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There are few climbing shoes as iconic, versatile, and well-loved as La Sportiva’s aptly named Solution. Anyone climbing in these shoes can attest to their precision and edging power. In short, they’re an absolute juggernaut when it comes to tackling the toughest problems and routes.

There’s no denying the commercial success of the Solution either. They’ve been around since 2007 and have received more than their fair share of awards. And that’s not to mention that some of the biggest names in climbing, like Adam Ondra and Stefano Ghisolfi, continue to reach for the Solution as their go-to shoe to send the hardest climbs in the world.

With a resume like that, it begs the question, does the Solution live up to the hype? Let’s take a deeper dive.

La Sportiva Solution vs Skwama vs Miura VS vs TC Pro

Wondering how the Solution stacks up against La Sportiva’s other popular models? Here’s a quick side-by-side before we get into the full review.

Model	Best For	Downturn	Closure	Rubber
La Sportiva Solution	Bouldering and single-pitch steep sport	Aggressive	Velcro Lock Harness	Vibram XS Grip 2
La Sportiva Skwama	Steep sport and sensitive smearing	Aggressive, soft flex	Single-strap Velcro	Vibram XS Grip 2
La Sportiva Miura VS	Vertical to overhanging edging	Moderate	Velcro strap	Vibram XS Edge
La Sportiva TC Pro	Crack climbing and multi-pitch trad	Flat, minimal	Lace-up to the ankle	Vibram XS Edge

Features

P3 Platform

Many La Sportiva climbing shoes feature their Permanent Power Platform. This unique randing system starts under your toes and wraps around the back of the heel, focusing power toward the front of the shoe while maintaining a supportive, downturned shape. In short, the P3 platform keeps you performing at a higher level for longer, and is one of the things that makes La Sportiva such a well-known and loved climbing shoe brand.

Lock Harness System

With a built-in harness that wraps your foot, both increasing power and reducing dead space, this shoe gives you a near-perfect fit every time. This helps with precision and gives a secure fit while edging, heel hooking, and everything in between.

Generous Toe Patch

With a large toe patch on the top of the shoe, this shoe lets you take advantage of every toe hook and heel-toe cam you come across. And, as with many La Sportiva climbing shoes, they made sure to have the toe patch rubber run far enough up the shoe to keep it from getting peeled back the first time you use it.

Vibram XS Grip 2 Rubber

Although the design of the Solution leans towards a stiffer shoe, with a relatively stiff midsole and heel cup, La Sportiva opted for Vibram XS Grip 2 rubber to add a touch of sensitivity to the shoe. While that doesn’t give it the super soft feel of the Theory or the Cobra, it does help to give you a feel for what’s going on underfoot.

On The Rock

No surprises here. The Solution is an absolute machine on stone. Ideal for bouldering and single-pitch sport climbing, it handles limestone cave crawling as easily as granite compression problems. It starts stiff and stays that way from its first pitch to its hundredth, making us think there really is something to this P3 Platform.

Speaking of stiffness, the Solution is certainly a step up when compared to softer, more sensitive models like the Skwama or Futura. But, at the same time, it avoids the ultra-stiff feel of the Miura VS. The result is a shoe that is stiff enough to eliminate foot fatigue when standing on small edges while offering just enough flexibility to keep you from skating a foot on polished holds.

Although it may have a place in a haul bag for some big wall crux pitches, we’d generally suggest keeping this shoe around for mostly single-pitch climbing and bouldering. It’s generally more downturned and aggressive than most folks are looking for in a multi-pitch boot. Other than that, this shoe seems to be a jack of all trades. You’ll see folks sending hard in the Solution on every rock type, wall angle, and across disciplines.

Which brings us to where the Solution excels. Although the Solution could be replaced in your shoe rotation, in many cases, there’s no substitute when it comes to heel-toe cams or granite heel hooks. The stiffness of the 3D molded heel cup brings a lot to the table, providing reliable stick where other shoes fail. In fact, we tried multiple granite boulder problems in various shoes and found that the difference between flailing and an immediate send just came down to just putting on the Solution.

There are climbs where you may be looking for a more sensitive shoe and the Solution isn’t particularly oriented towards long stints of crack climbing. But otherwise, any problem or route is fair game. From crimp-fest boulders in Joe’s Valley to the slick stone found on many American Fork routes to the technical problems of Little Cottonwood Canyon, we couldn’t find many good reasons not to wear them.

What We Like

• Heel Cup - Although this is a topic of much debate in many climbing circles, there’s no denying that the heel cup offers something special if it fits your heel well. It’s plenty stiff, which can make precise heel placements a little tricky. But it also has an uncanny ability to bite into the smallest chips, divots, and crystals, meaning you’ll get plenty of stick even if your heel placement is off by a centimeter or two.

