Background: I started in Rogues, then Shamans, then Demons. I have a narrow foot and a relatively shallow heel. I actually got my first pair of these in Bishop, CA. I went in the store thinking I'd buy a pair of Women's Solutions or some Oasi's. Ended up walking out with 40.5 Geniuses. They fit my foot better than any other shoe, particularly in the heel, which drew me to them initially. The toebox was tight and borderline painful, the heel was tight and didn't have much dead space. From the first time I climbed in them, I loved the no-edge technology. I felt like I could smear well and edge on a dime while climbing in the Buttermilks. Not to mention, finding some pretty sweet heel hooks. Over time, these shoes quickly became my absolute favorite of all time. Though, I did end up regretting getting the 40.5's instead of the 41's as they were a bit TOO tight for my liking, I'm fine with a little pain but it made it hard to climb until they broke in a bit. I got them in 41 for my second pair, my feet feel like they've stepped through the pearly gates. Onto the stiffness and rubber: I don't think the Geniuses are particularly flexible or stiff, they're kind of in the middle but I'd say they lean towards the stiffer side, similar to the Testarosa. They're much more rigid than something like the Drago, Mocasym, or Rogues. It's a good balance between stiff and soft where you can smear well enough, but also edge properly. I'd say that these shoes are better at edging than smearing but, I haven't had issues with either. The rubber of the shoe could have something to do with it. The rubber is excellent, once again a good balance between soft and hard like the stiffness. Again, leaning to the hard side. They're softer than a Scarpa Instinct VS and harder than a VSR. I think it hits the sweet spot, but I'm obviously quite biased. I've discussed fit, stiffness, rubber, thus far, I'll end it with durability and usage. I use them for bouldering primarily but I have no issues with using them for sport either. I don't know if I'd recommend them for multi-pitch but, for single pitch sport and bouldering they're fantastic. They're fairly aggressive so they excel on small holds and overhanging routes/problems. I don't have any issues heeling or toeing with these shoes which is why I like them for bouldering so much. Furthermore, these shoes are fairly durable from my experiences with them. I climb about 3-4 times a week on average for 2+ hours (V8/9+) and they have lasted me for quite a while. It took me about 7 months to wear through my last pair which is pretty good if you ask me. However, I've heard that people go through these shoes fairly quickly, maybe I'm doing something different? Regardless, they perform as well as they look, the no-edge is a blessing, they're great for overhanging bouldering and you'll like them if you have a narrow foot/shallow heel. Though, You can get away with them if you don't fit those specifications. Similar to Futuras in terms of fit.
Reese Stanley, backcountry.com
October 30, 2017