Redesigned for 2018, The Scarpa Mago climbing shoe boasts technical prowess built out of a powerful toe box and a heel cup that will keep the pressure on the smallest of granite crystals. Asymmetrical in its design, the Scarpa Mago is ready to work on a variety of terrain, from overhanging the vertical face. For those looking for a technical shoe that will keep your feet in the right place even when you are tired, you have come to the right place.
We had a chance to test the Scarpa Mago climbing shoe over a six week period and here is what we though.
Scarpa Mago Climbing Shoe
To guide our review, we have broken the shoe down into its specific components to give you a full summary of its features.
Toe Box
The toe box of the Scarpa Mago climbing Shoe provides a ton of precision when it comes to small edges. During out testing, we found that the Mago performed very well when technical footwork was requires. We were able to get a lot of precision out of the toe box as well as a lot of power, which made for a pretty ideal combo. We found that the toe box, compared to our favourite model of climbing shoes), held almost as much power and perhaps even a little more stability when climbing vertical rock due to the stiffness of the rand in the front of the shoe.
The Scarpa Mago is built on a TPS 3D molded plastic insert which means that the power is all focused on the big toe. This really helps to keep the shape and tension across the toebox for maximum power. For those rubber freaks out there, the sensitivity of this shoe is supported by 3.5mm of XS Grip 2.
Heel Cup
The heel cup of the Scarpa Mago climbing shoe is impressive. It is sensitive in nature, with almost nothing to support the heel except leather and a thin layer of rubber. During our testing of this shoe, we immediately felt comfortable with the snug fit of the heel and its sensitivity, especially on very tecnical heel smears outside. We also found that the asymmetrical shape of the shoe itself pushed power into the heelp, making it natural to turn our foot and find the smallest crystals when heel hooking.
Fit and Comfort
If there is a downside to the Scarpa Mago, it would be that the break in period for this shoe is longer than expected. During our review, it took us almost three sessions at the gym before we started to feel comfortable in this shoe. We also found that the comfort of the shoe was highly dependent on the position of the tongue inside the shoe and also foot position within the shoe itself. For us, the right shoe felt comfortable with the tongue very quickly, while with our left foot, it seemed that the seem of the tongue often ran over our toes which required more attention and adjustment when putting them on.
Unlike a lot of shoes that we have been testing over the past year, The Scarpa Mago climbing shoe is a lace up design. During our testing, we found that the adjustment of the laces made a huge difference on the performance of the shoe and we were able to cinch the shoe tighter than with other lacing systems such as velco. We found that the lace system of the Scarpa Mago held up after multiple climbing days and we did not notice any unusual wear patterns on the lace system that could cause future problems after repeated use.
Overall
Overall, the Scarpa Mago Climbing Shoe is a great downturned and asymmetrical technical climbing shoe. It holds a ton of power and precision in the toe box which is combined with a very well fitted and sensitive heel cup. For those jumping right into these shoes, they are difficult to break ibn so you do need to give them some time in the gym warming up before you pack them for the crag and your project. We would recommend this shoe as an all-around performance climbing shoe, one that you can use in almost any situation, as well as part of a bigger tool kit of shoes, for problems or routes that require precision heel hooks or technical mastery in the toes.
The Scarpa Mago the Scarpa Store online. MSRP:
