The Mad Rock Flash is a good, comfortable climbing shoe. I wore my pair until all of my toes were poking out through holes. Is the Flash a good choice of shoe for you? Read on to find out.
The Rock Shoe and its Specs
The Flash is a soft, slip-lasted shoe with a 5.3 mm sole. It has a thin, 1mm midsole and a 2.2 mm rand. The upper is constructed of leather, and the shoe uses two Velcro hook and loop fasteners. The Velcro straps have textured, sticky rubber on their tops to provide you with bit more grip when jamming your foot in a crack. The heel cup is a 3-D molded affair that is designed for aggressive heel-hooking, and is also designed to give you some traction and braking ability for descending boulder problem walk-offs. The tongue is a soft, comfortable neoprene. The suggested retail price for the Mad Rock Flash is $74.95.
My Experience
The Mad Rock Flash was the second climbing shoe I ever purchased. They were a good choice that complemented my first pair of rock shoes quite well. Where the first climbing shoe was stiffer and excelled at edgy, vertical climbs, the Flash was flexible and did well on steeper fare. The flexible sole and the sticky rubber allowed me to grab holds with my feet, and also allowed me to smear very well on slabbier routes. The downside was that the Flash was noticeably worse at edging.
One of the big positives of this shoe was its comfort. I sized the Flash fairly tightly, so that my toes were curled over, but it was still a very comfortable shoe. The soft leather and softer tongue allowed me to wear these shoes for long periods of time without discomfort.
The soft leather of the upper does stretch. In fact, the shoe stretches at least a half size, so bear that in mind when sizing. I bought mine a bit tight, and after a week my shoes were perfect. The orange dye of the upper will stain your feet as you climb and sweat. If you consider temporarily having bright orange feet a problem, then you should probably buy another shoe.
Bottom Line
The Flash is a good rock shoe, but not a great one. I would recommend the Mad Rock Flash to anyone who wants a comfortable, affordable shoe that is a decent all-around performer. To find out more about the Flash, or any other Mad Rock shoes or products, check out www.madrockclimbing.com. The Flash would be a great first shoe, and I would recommend this shoe to a beginner. To find other shoes that would be good for beginners, please read this article http://tinyurl.com/or63mm. To learn about what to look for in your first pair of climbing shoes, please click on http://tinyurl.com/p4wpjv. For a review of the very first climbing shoe I bought, which was a good complement to the Flash, you can click on http://tinyurl.com/pxm23w.
