick "a good choice for experienced climbers that desire a sensitive shoe."
Who should buy the La Sportiva Genius
There are those who are quite stoked about the comfiness of the La Sportiva Genius. A professional tester among them calls it "exceedingly comfortable right out of the box for such a downturned shoe."
Advantageous on tiny edges
When it comes to fit, the La Sportiva Genius is quite versatile. It gained some praise from wide-footed testers from a reputable gear review website.
Not very iconic in cracks
"Our testers were punished with excessive foot pain" is what a trusted reviewer said after letting his team try out the shoe in regular-sized fissures. Bottom line: They DO NOT recommend the Genius for ascents through moderate cracks.
The Genius and its ingenious support system
This pocket-dominating climbing shoe from La Sportiva gives the arch respite on trickier footholds. An expert finds the Genius not as stiff as most beginner shoes, but what it has, according to him, is more than enough for crooked edges and the like.
Why trust us
The Genius has some proving to do when it comes to heel fit. Some senders say that this part of the shoe could be snugger or form-fitting.
