The TC Pro is La Sportiva's new high-top edging / crack shoe, designed for all-day use and big walls. It is stiff and padded for cracks and standing in aiders.

The La Sportiva North America website says the rubber is a new compound called "XS Edge", supposedly formulated for technical edging.

The shoe's last is PD55, slightly downturned and asymmetrical, similar to the Katana.

The name comes from Tommy Caldwell, according to this review from Rock & Ice.

Features

From the La Sportiva website :

Upper: Suede leather, slip lasted
Lining: Pacific
Fit: Medium
Midsole: LaSpoFlex 1.1 mm only on the anterior of the shoe combined with the P3 system
Sole: Vibram® 4 mm
Sizes: 32 - 46 EU, including half sizes
Weight: 500g per pair

Images

Reviews

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rhyang

Great crack shoe

Voted 4/5

I bought a pair of these about three months ago, but have only about 10-15 climbing days on them so far. From what I have read, the break-in period is longer than for many rock shoes because of the thick leather and stiffness.

These shoes make foot-jamming a joy, and offer ankle protection for wider cracks. They do seem to edge well.

The padding and stiffness makes them a bit less sensitive than some other shoes (such as the Katana). The toebox is also kind of large, so narrower cracks may take more finesse. Smearing is ok, but the lack of sensitivity takes some getting used to.

I'm not much of an aid climber, so I can't really comment on their suitability for big walls and aid stuff.

Sizing: My feet measure 9.5 US / 42.5 EU. Left foot is a little longer than the right, wide toes, narrow heels. I also wear Sportiva Katana's in size 40.5 EU (pretty tight on me), but sized up in the TC Pro's to 41. This seems to work well for crack climbing and longer climbs, but they still seem precise.

Posted Oct 21, 2009 11:44 pm

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