La Sportiva Solution Comp Climbing Shoes Review
Precise and powerful shoes for intermediate and advanced climbers
April 6th, 2026
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Our verdict
The La Sportiva Solution Comp climbing shoes are some of the best all-around climbing shoes on the market. Their aggressive design balances precision, performance, softness, and rigidity, making them our go-to shoes for any type of project.
To see how well the Solution Comps perform, we tested them while bouldering and rope climbing for over a year. We wore them on slabby and overhanging boulders both indoors and outside where we put their edging, smearing, and downturn to the test. We also went sport climbing with them to see how comfortable they stay on long sport routes.
After all that testing, we’ve fallen in love with the La Sportiva Comps for their accurate toe and excellent balance of rigidity and sensitivity. The Solution Comps are a softer version of the brand’s ever-popular Solution shoes. Both models share the same elongated toe, which we found to be fantastic for small footchips and overhangs alike. The toe is precise and has an aggressive downturn, which makes generating power and gripping holds with our feet excellent.
We love the moderate softness, and even though the heel cup is more narrow than the original Solutions, some people might still think it’s a bit too big. However, a low-volume women’s version could help those with skinny heels.
If you’re looking for excellent all-around climbing shoes, the La Sportiva Solution Comps should be at the top of your list. The sensitivity and power are great, and the talon-like toes really help you dig into any edge or imperfection on the wall. They aren’t as stiff as the original Solutions, but a narrower heel, more sensitive feel, and better toe rubber make these a clear upgrade in our mind.
La Sportiva Solution Comp Climbing Shoes
men's
Women's
To learn more about climbing shoes, check out our Best Beginner Climbing Shoes guide.
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La Sportiva Solution Comp Specifications
Price: $229
Weight (per shoe): 8.9 oz
Closure: Velcro
Rubber: 3.5mm Vibram XS Grip 2
Midsole: 0.9 mm LaspoFlex (toe only) with P3
Upper material: Leather and microfiber
Downturn: Aggressive
Asymmetry: Moderate
Best use: Bouldering and sport climbing, both indoors and outside
Suitable for vegans: No
Best for
These versatile shoes are great for all sorts of climbing, but excel when bouldering.
Intermediate and advanced climbers
Generating tons of power with your toes
Intricate and technical hooking
Bouldering and sport climbing, both indoors and outside
Comparison table
| CLIMBING SHOE | MSRP | Weight (per shoe) | RUBBER TYPE | DOWNTURN | STIFFNESS | BEST USE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Sportiva Solution Comp Men's Women's |
$229 | 8.9 oz | 3.5mm Vibram XS Grip 2 | Aggressive | Medium | Bouldering and sport climbing, both indoors and outside |
| La Sportiva Solution Men's Women's |
$219 | 8.9 oz | 3.5 mm Vibram XS Grip 2 | Aggressive | Medium | Steep climbs, sport climbing, bouldering |
| Scarpa Instinct VSR Men's Women's |
$219 | 8.1 oz | Vibram XS Grip2 | Aggressive | Medium-low | Steep climbs, bouldering, sport climbing |
| La Sportiva Mantra | $189 | 5.9 oz | Half-Sole No-Edge Dynamic Technology (D-Tech) / Differentiated 1-2mm Vibram XS Grip2 | Moderate | Extremely low | Gym climbing |
| La Sportiva Finale Men's Women's |
$139 | 8.4 oz | 5mm Vibram XS Edge | Slight downturn | Medium | Gym, vertical bouldering, sport climbing |
What we liked
We loved the sensitivity and precise toes of the Solution Comps.
Extremely precise and powerful toe box
Balance of sensitivity and rigidity make them great for nearly any type of climb
Super sticky rubber all around the shoes
Narrower heel than the original Solutions
What could be better
The heel is thinner than the original Solutions, but still a tad too wide for us.
Heel still might be bulky for some
Might be too soft for some
Fast Lacing System system has durability concerns
How we tested
We tested the Solution Comps indoors and outdoors, and compared them to other popular models.
To see how the La Sportiva Solution Comps stack up against other climbing shoes, we tested them for over a year. We wore them while climbing outside and at the gym, putting them through all sorts of routes, including overhanging boulders, delicate slabs, technical sport routes, and more.
We wore them while climbing outside in the Front Range of Colorado, and they were our workhorse shoes while projecting multiple climbs at Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder. We wore them during all seasons, and they persevered through sweltering heat and brutal cold alike. We also wore them indoors at various gyms to judge performance there.
