La Sportiva Skwama - Women's Review

The Skwama from La Sportiva combines comfort with performance in this elegant, technical slipper. The Skwama is great for smearing, steep climbing, and even crack climbing, making it an excellent choice for high-level sport and trad climbing.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

The Skwama is one of the most comfortable shoes we tested. Many of the shoes that compare to these in terms of comfort cater to beginners, but the Skwama is a high-performance shoe that delivers the comfort of a slipper.

At first, the shape of the Skwama can be hard to get used to, as they are both soft and downturned. This combination can make the arch of the foot feel a bit strange at first, but once these shoes break in, they fit like a glove. With that in mind, during testing, these shoes stretched out more than most La Sportiva models. We suggest downsizing at least a half size if you are looking for a performance fit. Otherwise, size them regularly and expect a very comfortable shoe once the break-in period passes.

Sensitivity

We found the Skwama to be some of the most sensitive and precise climbing kicks out there. From small edges to smears, they stick to almost any foothold you are willing to try. Initially, we found there to be a lot of rubber right at the toe, which detracted from their sensitivity at first. But, after wearing down this pointy toe, the Skwamas will stick to any foothold.

We tested on the slippery, smeary limestone of Tensleep Canyon and found them to miraculously stick to even the greasiest-looking footholds. They are also useful on the ubiquitous granite smears of Yosemite Valley. Overall, the Skwamas held their own next to other beloved Sportiva models in both limestone and granite venues.

Edging

When it comes to edging, the Skwama is a touch underwhelming. These slippers lack the stiffness and support underfoot to really be considered an edging shoe.

The P3 technology of the Skwama makes the shoe hold its downturned shape, allowing it to perform much better on small edges and vertical terrain than other soft shoes. Edges and small footholds on steep terrain, where there is less weight on the foot, were areas where the Skwama excelled. But on slabs and lower-angle routes, a shoe with a bit more support underfoot will likely be more comfortable.

Crack Climbing

We were pleasantly surprised with the Skwama's performance on cracks. Because of their aggressive shape, they're not our first choice for hand cracks and long days of moderate trad climbing, but the Skwamas are a good option for harder cracks. Their narrow profile and toe box allow them to fit into small cracks with ease, while the single Velcro closure higher on the foot doesn't get in the way in hand cracks.

The Skwama performed surprisingly well on the granite cracks of Yosemite and alpine wonderland of the Bugaboos. These shoes strike a wonderful balance between a comfy slipper ideal for crack climbing, and an aggressive shoe designed for steep, techy sport climbing.

Pockets

The Skwama was one of our favorite shoes for the steep, pockety limestone that abounds in Tensleep Canyon. Right out of the box, when the rubber felt a little insensitive for edging and small holds, the Skwamas were able to hold their own in the smallest of pockets. The shape of the toe box makes for a precision tool that can fit into small pockets with ease. Their stickiness and soft midsole allow them to ease into smears and tiny divots in a way that was surprisingly confidence-inspiring.

Additionally, the Skwamas provide technical mastery in a comfortable package. Typically, a downturned, aggressive shoe like this would take time to break in, but the Skwama felt great right out of the box. So much so that we suggest downsizing, since they stretch out with use.

Ease of Use

These shoes are about as easy as it gets to put on and take off. The Skwama's simple Velcro closure and stretchy sleeve make it easy to slide these shoes on and off in between burns on your project.

The loop on the top of the shoe makes them easy to slide on. We also like this loop because it is large enough to slip a finger through easily. The Skwama is very easy to put on because of its soft midsole, but it still provides an aggressive shape that performs well on hard routes.

Should You Buy the Skwama?

The Skwama is a great option as a go-to for most kinds of climbing, from cracks to steep boulders to sport climbs. We like having these in our fleet as a shoe that will perform well at most any crag. We found them to stretch out a bit over time, so make sure to downsize a half size if you want them to have a performance fit. These are a great, comfortable all-day shoe for multi-pitch sport climbs or a difficult crack project. They're pricey, but because they are such high performers overall, we feel like they're worth the splurge and will deliver the performance you want out of a high-end climbing shoe.

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