Scarpa Booster Review

The Scarpa Booster is an aggressively downturned, asymmetrical rock shoe. The Pressure Absorbing Fit (PAF) system is a unique design that improves the performance of this shoe in a few ways. The heel rand is split by a 2-millimeter-wide insert of Vibram XS GRIP2 rubber, which reduces pressure on your Achilles tendon while allowing the sides of the shoe to be pulled forward with strong tension. The split heel spreads out the force of this tension and better maintains the shape of the heel cup. This works in conjunction with the Differentiated Tension System (DTS), which pulls tension on the inside and outside of the shoe differently for optimal power transfer to your big toe. The result is a high-performance climbing shoe specifically designed for climbing steep or overhanging boulders and sport climbs.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

The Booster is designed to strike the perfect balance between performance and comfort. It features innovative technologies all aimed at enhancing fit and performance without sacrificing comfort. That being said, this is not a shoe that you'll want to wear all day. It is better suited for projecting a steep sport climb where you can take it off in between burns. It also has a rather narrow fit, which will likely not be very comfortable for folks who have a wider toe box. Our lead tester – who is predominately used to wearing La Sportiva shoes and has a wider toebox – had to size up a full size to even be able to pull them on.

We must admit that climbing in this shoe straight out of the box was quite painful. The Booster is made with synthetic leather, which means it will not stretch and become sloppy over time. This is a big bonus for the longevity and integrity of this high-performance shoe, but it does make it harder to break in than a shoe with a natural leather upper. Once we worked through the break-in process, however, the Booster relaxed a bit and became more comfortable to wear during a climbing session.

Smearing

Being comfortable on your feet is an integral part of climbing at a high level, and smearing on bad footholds can be the key to sending a route or falling. We were highly impressed at how well the Booster performed on different types of rockas well as on plastic holds in the gym. This soft, flexible shoe can squish to maximize surface area, while the sensitive outsole allows you to feel exactly what's going on underfoot.

A particular outsole design is what helps the Booster smear so well. The front third of the shoe is covered by a 3.5 mm Vibram XS Grip 2 rubber, and the midsole is Flexan 1.0 mm. This combination of lightweight materials makes these shoes nimble, with an innate sensitivity that helps you to really feel the rock. This nearly perfect balance of stiffness and flexibility really allows these shoes to shine on friction holds – toeing into tiny pockets on an overhanging wall is the ideal day for the Booster.

Edging

Shoes that excel at edging often have a continuous piece of rubber that distributes your weight across your foot, effectively acting like a platform for you to stand on. So, when you have a softer shoe, usually its edging capabilities suffer. However, a minimalistic Flexan 1.0 mm insert with a floating big toe pad on the Booster adds just enough extra support to hold up to edging on vertical rock.

Given that these shoes are a tight fit out of the box, they kept their shape and edged surprisingly well for their design. Even though they can hold their own on vertical terrain, the Booster is definitely not the optimal shoe for long days of edging your way up dime-sized holds on a granite face. If you're going to climb the Dawn Wall, there are better options in our lineup that offer the stiffness to support your weight on tiny footholds.

Pulling

Aggressive shoes like this one tend to come in two forms: soft midsole and rigid midsole. A soft, downturned shoe offers increased flexibility, sensitivity, and reduced support. A stiffer downturned shoe, on the other hand, is more rigid, better maintains its shape during weight transfer, and has less tension in the forefoot area. Although it's a bit more rigid than other directly comparable shoes, we definitely put the Booster in the “soft” category. With its downturned toe, asymmetrical shape, and super flexible midsole, pulling is what this shoe does best.

The Differentiated Tensioning System (DTS) on the Booster enabled smoother transitions in dynamic movements and increased toe engagement during steep maneuvers. The heel is connected with 2 mm of Vibram XS GRIP2 rubber, which digs into the rock and gives you ample grip to hold your heel in position. This specialized design concentrates power in the toe box, allowing for maximum pulling force downward. These shoes excel in dynamic movements where you have to transfer your weight from a mantle or high foot.

Crack Climbing

The Booster was designed to be worn with a slight scrunch in the toe, a design that really shines on overhanging rock and boulders. But in order to squeeze and cam your foot into a crack, it's crucial that your toes have a little bit of play in the toe box. If you are trying to send a face and thin crack project – or any route where you are only using cracks intermittently – then this shoe is an adequate option. Sized up, they actually climb nicely in corners and thin cracks. But if you're going after long hand- or wider cracks, then the Booster isn't going to be very comfortable.

For our lead tester, who opted to size the Booster for projecting steep sport climbs and boulders, crack climbing was incredibly painful. With scrunched toes, it was nearly impossible to maneuver her foot into a hand crack. Even though the Booster is a fairly versatile shoe despite its specific design, we still think it's better to choose a different pair of shoes if you plan on doing a lot of crack climbing.

Should You Buy the Scarpa Booster?

The Booster is a soft, precise climbing machine. It excels at climbing overhangs, roofs, and small holds in steep terrain. It was a joy to test these shoes on classic European limestone routes, and they even surprised us by performing well on more vertical granite faces. But it's important to point out that the Booster is really a specialized shoe – and a very expensive one, at that – specifically designed for steep climbing. It doesn't edge super well compared to other shoes we've tested, and it certainly isn't designed for crack climbing. But as a specialized tool for bouldering or steep sport climbs, the Booster is well worth your investment.

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