The Evolv Rockstar was the first climbing shoe I ever purchased, and it was a good purchase. This review will help you decide if it would be a good shoe for you to purchase as well.
The Shoe
The Rockstar is one of Evolv’s women’s shoes. That does not mean that only women can wear it. Any man with a narrow foot profile should be fine with the Rockstar, and some women with wide feet would probably be better off with a men’s climbing shoe. The Rockstar is a straight-lasted shoe, with a narrow, asymmetrical toe profile. It has a synthetic upper with a comfortable cotton lining, and 1.1 mm half-midsole. It is designed to be a comfortable, all-around performance climbing shoe. In 2004 it won Editor’s Choice awards as “Best Women’s Climbing Shoes” from both Rock & Ice Magazine and Climbing Magazine. The Evolv Rockstar retails for $89.
My Experience
These were the first pair of climbing shoes that I purchased, and like most things on the first try, I made a few mistakes. These shoes are a bit narrower than ideal for me, although I did not figure that out until later. Also, I got these shoes a half size too tight, and with the synthetic upper they did not stretch at all. After my first gym session with them, I thought my heels would be sore forever. Luckily, my feet adapted a bit, and I was able to enjoy these shoes for a good while.
The Rockstar is a good all-around shoe. It does everything decently, but it does some things better than others. I found the Rockstar to be quite good at edging, but not as accomplished at smearing. The narrow toe profile was quite useful when wiggling them into thin cracks, and they were fairly comfortable when jamming larger cracks. They were noticeably weaker on overhanging routes than on vertical. On overhanging routes I did find them occasionally sliding off of holds, while on technical, vertical routes they provided me with great security on very tiny edges. In the end, I liked the Rockstar enough to have my pair resoled, and I likely would have had them resoled again if I had not lost half of the pair somewhere.
I would recommend the Rockstar for anyone with a narrow foot who wants an all-around climbing shoe that performs well. The Rockstar is best suited to vertical face and crack climbing. Sized properly, it would make a comfortable all-day or multi-pitch shoe. The Rockstar would also be a good choice for a beginning climber, and it would also bea good choice for an advanced climber.
To see the Rockstar or other shoes from Evolv, check out www.evolvesports.com. If you are a beginning climber and would like some tips on to find the right pair of climbing shoes for you, then read this article: http://tinyurl.com/p4wpjv. If you would like to read a general review of several good climbing shoes for beginners, then you can go to http://tinyurl.com/or63mm. Find the right shoes for you, and enjoy climbing!
