A Girl Who Climbs

You’ve most likely seen these bad boys on Jan Hojer or Juliane Wurm, they seem to be the shoe of choice for smashing both competitions and outdoor projects. It’s easy to see why they favour them, they are an excellent technical shoe for the more advanced climber. My pair were an Ebay bargain to replace my Evolv Shaman LV (RIP), but now I mostly keep these shoes for when I’m trying something I find really hard because the split sole hurts my feet, as they aren’t strong enough just yet. I hope to do them justice one day soon! They come in at the £70 – £75 mark which I feel makes them a bargain.

Fit –I’m a street size 3 UK and I size matched in the Shark boots which gives me a very, very snug bouldering fit. However I think if I had up-sized by half I could wear them for longer periods of time, but it’s debatable if that is necessary. It was definitely an experience trying to get them on and off! As you can see in the pictures these shoes are pretty much all rubber so there isn’t a lot of give. I ended up stuffing the shoes with a bunch of fluffy socks so they were completely packed, and then heating them up with a hair dryer. While they were still warm I removed the other socks from inside the shoes before putting them on, and then let them cool down on my feet. It was pretty painful to break them in but they did stretch and mould to my feet. They have a fairly wide toe box but it still creates the right pressure in the right places. When you eventually get them on there is a satisfying poof of air that exits the shoe, giving it a vacuum/sock feel. To take them off I would advise pulling away from the heel with the tabs to get a little space, and then roll the heel down.

Specifications –They look pretty aggressive with a split sole, down turn, and they also feature the asymmetrical shape like most technical shoes. As I mentioned before they are pretty much a whole rubber slipper which is great for roof climbs, but they also have a special heel detail. They have an extra moulded strip that runs down the center of the heel, which allows heel hooking on small holds. This is a ‘Marmite’ feature as far as I have experience when talking to other Shark owners. I’ve tried it a few times and it felt safe to pull down on it, but I am someone who will forever flat foot instead of heel hook. That being said I never feel like there is any chance these shoes will come off during a climb, they feel extremely secure for a slipper with a single Velcro strap. I recently noticed that they have possibly been redesigned again, with a fastening system more reminiscent of the Mad Rock Lotus.

Performance – Can we all just take a minute to appreciate the Mad Rock rubber name ‘Science Friction’! Not only is it an awesome name but the performance of the R2 rubber is pretty much unrivaled for me. Once the first layer is worn off they are so sticky it’s unreal, which gives me a lot of confidence. I find these a very sensitive shoe that makes small work of edges.

Aesthetic – You’ve got to admit they look pretty cool and understated compared to other shoes on the market. I really like the minimal use of colour, however if you’re looking for something more feminine then I would suggest the Mad Rock Lotus which is the female version of the Shark.

Conclusion

Currently one of the best shoes I’ve worn in terms of performance, but not the most comfortable. If you’re a more advanced climber in the market for new climbing shoes, I would urge you to consider the Mad Rock Shark 2.0. With all the specifications they can conquer any crux on the correct feet and they look pretty darn cool too, what more could you ask for?