La Sportiva Miura Lace: A Timeless Classic for Everyone

One of our faithful local customers, Dan L., recently came into the store stoked on purchasing yet another pair of La Sportiva Miura Lace. As a local who’s spent countless hours in them exploring the rugged terrain around Bishop and the Eastern Sierra, he is always on the lookout for gear that can keep up with him and the family. He's not a professional reviewer, just a passionate outdoor enthusiast who loves sharing what works (and what doesn’t!!!) when it comes to gear. That’s why he put together this review of the La Sportiva Miura Lace Men's climbing shoes — because they’re the kind of footwear that’s made a real difference in his climbing. So, whether you're a seasoned climber or just getting started, here's an honest take (the same you'd get from talking to Dan at the crag) on why these shoes are worth your time!

A Rare Combo: Smearing and Edging

To succeed on routes with tiny footholds, you need precise footwork, strong feet, and shoes that stick to the rock like my toddler's candy sticks to our floor. A fitted shoe helps your feet gain purchase on small footholds and push off to accomplish that project. The harder your feet push, the less your arms, fingers, and core have to engage. The most skillful climbers know how to push right at the limit of the rubber slipping.

There's a plethora of soft shoes that smear well - and some climbers (myself included) get persnickety about the rubber's ability to deform and bite into the rock. Years ago, I got excited about rubber smearing possibilities, so I ordered packs of rubber samples from Alibaba. I tried melting the rubber over our stove to find the perfect compound. My wife found me with fumes furling around my face. I had figured the vent fan would be enough, but she banned climbing rubber from our kitchen, saying buying shoes is cheaper than getting cancer from the fumes of home-made shoes. So, I had permission to buy a pair of Miuras.

Compared to smearing, good edging is harder to achieve. A shoe's edging ability is a function of stiffness, shaping, and sizing.

For structure, the Miura has a "Lapsoflex" last that supports with full underfoot stiffness. Miuras feel stiff out of the box, but after a few sessions, they will break in and start smearing and smedging wonderfully.

For shaping, what sets the Miura apart is its toe box: it's got a laser-cut inside edge with a sharp point over the big toe. This allows it to "key" into small edges and slip into small pockets. Stiffer shoes such as the Scarpa Generator or Acopa JB have more structure and support, but won't edge any better. Why? Their rounded toe profiles mean they lack that keying effect. Their stiffer last and structure compensates for this, but gives up some sensitivity and smearing performance.

This brings us to sizing. Downsizing increases edging ability by making your footprint smaller; which reduces the leverage on your ankle as you stand on small edges. I have street shoe size Euro 46 feet, which puts more stress on my dainty ankles. The Miura can be downsized to reduce this torque. For me, a size 44 feels like a medium grab. A friend of mine who regularly climbs 5.14 has ten or more pairs of lace Miuras between sizes 36 and 38. Yes, that's a full two size difference. He uses his size 38 Muiras for general climbing and training, and his size 36 shoes for hard face climbing. As he puts it, "I can stand on anything. It's a pretty cool feeling." One secret to getting tight shoes to fit better is to warm them up first: put them in the sun for a few minutes, or wear them while taking a hot shower. (My wife has not yet banned rubber from the shower.) Rinse and repeat. Soon, the shoes will soften up to a bespoke fit.

Value

Versatility and Performance

Shoe Like a Pro, Climb Like a Pro

The La Sportiva Miura Lace has remained virtually unchanged in its 25+ years of production - a testament to its near-perfect design and versatility across climbing disciplines. Miuras have probably been used on famous 5.14 (or harder) sends as much or more than any other shoe in history. See below: 

• Adam Ondra clipping on anchor on his legendary 2017 send of Silence (5.15d/9c) wearing a Miura on his left foot and a Solution on his right foot.

• Ron Kauk on the FA of Magic Line (5.14c/8c+) in 1996.

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• Alex Honnold wore Miuras during his big free solos on Half Dome in Yosemite Valley and El Sendero Luminoso in Mexico.