REASONS TO BUY
Soft
Great for steep climbing
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Specific
Run small
Difficult to break in
Scarpa Furia S Review
An aggressive shoe made for steep, bouldery climbing
Credit: Scarpa
Our Verdict
The Scarpa Furia is an incredibly soft, yet aggressively shaped shoe designed for steep, bouldery climbing. These shoes are at home on an overhanging boulder problem where toe hooks, heel hooks, and knee bars are the name of the game. On vertical to low angle terrain, the Furias have a tough time, but once the wall gets steep, these shoes will keep you on the wall. With a hefty price tag, the Furia is undoubtedly an investment. The Furia should probably not be your first climbing shoe, since it lacks versatility and is designed with performance in mind. If you are looking for an aggressive shoe to tackle your next overhanging route, the Furia might be the key to success.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Furias are soft, downturned, and covered in sticky rubber. These shoes will help you toe hook like a bat but fall short on vertical terrain.
Performance Comparison
The Furia's are far more comfortable in this overhanging limestone cave than we are!
Credit: Eric Bissell
Comfort
Many of the ladies who wore the Scarpa Furia during our testing period had issues with the overall fit. Those with low-volume feet found gaps and extra fabric on the top of the foot, while our wider-footed tester found these shoes to be a challenge to get on and break-in. The excessive rubber on top of the toe box is great for heel hooking but doesn't allow for much stretch during the break-in period. Just as their use is fairly specific, it seems like the Furia's fit is as well.
Shown above is an early attempt at putting on the terribly tight Scarpa Furias. Beware! These shoes run quite small!
Credit: Eric Bissell
Sensitivity
The softness of the Furia makes it a fairly sensitive shoe. With the same Vibram XS Grip2 rubber that is almost universal across the women's models we tested this season, the Furia inspires confidence on the smallest of smears. Their aggressively downturned shape makes them more effective on steep terrain than on slabs and dime edges, especially since the shoe is so soft overall. Though they are soft and sensitive, the Furia was a bit too aggressive in shape to feel footholds on moderate terrain.
The Furias are some of the most sensitive shoes we tested. Their soft midsoles melt into tiny features on this highly featured limestone wall.
Credit: Eric Bissell
Edging
With an incredibly soft midsole and barely any support underfoot - beyond the aggressive shape of the shoe - the Furia is not our first pick when it comes to technical edging. Their downturned shape makes it hard to engage flat footholds or smear on slabby terrain.
Better on overhanging terrain, the Scapra Furias were not our top pick for edging.
Credit: Eric Bissell
Crack Climbing
With one look at the Furias, most climbers would guess that crack climbing is not exactly their strong suit. With a talon-like shape, they elicit a shudder at any Indian Creek crag. Though they are soft, the overall shape is just not designed for repetitive jamming, and your feet will probably complain if you try to climb splitter cracks. With such a hefty price tag, the Furia is better saved for your next trip to Kalymnos or Hueco Tanks.
Pockets
The Furia is made for steep pockets, as it excels for toe and heel hooks, as well as precision foot placement. Their downturned shape practically hooks onto the edge of pockets, no matter how shallow they may be, while the fairly narrow toe box allows the Furia to fit into tiny pockets that a bulkier shoe cannot.
Psyching up with the Furias as we prepare to rap into the Verdon Gorge - the mecca for pocket climbing!
Credit: Eric Bissell
Ease of Use
The closure system on the Furia consists of one Velcro strap that tightens across the top of the foot and is easy to use. However, the shoes get dinged in this metric due to the difficulties we had breaking them in. The rubber that encases (almost) the entire shoe makes it difficult to get them on at first and even harder to break in. Other shoes were much easier to break in because their leather and synthetic uppers allowed for some stretch.
The single Velcro strap makes these easy to tighten down. The rubber all over the top makes them hard to break in.
Credit: Eric Bissell
Value
The Furias are some of the most expensive shoes on the market, as they are top-end climbing shoes that are designed to perform. If you do decide to throw down for a pair of these, make sure they fit your foot and climbing style.
Steep climbing is the name of the game for the Scarpa Furias.
Credit: Eric Bissell
Conclusion
When it comes to climbing style, these technical beasts are a one-trick pony. High performance in the steeps means the Furia does not exactly shine on lower angle terrain where edging and smearing are required. Their hefty price tag also makes them a bit of a commitment, so we would only recommend these to experienced sport climbers who know what they are getting into.
—Jane Jackson
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