REASONS TO BUY
Good price
Comfortable
Easy on/off
REASONS TO AVOID
Single lace tension strap can wear out quickly
Adjustable heel sacrifices heel hooking rubber
La Sportiva Stickit Review
A good basic shoe that does just about everything well, but doesn’t excel in any one thing in particular
Credit: La Sportiva
Our Verdict
La Sportiva has a wide assortment of shoes for children that range from super comfortable to high performing. The La Sportiva Stickit is their middle-of-the-road shoe, and it has good performance with a comfortable fitting design. It doesn't have the most amazing performance on all terrain types, but it will happily do what most new climbers will ask of it, both in the gym and outside at the crag. A nice blend of comfort and performance, the Stickit is a great option for kid climbers advancing to more challenging terrain.
Editor's Note: This review was updated on October 24, 2022, to showcase the current red colorway for the Stickit (shown above). The specs appear identical to the green and yellow shoe we tested in our review.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
La Sportiva Stickit | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | |||
| Price | $44.19 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $51.75 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $48.40 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $50 List $49.95 at Amazon | $49 List |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Good price, comfortable, easy on/off | Adjustable heel strap, breathability, single pull adjustment, very comfortable | Breathable knit, comfortable fit, good edging | Soft microfiber upper, EVA heel cushion, affordable, lightweight | Inexpensive, easy on and off, highly adjustable |
| Cons | Single lace tension strap can wear out quickly, adjustable heel sacrifices heel hooking rubber | Fabric is less abrasion resistant than synthetic or real leather, metal D-rings can cause pressure points and abrasion to straps | No heel adjustment, knit doesn't fair well in excessive crack climbing | Thin toe rand, poor at edging | Not the most durable, lacks great performance |
| Bottom Line | A good basic shoe that does just about everything well, but doesn’t excel in any one thing in particular | One of the best available, all-around comfortable shoes, that performs well for most applications including cracks, slab, and face | The comfortable kid's model is a new option with good edging performance and great breathability | A comfortable shoe, great for beginners and casual climbers alike, with good performance at a great price | A good, comfortable shoe for the little ones to get into the sport, at a great price point |
| Rating Categories | La Sportiva Stickit | Evolv Venga | Black Diamond Momen... | Butora Brava | Mad Rock Mad Monkey |
| Edging (20%) | |||||
| Cracks (20%) | |||||
| Comfort (20%) | |||||
| Pockets (20%) | |||||
| Sensitivity (20%) | |||||
| Specs | La Sportiva Stickit | Evolv Venga | Black Diamond Momen... | Butora Brava | Mad Rock Mad Monkey |
| Style | Velcro slipper | Velcro slipper | Velcro slipper | Velcro slipper | Velcro slipper |
| Upper | Leather | Polyester Mesh | Engineered knit | Synthetic | Syn Flex |
| Width Options | None | None | None | None | None |
| Lining | Unlined | Agion Antimicrobial | Micro fabric | Unlined | Unlined |
| Rubber Type | Frixion RS | TRAX SAS | NeoFriction | Butyl Butora F5 | Science Friction |
| Rubber Thickness | 3 mm | 4.2 mm | 4.3 mm | 4 mm | 3 mm |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
The average performance and the beginner-friendly, comfortable package make this a great all-around shoe for young kid crushers. It will provide good performance for kids just entering the sport - up until they start to progress into more advanced types of climbing.
Performance Comparison
Gripit being tested in an Arizona Oak Creek Canyon splitter corner.
Edging
Most kids' shoes put a priority on comfort, and many times, that means making shoes that are soft and flexible. When you have a soft, flexible shoe, it reduces the ability to edge on super small holds. This shoe is no exception. The rubber is pretty sticky, which helps, but this shoe requires more foot strength to stay on those little jibs. For a better edging shoe, we would look for a shoe with a stiffer midsole.
Edging on basalt with the Stickit.
Crack Climbing
The thin leather upper and soft outsole keep this shoe from being the best choice for crack climbing due to the lack of protection around the foot. However, the actual performance is pretty good if the crack doesn't cause too much pain. We also had some issues with the lace wearing out from jamming the shoe in hand cracks.
The splitter cracks at Oak Creek Canyon Overlook AZ. were great for testing the fleet.
Pockets
The rounded front toe, combined with the soft, flexible platform, keep this shoe from being a Top Pick for climbing steep pocketed routes. If we wanted an intermediate shoe that performed well in pockets, we would look for something with a pointy toe that would do a better job of fitting in smaller pockets.
Sensitivity
The 3mm of sticky Frixion Rs rubber is soft enough to allow for great sensitivity on slabs and foot-intensive climbs. Finding the sweet spot of a foothold will be no problem in these shoes.
Comfort
For an intermediate shoe, the Stickit has a good deal of comfort. The soft leather upper breathes well, and the synthetic dual overlapping padded tongue wraps the top of the footwell. A single pull hook and loop enclosure tightens the heel and instep with one easy-to-use strap making it super easy to get in and out of.
Value
The Stickit has a good value. It climbs and holds up well, and is one of the least expensive options in our comparison. It was a close contender for the Best Buy Award, but the small hook and loop tab (that can wear out before the shoe does) and the lack of performance (due to the soft nature of the shoes) made it barely fall short. However, the shoe still offers a good overall performance and durability for the price.
Testing the Stickit at Black Rocks climbing area in St. George, UT.
Conclusion
The Stickit is a good option for most kid climbers. Its performance is comparable to the other intermediate kid's shoes but has a slightly better price on average. Its comfort and user-friendly design make it a good choice for new climbers and casual intermediate climbers alike.
—
Adam Paashaus
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