Scarpa Generator Mid Review

The Generator Mid uses Scarpa's Tri-tension system and PAF (Pressure Absorbing Fit) system to create a shoe that is supportive for long efforts on the wall yet precise enough to utilize tiny footholds on technical granite climbs. This shoe has excellent support for long multi-pitch trad climbs and just enough sensitivity for feeling those small crystals while running up slabs. It hits the sweet spot for crack climbing – stiff enough for wider cracks but still precise enough to stay viable when things narrow. We wouldn't choose this shoe as our thin crack specialist, but as a generalist, it's a great shoe to have on your feet for climbing crack systems of varying widths. For climbers that have found other popular trad shoes to be a little too tight, the wider fit of the Generator will be a great relief.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

Like most stiff, high-top shoes, a couple of pitches will help soften this shoe up and break it in nicely. Compared to similar models, the Generator's break-in period is quite short – about two days of light cragging, in our experience. Once broken in, the sensitivity of the shoe increases, and its all-day comfort is noteworthy – it is the one shoe we can keep on our feet pitch after pitch without needing to take it off to give our feet a break. The extra bulk of this high-top shoe might lead to sweaty feet in hotter weather. But for normal conditions in the alpine, it was like having a super technical approach shoe on our feet. The combination of extra padding and a wider fit make it one of the most comfortable climbing shoes we have ever tested, though the heel felt baggier than similarly built trad shoes. If you have narrow feet, we highly recommend trying these on before buying because there are likely better options to fit your foot.

Smearing

If you're going to be climbing granite, you best believe you're going to be smearing. Scarpa knew their market when they designed this shoe and they have made an excellent platform for the kind of slopey footholds we so often rely on while climbing technical granite faces. Stiffness can hinder sensitivity and smear-ability, but most flat shoes are able to overcome this after an adequate break-in period. While the Generator Mid is not the most sensitive smearer in this class of shoes, it does admirably well at the art of “smedging,” the technique we most often use on granite if we're not jamming. As an all-arounder, this shoe transitions well from edges to smears to jams, whatever the need may be.

Edging

A stiff shoe will almost always perform admirably on edges, and the Generator Mid is no exception to that rule. Built around Scarpa's supportive Tri-tension system and the precise cut of the M70 toe rand, this shoe provides the power necessary to utilize small edges, and the supportive platform to keep your feet from fatiguing while you shuffle the last of your cams at the top of a pitch. Compared to a more purpose-built edging shoe, the Generator lacks some of the downturn shape, pointy precision, and sensitivity to make it a top-scorer in this metric. While you could downsize to gain more edging performance, this isn't how the majority of climbers would fit this shoe for all-day climbing. If your end goal is climbing seriously steep projects, we would opt for a more purpose-built shoe.

Pulling

Flat, high-top, trad shoes are not designed with the requisite dexterity to grab with your feet in steep terrain. The Generator Mid has a stiff, relatively flat design, which makes it really hard to curl your toes onto holds and hold body tension without slipping off. The shoe does have a slight downturn and will be able to pull those rare overhanging moves on certain trad routes. But it is not the kind of shoe you will be reaching for to get a gym session in or hit the boulders with.

Crack Climbing

If you're spending all day following crack systems up a granite wall or getting in your mileage on sandstone splitters, the Generator Mid will be a trusty companion. The toe box is, surprisingly, a bit too tall and bulky for thin cracks, but it's a pleasure to jam this shoe in every other width. Our testers with wider feet noted that the Generator's ample fit and stiffer upper better protected their feet in painful cracks, especially compared to similar shoes. The high-top, fully padded ankle also provides top-notch, making sure your feet don't get too wrecked in wide cracks. While this shoe is excellent for general crack climbing, it should be on the radar of every off-width climber. (The Generator Crack is a famous off-width, lest we forget!) The stiff flex profile, ample toe rubber, and reinforced ankle padding make the Generator Mid quite comfortable when things get wide and you're fighting for purchase.

Should You Buy the Scarpa Generator Mid?

If you are still cleaning the sand out of your vehicle from your last desert tower trip, you carry a haul bag to the coffee shop, or you have never stick-clipped a route, there have traditionally only been a few truly high-end shoes on the market for the kind of climbing you enjoy. That is changing, though, and we are seeing some pretty impressive offerings for high-top trad specialists. For a similarly high level of all-around performance as other options, with even more protection and a slightly wider fit, the Generator Mid should be a shoe you consider for all your trad climbing needs. While Scarpa always seems to be pushing the price ceiling higher for climbing shoes, if big walls, gobies, and adventure are what you eat, sleep, and breathe, then the Generator Mid is worth the investment.

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