Evolv K-Lace Shoe Review

It had been awhile since I’d stood on a granite smear. The feeling was a little foreign, and somewhat unsettling at first, as I was wearing a stiffer shoe, and couldn’t really feel much of the feature under my foot. The lack of precision had me on edge as I moved up the route, and I decided to see how the delicate footwork would feel with the new Evolv K-Lace shoes I had just picked up.

The difference was night and day. These shoes allowed me to stand on marginal smears, dishes and scoops with ease, moving upward with confidence on terrain that usually has me thinking twice about what I’m trusting my feet to. Several months later, I’ve now used them on a variety of rock types, but for me they shine most on granite trad climbs. I’m a product of my environment, hence I mostly climb steeper rock, and it’s what I’m most comfortable on these days. As such, I usually have a hard time with my feet on slabbier terrain but these shoes gave my confidence a huge boost when on insecure granite climbs.

Generally I associate Evolv shoes with being pretty stiff, but that isn’t the case with the K-Laces. These offer a good deal of sensitivity, which allows you to really feel the best part of the foothold to stand on. I’d say the shape plays an important role in this, as it’s more like the old Five Ten Anasazi Pinks, and is less aggressive than many of the other models in the Evolv line. While smearing on less than vertical terrain you can really paste as much rubber as possible onto the footholds, making it feel much more secure.

Another major feature Evolv shoes are known for is their lack of stretch, which is supposed to make sizing your shoes simpler as you don’t have to worry about how much bigger they’ll get as you use them. After owning a couple different pairs, I’d say they will stretch some, though usually it’s no more than a ½ size. Also, it seems like they stretch out a little while being used, but then return to their previous shape when sitting on the shelf.

The same synthetic lining that keeps the stretch to a minimum is also said to make the shoes stink after a while, but I have not had a problem with this. Your mileage may vary, especially if you are a stinky teenager.

While these shoes excel at granite trad climbing, I think they’d also be a great all arounder for someone who wants a comfortable, do anything pair, or something comfy to warm up in. You can check them out and get more info over on the Evolv website.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to SplitterChoss.com for the purpose of reviewing.