Butora Gomi Wide - Women's Review
Compare prices at 2 resellers Pros: High-performance yet comfortable design, slightly less expensive than most, great for toe hooking
Cons: Steep-climbing-specific design lacks versatility, almost entirely covered in rubber
Manufacturer: Butora
Our Verdict
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Butora Gomi Wide - Women's | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Price | $149.00 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $87.50 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $170.00 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $185.00 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $185.00 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | High-performance yet comfortable design, slightly less expensive than most, great for toe hooking | Great edging shoe, precise, versatile | Comfortable, high performance, sticky rubber, easy to put on, good in cracks, versatile | Comfortable, extremely sensitive, great for smearing and steep climbing, easy to get on and off | Super sensitive, overall comfortable for aggressive design, great for pocket climbing, good for heel hooking |
Cons | Steep-climbing-specific design lacks versatility, almost entirely covered in rubber | Specific shape can cause discomfort for some, expensive | Stretch out quickly, costly, lack support | Expensive, No-Edge technology could be an acquired taste | Expensive, specific, can be painful for some |
Bottom Line | The Gomi is designed to scum, hook, and smear onto all matter of footholds found in the steeps | For climbing where footwork is key, look no further than the Miura VS | These high performance slippers from La Sportiva work well in almost all arenas, from cracks to steep sport climbs | From tufas to granite boulders, these are a steep climbers dream | From toeing in on steep terrain to standing on small holds to heel hooking, this shoe does it all |
Rating Categories | Butora Gomi Wide - Women's | Miura VS | La Sportiva Skwama - Women's | La Sportiva Futura - Women's | Solution Comp |
Comfort (25%) | |||||
Sensitivity (25%) | |||||
Edging (15%) | |||||
Cracks (15%) | |||||
Pockets (15%) | |||||
Ease Of Use (5%) | |||||
Specs | Butora Gomi Wide -... | Miura VS | La Sportiva Skwama... | La Sportiva Futura... | Solution Comp |
Style | Velcro | Velcro | Velcro | Velcro | Velcro |
Weight (Per Pair, size 37) | 1.1 lb | 0.94 lb | 1.00 lb | 0.91 lb | 0.95 lb |
Width Options | Regular, wide | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular |
Fit | Asymmetrical | High Asymmetry | Asymmetrical | High Asymmetry | Asymmetrical |
Upper | Suede/leather | Leather | Leather/Microfiber | Leather/ Synthetic | Leather/microfiber |
Lining | Microfiber | Dentex | Unlined | Unlined | Lycra tongue/ unlined |
Sole Rubber | NEO Fuse | Vibram XS Grip2 | Vibram XS Grip2 | Vibram XS Grip2 | Vibram XS Grip2 |
Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
Comfort
We sized these shoes more for comfort than for performance this round, which allowed us to have a fairly pleasant experience in an otherwise fairly aggressive and difficult shoe to break in. The all-rubber toe-box that makes the Gomi great for toe hooking and scumming also means that the shoes won't stretch much when breaking in. This still proved to be the case though ours were comfortable to begin with, they didn't stretch much at all through our testing period. Their aggressive shape pairs well with the soft midsole, allowing them to conform to your foot without binding it in an uncomfortable, unnatural position.
Sensitivity
After a few days in these shoes, the rubber softened up to make the Gomi an impressively sensitive shoe. Though not quite up there in our comparison metrics with the highest-ranked products on the market, the Gomi holds it down as a sensitive-enough shoe for most climbing. Perhaps not our go-to for minuscule granite crystal smedging, the Gomi holds its own on most styles of climbing in this realm.
Edging
This shoe's comfort zone is pasted on the side of a steep arete — the more surface area the better. Unfortunately, this means that the Gomi doesn't receive our highest praise in the edging metric. The softness that makes these shoes sensitive and comfortable means that on the flip side, they can't hold an edge as well as a stiffer shoe will. IF you must edge in these, make sure it's not for long, or your feet may be complaining.
Crack Climbing
At first glance, these shoes would not be the trad climbers first pick, but we were fairly impressed by these rubber-encased slippers when it came to jamming. They are soft enough to be torqued into cracks without pain and the Velcro strap is high enough to stay out of the way when jamming hand-sized or larger cracks.
Pockets
We tested the wide version of the Gomi to accommodate our wide-footed lead tester. The toe box seemed to be a bit bulky and lacked some of the precision that a more tapered toe box provides. That said, the softness of this slipper allowed us to climb on steep terrain and toe in to steep pockets well.
We liked the Gomi for pocketed bouldering, but would perhaps choose a shoe with a bit more support underfoot for the long pocketed routes found at The Fins and other sport climbing destinations.
Ease of Use
In terms of design, the Butora Gomi is fairly straight forward. A single Velcro strap secures the slipper. The ankle opening is wide enough to easily get your foot inside without too much hassle. We found the pull tab on the tongue of these shoes to be superfluous and not necessarily that useful, instead, we just used the heel pull tab to assist in getting these shoes on and off, but this is fairly small potatoes in the overall design of these shoes.
Value
Well under the average price for a comparable model from other brands, the Butora Gomi is a contender for our Best Buy Award with its current price tag. If you are looking for a well-made, aggressively shaped shoe that performs well in almost all styles of climbing without costing an arm and a leg, the Gomi could be for you.
Conclusion
We were impressed by the Gomi overall. A soft midsole, a toe box fully encased in rubber, and a comfortable fit make this shoe a great option for gym climbing or your next toe-hook-ridden cave project. We found them to be better at smearing and scumming than edging, so the Gomi is perhaps not the ideal shoe for vertical terrain or slabs. A reasonable price tag and durable construction round out this solid Velcro slipper.
— Jane Jackson