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La Sportiva Solution review: fit, sizing and what climbers say

La Sportiva's long-running aggressive Velcro shoe: strongly downturned, very pointy and built on the P3 platform so it keeps its shape. Buy it for steep bouldering and sport climbing, pockets and small edges, if you have a narrowish foot and a heel that fills the moulded cup.

  • Advanced
  • Bouldering
  • Sport
  • Steep
  • Gym
  • Outdoor

Size down about one size from your street shoe

For a snug all-round fit, a street UK 9 (EU 43) is a UK 8 (EU 42) in the Solution. Go half a size smaller for hard bouldering, or bigger for long days. It's a starting point: feet differ, so try them on if you can.

Your size in the Solution

Your street shoe size

UK9

Aggressive

Tight, hard bouldering

UK7½EU 41

Recommended

Snug all-rounder

UK8EU 42

Relaxed

Long sessions

UK8½EU 42½

Comfort

Beginners, multi-pitch

UK9EU 43
Your size in all 292 shoes

How the Solution fits

NarrowLow volume
Heel
Moulded 3D rubber heel cup that is rounded and fairly hard. It fits some heels perfectly; reviewers with narrow heels or ankles report dead space and slipping on hard heel hooks.
Toe box
Very pointed, short toe box that concentrates power on the big toe. Great for small pockets and edges, but cramped for broad toes.
Suits
Narrow to average feet with a pointed toe shape (longest big toe or second toe) and a medium-to-full heel. Wide or square forefeet tend to hurt over a long session.

What climbers say

From independent reviews and buyers' feedback; each point is backed by at least two sources.

Strengths

  • Pinpoint precision on small edges and pockets thanks to the pointed toe
  • Downturn and P3 platform hold their shape, pulling you into steep terrain for the life of the shoe
  • Fast Lacing hook-and-loop closure is quick and locks the foot in
  • Sticky rubber around heel and toe box handles hooks and scums on steep ground (when the heel fits)

Watch out for

  • Hard, bulbous moulded heel is love-it-or-hate-it: dead space and less feel for narrow heels
  • Narrow, curled fit is not an all-day or multi-pitch shoe and is poor for wide cracks
  • Strap/closure wear is a recurring complaint (worst on pre-2018 pairs)
Stretch and break-in: Leather plus Lorica, so stretch is modest: Climbing House says about half a size in length at most, while 99Boulders' reading of user reports is half to a full size. OutdoorGearLab found sensitivity improved after roughly ten pitches. La Sportiva suggests going 1-3 full EU sizes below your street shoe; most reviewers size it snug but not painfully, as sizing preferences vary a lot.

La Sportiva Solution size chart

Your street size, then the size to get for each fit. From La Sportiva's size chart and how this model runs.

La Sportiva Solution size chart
StreetAggressiveRecommendedRelaxedComfort
UK 4EU 37–UK 3EU 35½UK 3½EU 36UK 4EU 37
UK 4½EU 37½UK 3EU 35½UK 3½EU 36UK 4EU 37UK 4½EU 37½
UK 5EU 38UK 3½EU 36UK 4EU 37UK 4½EU 37½UK 5EU 38
UK 5½EU 38½UK 4EU 37UK 4½EU 37½UK 5EU 38UK 5½EU 38½
UK 6EU 39½UK 4½EU 37½UK 5EU 38UK 5½EU 38½UK 6EU 39
UK 6½EU 40UK 5EU 38UK 5½EU 38½UK 6EU 39UK 6½EU 39½
UK 7EU 40½UK 5½EU 38½UK 6EU 39UK 6½EU 39½UK 7EU 40½
UK 7½EU 41½UK 6EU 39UK 6½EU 39½UK 7EU 40½UK 7½EU 41
UK 8EU 42UK 6½EU 39½UK 7EU 40½UK 7½EU 41UK 8EU 42
UK 8½EU 42½UK 7EU 40½UK 7½EU 41UK 8EU 42UK 8½EU 42½
UK 9EU 43UK 7½EU 41UK 8EU 42UK 8½EU 42½UK 9EU 43
UK 9½EU 44UK 8EU 42UK 8½EU 42½UK 9EU 43UK 9½EU 43½
UK 10EU 44½UK 8½EU 42½UK 9EU 43UK 9½EU 43½–
UK 10½EU 45UK 9EU 43UK 9½EU 43½––
UK 11EU 45½UK 9½EU 43½–––

– means past the end of the La Sportiva size chart we have.

What La Sportiva says

“Generally sized down 1-3 EU full sizes from a standard EU street shoe size.”

Quoted from the La Sportiva product page

Specs

Rubber
Vibram XS Grip2, 3.5 mm
Downturn
aggressive
Asymmetry
strong
Stiffness
medium
Version
men's
Made for
bouldering, competition
Upper
Leather + Lorica
Lining
HF lining in toe box and arch only
Weight
258 g (per shoe, maker figure (size not stated))
Resoleable
Yes
Price
$219 (list price, 2026-10-08)
Released
Mid-2000s (maker lists a 2006 iF design award); still in the line in 2026

Same sizing: Solution Women's, Solution Women's (last season)

Compare with

Sources

  1. La Sportiva USA: Solution
  2. OutdoorGearLab review (2021)
  3. 99Boulders: Solution vs Instinct VS
  4. Climbing House review

Checked 8 October 2026 (Solution (current US model, item ZFCS013, White/Yellow)). Gear Loop isn't affiliated with the maker and earns nothing from these links.

More La Sportiva shoes

La Sportiva sizing →

Estimates. Fit depends on foot shape and preference.