ProView-Evolv Geshido SC
The Evolv Geshido SC (Strap Closure) is one of the newest shoes designed by Evolv’s star athlete, Chris Sharma. With a decade plus at the forefront of climbing difficulty and ascents up to 5.15c, it is no surprise that Sharma has learned to develop quality footwear for rock climbing. First, let’s look at the construction of the shoe. The Geshido SC features leather uppers, three velcro straps, and a slight downturn of the toe with Evolv’s proprietary “love-bump” midsole – a design which creates a slight depression underneath the knuckle of the big toe. According to Evolv, this allows the foot to stay in a downturn position while minimizing discomfort and pressure points.The Geshido SC was created as an all-around shoe which can work equally well for high-end bouldering, sport climbing, and traditional ascents. So how does it hold up?
While I was worried that these shoes were too narrow when I first put them on, after a few sessions, the leather broke in to where they are one of my most comfortable pairs. The three velcro straps are thick and lock into place well when the shoe is tightened, and the heel cup is something that Evolv appears to have wired – I can heelhook micro-crimps with confidence. The love bump does keep the toe slightly downturned, but is not noticable when jammed into cracks or standing on slabs. I’ve used these shoes from everything from guiding on 5.9 cracks to routesetting V10 problems for competitions, and they truly do adapt to each climbing situation. One detraction is that the rubber on the front is thick – an extra couple millimeters compared to most other high-performance shoes, and this did affect the sensitivity of the shoe until I wore off about a millimeter by climbing on fresh limestone. The rand also does not extend very far over the top of the shoe, which makes this a weaker option for toe-hooks that require use of the entire top of the foot, though this is a specialized move that only tends to appears in hard bouldering and high-end competition. All in all, I would rate this shoe a 9/10 – one of the most comfortable hard-climbing shoes I have worn, and one of the only shoes I’ve liked enough to get a 2nd pair.
Sizing with Evolv is surprisingly comparable to street shoe size, especially for shoes with synthetic uppers. For those with leather (like the Geshido SC), 1/2 size down from street shoe works appropriate.
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Michael Kimmel is an OPL pro who enjoys climbing, routesetting, and climbing competitions.