La Sportiva Miura VS - Women's Review

Compare prices at 3 resellers Pros: Great edging shoe, precise, versatile
Cons: Specific shape can cause discomfort for some, expensive
Manufacturer: La Sportiva
Our Verdict
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La Sportiva Miura VS - Women's | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Price | $184.95 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $180.00 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $185.00 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $67.46 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $69.83 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Great edging shoe, precise, versatile | Comfortable, high performance, sticky rubber, easy to put on, good in cracks, versatile | Super sensitive, overall comfortable for aggressive design, great for pocket climbing, good for heel hooking | Inexpensive, comfortable, easy to get on and off | Inexpensive, easy to adjust, comfortable, soft leather upper |
Cons | Specific shape can cause discomfort for some, expensive | Stretch out quickly, costly, lack support | Expensive, specific, can be painful for some | Lacks stiffness, not designed for high-performance climbing | Not great for smearing, soles lack stickiness of more expensive models |
Bottom Line | A technical climbing powerhouse, perfect for crimpy limestone lines or long granite free climbs | The Skwama are impressive in many realms, combining comfort with a high performance fit | This model gets our Top Pick for steep climbing and bouldering due to their aggressive shape, precision, and comfortable design | This shoe is a reasonably priced and very comfortable option great for beginner climbers | A great option for beginners, these shoes are most importantly comfortable and easy to use |
Rating Categories | La Sportiva Miura VS | La Sportiva Skwama... | La Sportiva Solutio... | Five Ten Kirigami -... | La Sportiva Tarantu... |
Comfort (25%) | |||||
Sensitivity (25%) | |||||
Edging (15%) | |||||
Cracks (15%) | |||||
Pockets (15%) | |||||
Ease of Use (5%) | |||||
Specs | La Sportiva Miura VS | La Sportiva Skwama... | La Sportiva Solutio... | Five Ten Kirigami -... | La Sportiva Tarantu... |
Style | Velcro | Velcro | Velcro | Velcro | Lace |
Weight (Per Pair, size 37) | 0.94 lb | 1.00 lb | 0.95 lb | 0.99 lb | 0.97 lb |
Width Options | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular |
Fit | High Asymmetry | Asymmetrical | Asymmetrical | Low Asymmetry | Low Asymmetry |
Upper | Leather | Leather/Microfiber | Leather/microfiber | Synthetic | Leather |
Lining | Dentex | Unlined | Lycra tongue/ unlined | Synthetic | Unlined |
Sole Rubber | Vibram XS Grip2 | Vibram XS Grip2 | Vibram XS Grip2 | Stealth C4 | Frixion RS |
Our Analysis and Test Results
With a stiff platform and an aggressive shape, the Miura VS are masters of precision, shining in the realm of technical climbing.
Performance Comparison
Comfort
An entirely different shape from their lace-up counterparts, the Miura VS is more or less an entirely different shoe, with its own intricacies in terms of fit. The Velcro version of this shoe has a more padded tongue, which we loved. It also has a slightly wider last than the Miura, which helped our wide-footed lead tester break the Velcro model in faster.
As opposed to the majority of Velcro shoes on the market, the Miura VS has not one or two but three Velcro tabs to help fine-tune the fit. Our lead tester appreciated this, because the three straps help accommodate their wide, oddly shaped feet. Another positive aspect of the VS is its versatility. These shoes can be sized down for a less-comfortable but high-performance fit, making them an impressive edging shoe. Or, they can be sized up a tad, making them perfect for all-day free climbs.
We did notice that there were a few gaps across the top of the tongue, which makes these shoes look like they aren't sized properly. These issues with fit were probably a result of having a wide foot and didn't affect the overall comfort of the shoes. Our lead tester has worn these shoes in both their performance fit size and a half-size up, and found that both options are comfortable, depending on what you are trying to get out of them.
Sensitivity
Though they are stiff, the Miura VS is an incredibly sensitive shoe. The P3 technology, combined with the Miura VS's fairly aggressive downturn, means that all your standing power transfers to the tip of your toe. This, combined with Vibram's XS Grip2 rubber, allowed us to trust our feet and feel the texture of the rock through the soles of the Miura VS.
From limestone smears to slippery basalt foot chips, these shoes were sensitive enough to smear, but stiff enough to stand on small holds. This combination of stiffness and suppleness makes for an impressively sensitive shoe — perfect for precise footwork.
Edging
Hours spent toeing in to tiny footholds on a gently overhung wall is the Miura VS's ideal day. These shoes are made for edging; with La Sportiva's Slingshot rand and Powerhinge technology, the Miuras pull you into the wall by forcing your weight into the toe. Their downturn was not an issue on vertical terrain because their stiffness allows the Miura to hold shape, even when standing on a vertical wall.
The technical abilities of these shoes in terms of sensitivity transfer into the realm of precise edging because of their combination of a stiff last and a soft, sensitive rubber.
Crack Climbing
If you are trying to send your technical, thin crack project, the Miura VS might do the trick. If long, red Camalot splitters are what you seek, a softer, less aggressive shoe might be a better place to look.
The Miura VS can stem and edge like a boss — skills that come in handy on hard trad routes; their ability to climb straight in cracks is less than ideal. For that, look a less aggressive model. In the Miura VS, rather than splitter desert towers, seek out a technical, every trick-in-the-book Yosemite-style crack climb instead.
Pockets
With their downturned shape, the Miura VS toes into pockets with the best of them. Their sensitivity and edging prowess come in handy in steeper terrain, especially when paired with their aggressive shape.
These shoes perform better on overhanging terrain than their lace-up counterpart, the Miura. Though the VS did well on pockets, we actually preferred a softer shoe for pocket climbing, since we were able to cam our toes in. Perhaps we are just trad climbers at heart…
Ease of Use
With three Velcro straps instead of the usual two, the Miura VS is a bit more time consuming to get on and off than most of the Velcro models we reviewed. That said, these three straps make it easy to fine-tune their fit and adjust the Miura VS to the desired tightness.
Value
Like most of the top-level shoes in this review, the Miura VS cost a pretty penny and are definitely an investment. Their edging ability, sensitivity, and overall design make them a fairly versatile shoe.
We know some women who climb strictly in the Miura VS; from long free climbs in Yosemite Valley, to sandstone bouldering, to European limestone. This is a testament to the Miura's ability to climb well in a wide range of disciplines.
Conclusion
The La Sportiva Miura VS is an all-around technical master. We recommend these shoes for any form of hard climbing — from sport climbing to bouldering — where the difference between sending and failure could be as simple as a botched foot placement. The Miuras can edge on granite razor blades and toe-in on slippery limestone pockets with ease. Though they can be painful to break in, the Miura VS will perform with the best of them.
— Jane Jackson
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