REASONS TO BUY
Extremely sensitive
Comfortable right out of the box
Solid precision
REASONS TO AVOID
Limited support
Low versatility
Scarpa Chimera Review
An ultra-premium shoe for ultra-hard climbing routes
For steep bouldering and short sport climbs, the Chimera offers elite level performance. For more vertical endeavors we prefer a stiffer shoe.
Credit: Dom Rickicki
RELATED: Best Climbing Shoes of 2024
Our Verdict
Although we often dread updates to top-of-the-line shoes, thankfully, our original feelings of the Scarpa Chimera remain the same: the performance frankly exceeds the hype. Slight updates to this shoe have actually improved its durability and fit, and the quality construction still justifies the price. Our favorite attribute is the exceptional sensitivity that allows you to detect the subtlest features of a foothold. We also appreciate the comfort of the unlined microfiber upper, which feels great out of the box and only improves with time. The obvious drawback is the cost, but the Chimera is also not a great option for long, sustained efforts in less vertical terrain. However, for serious bouldering or sport climbing, few shoes can match this beast's pulling power.
Editor's Note: We retested the Scarpa Chimera and updated this review on January 2, 2024, to reflect our recent findings.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Scarpa Chimera | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Climbing Shoe | Best Shoe for Trad and Crack Climbing |  Best Value for a Trad Shoe | Best Value for a Well-Rounded Climbing Shoe | |
| Price | $219 List $218.95 at Amazon | $164.19 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $164.19 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $119.89 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $96.69 at REI Compare at 3 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A premium climbing shoes designed for dexterity in steep climbing | An awesome shoe for long climbs requiring a variety of crack climbing and edging techniques | With this shoe, you can climb pitch after pitch without pain | A simple shoe with solid performance for trad climbing | A bargain price for a climbing shoe with respectable performance |
| Rating Categories | Scarpa Chimera | La Sportiva Katana... | La Sportiva TC Pro | Black Diamond Aspect | La Sportiva Finale |
| Comfort (20%) | |||||
| Smearing (20%) | |||||
| Edging (20%) | |||||
| Pulling (20%) | |||||
| Cracks (20%) | |||||
| Specs | Scarpa Chimera | La Sportiva Katana... | La Sportiva TC Pro | Black Diamond Aspect | La Sportiva Finale |
| Style | Lace | Lace | Lace | Lace | Lace |
| Upper | Microsuede | Leather / Microfiber | Leather | Leather | Eco Leather / Microfiber |
| Width Options | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular |
| Lining | Microfiber | Pacific (in forefoot and back) | Sentex / PU Foam | Hemp | Unlined |
| Rubber Type | Vibram XS Grip2 | Vibram XS Edge | Vibram XS Edge | NeoFriction Force | Vibram XS Edge |
| Rubber Thickness | 3.5 mm | 4 mm | 4 mm | 4.3 mm | 5 mm |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Scarpa Chimera is a premium climbing shoe designed for modern boulder problems and steep routes. If your goal is steep climbing where you need to stand on vague features and pull on slopey holds, this is the shoe you want on your feet. We really appreciated the sensitivity and softness of the Chimera, as the shape and thinness of the rubber allowed us to wrap our feet around holds like an extra set of hands. Out of the box, the comfort is unmatched and the Chimera was one of our favorite shoes for long days of bouldering.
Performance Comparison
For precise footholds, the Chimera's toe profile and soft rubber excel.
Credit: Dom Rickicki
Comfort
Our testers think the Chimera is one the most comfortable shoes right out of the box. It's ultra-soft midsole and microsuede upper seemed to conform to our tester's feet instantly. As the Chimera broke in, it continued to impress us with the comfort it provides for such an aggressively downturned model. This shoe loses a point only because its soft character provides little protection when the edges get small, and the terrain is more vertical. When you're working a problem where you really need to stand on your feet, there are better options.
The Chimera is one of the most expensive climbing shoes on the market. But for the price, you get a shoe that you can pull out of the box and climb hard in right away.