All the while, we compared all the features of the La Sportiva Solution Comps to other shoes we’re testing, including the original La Sportiva Solutions, Scarpa Instinct VSR, Scarpa Drago, Tenaya Mastia, Butora Gomi, and more.
Performance in the field
The Solution Comps perform extremely well, thanks to their downturn, sensitivity, and elongated toes.
Fit and sizing
When picking climbing shoes, we typically like to downsize about a full street shoe size for optimal fit. For us, EU 41 (about US men’s 8) is good for everyday and comfortable shoes, while going even smaller to an EU 40.5 is best for pure performance. We tested the Solution Comps in size EU 41, and they fit just like other 41s we’ve worn in the past. If we were to get another pair, we’d probably opt for the tighter fit of a 40.5 so we could really optimize the fantastic performance of the Comps, but we’re still very happy with how they perform.
The Solution Comps have a long, skinny toe box.
Comparing the La Sportiva Solution Comps to some of our other favorite climbing shoes, the Scarpa Instinct VSR, the toe box feels longer and slightly narrower. We have normal width feet and our toes feel comfortably smushed in the Comps, but if you have wide feet, you’ll probably have to take your shoes off to give your feet a break more often.
The other area that’s always tricky to get right is the heel. The original Solutions have a very bulbous and deep heel that never really fit us. The Solution Comps trimmed down that heel cup so they should fit better for most. We still experienced a little bit of dead space in the Comps, but not nearly as much as with the old Solutions. If you have a narrow heel or lower-profile feet in general, La Sportiva also offers a women’s version of the Solution Comp (and the original Solution, too).
The heel on the Solution Comps is smaller and narrower than the original Solutions.
Since these shoes are so soft, breaking them in doesn’t feel too bad, either. They won’t be the comfiest shoes on your first session, but in our experience, they felt more supple and comfortable after just a couple days of climbing.
Sensitivity
The Solution Comps are quite soft and have great sensitivity.
The sensitivity of the La Sportiva Solution Comps is one of the biggest reasons we love them so much. They strike a perfect balance of not-too-soft and not-too-stiff, making them a solid choice for basically any climb. We mostly boulder, so we tend to like softer shoes, which is why we’re probably such a big fan of the Comps.
It’s important to note that while these shoes are soft, they’re not nearly as malleable as other gym-first pairs, like the La Sportiva Mantras or the Scarpa Veloce. You can’t roll them up and put them into your pocket, but they have a good amount of bend and feel to help you smear and sense where you’re putting your toes.
Since these shoes are aggressively downturned, they’re not the best for smearing and volumes, but they can still get the job done. When we wore them at the gyms, we could traverse across smooth surfaces pretty easily, we’d just have to do it more intentionally than when we wore ultra-soft shoes.
While we think the softness is pretty much perfect, if you like the support of more rigid shoes, the Comps might not be the best pair. If that’s you, definitely check out the original La Sportiva Solutions or the Scarpa Instinct VS.
Edging
We loved the long and precise toe of the Solution Comps.
The softness of the Comps is definitely a standout feature, but what separates a La Sportiva Solution shoe from the others is their pointed toe. The toe box of the Solution Comps (and the originals) is a lot more elongated than basically every other climbing shoe we’ve tested. They taper to a fine point, which, paired with the downturn, creates a patch of rubber that extends out and down, away from your toes.
We weren’t sure how we felt about these toes initially, but after climbing for a couple of sessions, we fell in love. This design makes digging your toes into footholds incredibly easy, and we felt like we could concentrate a lot more power into a very fine point. They make your feet feel more like talons, making it easier to grab and pull your body into the wall with just your toes.
The Solution Comps shine when using the very point to dig and pull on footholds, but they’re no slouch when it comes to true edging either. The rubber bubble extends around both the inside and outside of your foot, so as long as you’re still using the tip of the shoe, edging is still possible. However, the edge of the rubber is a bit more rounded than the main pair we were comparing them to, the Scarpa Instinct VSR. So while the Comps could edge on basically everything, we encountered a couple of boulder problems with incredibly small pebbles as footholds, and preferred the bite of the sharper edge on the Scarpas.
Toe and heel hooking
Toe and heel hooks are easy thanks to great friction and high sensitivity.
Toe hooking and heel hooking is no issue with the La Sportiva Solution Comps. The rubber on the toe patch is sticky, and it has small ridges to help get maximum friction on slippery hooks. It doesn’t have a molded heel like the old Solutions, which means there’s more give when heel hooking. However, the lack of that molded heel means it’s narrower and more likely to fit more people.
