FITNESS & OUTDOORS

Take the first steps to performance climbing shoes.

From AI fitness tech for the time-poor, to elite dog-walking

gear

$239, www.outdooragencies.com.au

Shoes are the most important piece of climbing kit to get absolutely right, and are basically all you need to get started in the sport. Usually they’re hilariously expensive, as they need to work naturally acting essentially as a robust, rubber-clad skin for your foot. The Scarpa Arpia nestle themselves in that lucritive space between beginning and intermediate climbers who are comfortable on the wall, and are looking to build on learned skills to push themselves further in their first “performance” shoes. For the most part, the Arpia deliver well. Build quality is classic Scarpa i.e. bombproof. There’s a micro-fibre and suede upper to keep everything comfy, while the V-Tension active band and Velcro Wave-closure keep the shoe form-fit and as snug as you like. For performance, there’s a 2/3 length Vibram XS Grip 2 sole and hand-constructed heel with Vibram Grip 2. The Arpia’s combination of slightly downturned asymmetrical shape and 1.4mm mid-sole pushes ample power and stability to the toe for standing on smaller edges while still maintaining enough flexibility for smears. We would have loved another rubber panel on top for toe-hooking, and, as nice as the front-end feels, the handcrafted heel down the back is huge(!) and left cavernous dead space making for insecure heel-hooks. That said, the Arpia is still a solid climbing shoe for both outdoor and the gym that ticks off most intermediate climbers needs.