Credit: Jack Cramer
Smearing
The Chimera's most notable attribute is its sensitivity. This is partially achieved with the split rand and ultra-soft midsole, allowing your foot to bend and adjust to the wall angle while conforming to each individual hold. The other contributing factor is the thinness of the Vibram XS Grip 2 rubber. At just 3.5 mm, it's thinner than most shoes, allowing you to detect the smallest dimples and bumps. This equates to a shoe that can smear and provide purchase on the vaguest of holds. But improved sensitivity often balances with a lack of support, and unfortunately, routes that required sustained smearing were fatiguing and painful by the end.
The soft rubber on the toe box allowed our big toe to push out over the factory edge, causing precision issues in more vertical terrain.
Credit: Dom Rickicki
Edging
The Chimera is one of a few Scarpa shoes to feature TPS technology. That stands for Toe Power Support, a “thermoshapable insert” beneath the forefoot that's supposed to provide better support, enhance pulling capabilities, and improve precision. It certainly succeeds at the pulling and precision. The Chimera feels incredibly precise and works magic on tiny edges right out of the box. We're skeptical, however, about the support benefits of the TPS technology. Although this shoe is excellent at edges, it's also very soft, which is less than ideal if you're forced to stand on those edges for a long time while you suss out a sustained, techy sequence. Our lead tester also noticed that the softness of the rubber allowed his big toe to push the rand rubber over the edge of the last, creating a less crisp edge, especially while climbing more vertically.
The Chimera is incredibly precise, but the soft rubber means that it just isn't the most comfortable shoe to stand on edge.
Credit: Dom Rickicki
Pulling
It's hard to describe this shoe as anything other than “a pure joy” for pulling through steep terrain. The dexterity, sensitivity, and ample rubber coverage of the Chimera allow you to pull and hook on even the most vague features. One could easily argue that this shoe can actually improve your technical skills, as its capability encourages you to use these hooking techniques more than you would have otherwise. If we had to offer one knock against its performance in this area, it is that the Chimera is so soft that heavier climbers may find it lacks the necessary support for powering off of a foothold.
The unique shape of the forefoot rubber on the Chimera allows you to easily flex the shoe with your toes and grab footholds
Credit: Dom Rickicki
Crack Climbing
This shoe's performance on cracks is undermined by its aggressive downturn. This downturn curls and bunches your toes, which makes resting on wider foot jams uncomfortably painful. However, for thinner cracks, the Chimera offers a modest profile well-suited for rand smears or marginal jams. It might just be the solution for a steep, bouldery crack project. But it's not a good choice for sustained crack test pieces.
On longer sport routes, the soft sole and limited support of the Chimeras made our testers desperate to get them off to relieve their foot pain.
Credit: Jack Cramer
Should You Buy the Scarpa Chimera?
To some, climbing is a hobby; to others, it's an all-consuming obsession. For the latter group, there's the Scarpa Chimera. This supple Italian masterpiece offers unrivaled sensitivity in an aggressive design that's ready for your overhanging mega project. We also expect that many will balk at its exorbitant price tag. That's understandable, and it's not a shoe we would recommend to the recreational crowd. The Chimera is a specialized shoe that's best suited for bouldering and shorter sport routes, filling a niche for serious climbers willing to pay more for a shoe of exceptional quality that fits perfectly right out of the box.
What Other Rock Climbing Shoes Should You Consider?
The Chimera may not be a great value for everyone, but its expensive price is backed up by outstanding performance in some key realms. However, there are better choices if you are exclusively crack climbing. Of course, the ultra-classic La Sportiva TC Pro is specially designed for this purpose, but the more reasonably priced Black Diamond Aspect Pro is equally admirable as a trad shoe. If your local crag features a lot of pocketed routes, it's worth comparing the Chimera against the more supportive La Sportiva Katana Lace.
—
Jack Cramer, Dom Rickicki
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