• Edging Capabilities - There’s a reason boulderers love this shoe. It allows you to stand on micro edges all day without dealing with the foot pain and fatigue that usually comes with it. With the P3 rand driving power to your big toe, and super sticky Vibram rubber up front, this shoe opens up a new world of foothold possibilities.
• Lock Harness - This shoe hugs your foot in all the right places. The lock harness gives you a picture-perfect fit that’s free of dead space or bunched material. This feature delivers a secure feel that you can trust to perform well on everything from heel-toe cams in steep caves to micro-edges on dead vert walls.

What Could Be Improved

• Fast-Lacing System - Though La Sportiva has clearly done some work to make the current lacing system more durable than previous iterations, it still isn’t quite where we’d like it to be. While the system design itself is great, the strap frays and breaks more easily than we’d expect, and occasionally well before the shoe has reached the end of its life.

Sizing La Sportiva Climbing Shoes

Sizing climbing shoes is always a matter of individual preference, and La Sportiva climbing shoes are no different. La Sportiva suggests that sizing down two to three sizes from your street shoe is appropriate.

For reference, our reviewer wears the following shoe sizes:

Street Shoe - 44 (U.S. Men’s 11)

La Sportiva Solution - 41.5

La Sportiva Skwama - 41

La Sportiva TC Pro - 41.5

The Full La Sportiva Solution Lineup

The Solution family has grown well beyond the original men’s shoe. Here’s the full current lineup, from the flagship Solution to the beginner-friendly Solution Comp for kids.

La Sportiva Solution - Men's

La Sportiva Solution - Women's

La Sportiva Solution Comp - Men's

The Solution Comp trades some of the standard Solution’s stiffness for an even more aggressive, gym-and-competition-oriented shape, with a quicker single-pull closure built for fast transitions between burns.

La Sportiva Solution Comp - Women's

La Sportiva Solution Comp Jr - Kid's

The kid’s version brings the same aggressive Comp shape down to junior sizing, giving young climbers a performance shoe to grow into at the gym.

Conclusion

There are a lot of reasons to love this shoe and not a lot of good reasons to dislike it. It’s stiff where it needs to be, without making you feel like you’re wearing the Miura VS, and it can keep up with the best on any angle, from the slabs to the steeps. And though La Sportiva could make some small adjustments to future generations of the shoe, there’s not all that much room for improvement in this modern classic.

FAQ

Is the La Sportiva Solution good for bouldering?

Is the La Sportiva Solution good for bouldering? Yes. The aggressive downturn, P3 Platform, and sticky Vibram XS Grip 2 rubber make the Solution one of the most popular shoes for bouldering, especially on steep terrain and technical granite problems.

How much should I size down in the La Sportiva Solution?

How much should I size down in the La Sportiva Solution? La Sportiva generally recommends sizing down two to three sizes from your street shoe. Our reviewer wears a 44 street shoe (U.S. Men’s 11) and takes a 41.5 in the Solution.

Is the La Sportiva Solution good for crack climbing?

Is the La Sportiva Solution good for crack climbing? Not really. The aggressive downturn and Velcro closure make foot jamming uncomfortable. For long stints of crack and multi-pitch climbing, the flatter, lace-up La Sportiva TC Pro is a better fit.

What is the difference between the La Sportiva Solution and the Miura VS?

What is the difference between the La Sportiva Solution and the Miura VS? The Solution has a more aggressive downturn and is built for bouldering and steep sport climbing, while the Miura VS has a more moderate downturn suited to vertical to overhanging edging across a wider range of terrain.

What is the P3 Platform?

What is the P3 Platform? The Permanent Power Platform is La Sportiva’s randing system that wraps from under the toes around the heel. It focuses power toward the front of the shoe and helps the shoe hold its downturned shape over time.

Does the La Sportiva Solution work for multi-pitch climbing?

Does the La Sportiva Solution work for multi-pitch climbing? It can, but the aggressive downturn makes it better suited to short crux pitches than a full day in the shoe. For all-day multi-pitch comfort, a flatter model like the TC Pro is a better choice.

What is the main downside of the La Sportiva Solution?

What is the main downside of the La Sportiva Solution? The lacing strap is the most common complaint. It tends to fray and wear out faster than the rest of the shoe, sometimes before the shoe itself has reached the end of its life.

About the Author

Dan Goodman

Most of the year, Dan can be found chasing the best climbing conditions he can get his hands on, and in the dead of winter, he’ll settle for chasing powder on his snowboard. He’s constantly seeking out better gear, testing new climbing shoes, backpacks, sleeping bags, and more to make his life in the outdoors a bit more comfortable. When he’s not outside putting his gear to good use, he’s writing about the products that he knows best.