We were able to perform all sorts of heel hooks and toe hooks while climbing in the Comps, and never came across a hook that couldn’t be done because of the shoes. The sticky rubber and sensitivity means it’s easy to lock any hook in, making these great shoes for boulderers.
Comfort
The Solution Comps are soft, but aggressive, so they aren’t very comfortable.
As an aggressive pair of shoes, comfort was definitely not the top priority when designing the La Sportiva Solution Comps. They’re not painful, and their softness means it won’t feel like you have wooden clubs for feet. However, even after they’ve been fully broken in, we have to take them off a few times per session to let our toes get comfortable again.
The downturn of the Solution Comps means they aren’t very comfortable to walk around in either. You won’t want to walk further than a lap around the gym in these, and even less if you’re dodging rocks and roots outdoors.
Durability
There’s still tons of rubber on the toes of the Solution Comps, even after a year of climbing.
We’ve tested the La Sportiva Solution Comps for over one year, and so far, they’ve held up pretty well. We haven’t been wearing them for every single session during that year, but they’ve been on our shortlist of shoes we’ve rotated through.
There’s a lot of rubber on the tip of the toe, which is helpful because that’s often the first failure point in a pair of climbing shoes. The wear on the rubber and the toes seems pretty standard, they haven’t lasted longer or worn out quicker than any other pair of climbing shoes we’ve tested.
One area of durability that has concerned us, though, is the closures. The Fast Lacing System (which is a strap that’s connected to the shoe at several points that can be adjusted with a Velcro tab) runs through a couple of eyelets on the shoe, and when you pull on them really hard to ensure your shoes are as snug as possible, the laces wear down. There’s some fuzz showing up on the straps on our pair of Comps, and there are numerous online reviews that speak of the same issue, both with the Solution Comps and the old Solutions.
We wish the strap was more durable.
So while you can get a new outsole once it wears down, repairing the Velcro system might be a bit harder. We really hope La Sportiva can improve on the lacing system so the same spot doesn’t get worn down every time you tighten your shoes, so your pair can last for multiple resoles.
Versatility
We love the Solution Comps for basically any type of climbing.
The La Sportiva Solution Comps are some of the most versatile shoes we’ve tested. They’re great for all sorts of bouldering and sport climbing. Because they are aggressively downturned, they’re never going to be the comfortable, all-day pair you’d bring on a multi-pitch day or trad climb. However, if you’re trying to get the most power on small footholds, the Solution Comps are the pair for you.
We’ve loved climbing in the Comps while bouldering outdoors, where we sent multiple projects thanks to the powerful and precise toes. And even though they’re soft, we found they provide enough support for sport climbing sessions, and our feet didn’t feel too tired or uncomfortable, even after completing multiple rope climbs during three-hour sessions. Some pure sport climbers might want a bit more rigidity to support their feet on ultra-tiny holds, but we love the balance of sensitivity in the Comps.
Features
The Solution Comps have tons of features that help them be some of the best climbing shoes we’ve tested.
Aggressive downturn
The Solution Comps have an aggressive downturn, which means the toes of the shoes angle downward. This makes it easier to use footholds on steep terrain.
Asymmetrical toe box
Asymmetrical toe boxes are designed to concentrate as much force as possible at the very tip of the toe. This design helps you push off footholds, but isn’t nearly as comfortable as more symmetrical designs. The Solution Comps are moderately asymmetrical, but not incredibly so.
P3 Permanent Power Platform
The P3 system provides long-lasting support and power production.
This La Sportiva design refers to the rand of the shoe, which is a piece of rubber that wraps around the heel and connects the sole to the upper. This gives the shoes support and structure, meaning you won’t lose power even years down the line.
Vibram XS Grip 2 outsole
These shoes use Vibram XS Grip 2, a soft and sticky rubber compound.
The outsole of the Solution Comps is made from Vibram’s XS Grip 2 rubber. This compound is softer than its main climbing counterpart, XS Edge, and provides better grip. Many soft shoes have XS Grip 2, since it performs better on slopey holds and overhanging routes.
Toe rubber patch
A sticky and often textured piece of rubber that sits on top of the toe box to help toe hooks stay in place. The patch on the Solution Comps is great, thanks to its ridged texture.
Lock Harness System
The Solution Comps have an internal harness that’s connected to the closure system that tightens the shoe around your foot. This helps keep your foot, and especially your heel, in place on technical climbs and powerful hooks.
Upper and lining materials
Your feet can get sweaty when climbing, which is why some type of breathability in the upper can help fight against the dreaded climbing shoe stink. The Solution Comps use a leather and microfiber upper to balance comfort, support, and breathability. The tongue, which has a comfortable sock design, is made of a spandex and elastane material named Lycra.
Sustainability/ethics
While some shoes are made with recycled or vegan materials, there isn’t much of a sustainability story when it comes to the La Sportiva Solution Comps. The brand itself is Climate Neutral Certified, and both the North America and Italy headquarters are powered by renewable energy. You can read more about those efforts on their website.
Should you buy the La Sportiva Solution Comp Climbing Shoes?
The Solution Comps are best for climbers who like softer shoes and a narrow heel.
Buy if:
You want an aggressive, downturned shoe with one of the best toes on the market
You like sensitive and soft shoes, but like to boulder and sport climb
You like the original Solutions, but the heel cup was too big or they were too rigid
You’re an intermediate or advanced climber who wants one pair of shoes to tackle projects across disciplines
You have regular to narrow-width feet
Skip if:
You’re a beginner and want comfortable shoes
You prefer shoes on the stiffer, more rigid end
You want a lacing system that will last long enough for multiple resoles so you can use the same pair of shoes for years
You mostly multi-pitch or trad climb and need flatter, more comfortable shoes
You have wide feet
Where to buy the La Sportiva Solution Comp Climbing Shoes
The Solution Comps are available at multiple retailers in men’s and women’s versions.
The La Sportiva Solution Comp climbing shoes are popular footwear, so you have options when it comes to retailers. Here are some of the pros of the retailers.
REI
Pros: 100% satisfaction policy for 1 year; 10% dividend for members.
Amazon
Pros: Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime membership
Backcountry
Pros: Frequent sales for Expedition Perks members (free to join), fast shipping, Gearhead chat customer service is excellent
Returns and advice on where to buy
In general for shoes, we recommend purchasing from a place with easy or free returns, like REI. Trying on shoes is an important way to get the sizing right. With both those retailers, if your funds allow, you can buy two sizes and easily return one. Additionally, check reviews to see whether other users recommend sizing up or down.
Similar climbing shoes
The toe of the Solution Comps help them stand out.
La Sportiva Solution
Price: $219
Weight (per shoe): 8.9 oz
Rubber: 3.5 mm Vibram XS Grip 2
Downturn: Aggressive
Stiffness: Medium
Best use: Steep climbs, sport climbing, bouldering
The original La Sportiva Solutions are a stiffer version of the Solution Comps. There isn’t as much rubber on the toe patch, and the molded heel cup is very big. If you sport climb more than you boulder and like a stiffer shoe but still want the excellent toe of a Solution shoe, this is the pick for you.
La Sportiva Solution
men's
Women's
Price: $219
Weight (per shoe): 8.1 oz
Rubber: Vibram XS Grip 2
Downturn: Aggressive
Stiffness: Medium-low
Best use: Steep climbs, bouldering, sport climbing
The Solution Comps and Scarpa’s Instinct VSR are both excellent climbing shoes. The Instinct VSRs are a little softer in our opinion, making them a bit more tailored for bouldering rather than sport climbing. The heel on the VSRs is wider than the Comps, but smaller than the original Solutions. They don’t have the elongated, precise toe of the La Sportiva shoes and instead have a wider, shorter profile.
We did like the edging experience on tiny footholds and crystals of the Instinct VSRs slightly better than the Comps, but both pairs are excellent shoes for intermediate and advanced climbers.
Scarpa Instinct VSR
Men's
Women's
Price: $189
Weight (per shoe): 5.9 oz
Rubber: Half-Sole No-Edge Dynamic Technology (D-Tech) / Differentiated 1-2mm Vibram XS Grip 2
Downturn: Moderate
Stiffness: Extremely low
Best use: Gym climbing
If you don’t climb outdoors and want comfortable gym slippers that can still perform, reach for the La Sportiva Mantras. Sizing is a bit more difficult since there isn’t any way to adjust them, but they’re so soft that they can fold up in your pocket, and they feature La Sportiva’s NoEdge Technology, which adds sensitivity and extra durability to the toe cap.
La Sportiva Mantra
Why you should trust us / About the author
Kai Burkhardt climbs multiple times per week, and has been for nearly a decade. After falling in love with bouldering at a local climbing gym, he went on to work at multiple climbing gyms in NYC where he taught classes on bouldering and rope climbing alike. He now resides in Boulder, Colorado, where he climbs indoors and outside as much as he can. He’s tested dozens of climbing shoes during his climbing career, and loves frequenting Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder and Clear Creek Canyon in Golden to run new shoes through the wringer.
Find more reviews by Kai Burkhardt here.
