If there’s one shoe that can do it all, comfortably, it’s this one. Perfect for edges and pockets at crags like Smith Rock, Eldorado Canyon or Ten Sleep, the Vapor V 2015 also dominates such varied terrain as granite slabs, limestone overhangs and multi-pitch routes. Generous toe and heel rubber make these above average for hooking and scumming, but with a semi-stiff forefoot they’re not quite soft or flexible enough to grab holds on roofs. Its relaxed fit may have you donning a more aggressive shoe for your hardest sends.  

Edging
This is one of the Vapor V 2015’s strong points, especially on slightly under to slightly over vertical terrain. A thin midsole and durable, Vibram XS Edge rubber helped testers stand confidently on tiny holds while being sensitive enough to allow them to feel when they should readjust a foot. The wide forefoot (standard for Scarpa) fits high-volume feet perfectly, to be able to edge on credit card edges without killing toes.

Smearing
Despite their semi-stiffness, these shoes smear with aplomb. The slight downturn of the sole becomes flat with full bodyweight. This gave testers the full surface area for excellent smearing. 

Sensitivity
It’s always a balance between stiffness and sensitivity, and these lean toward stiffness. They’re sensitive for a moderately stiff shoe, but they’re no Instinct S.

Cracks
Testers wore these babies on sandstone finger cracks and corners up to 5.12 and they performed surprisingly well. When jamming/smearing in a corner the sticky rand and toe rubber kept one tester from slipping off. The narrow toe profile can also stuff into ring-lock sized cracks and above, where the semi-stiff platform kept toes from screaming in pain.

Rubber
At 4mm thick (average for shoes in this review), the Vibram XS Edge feels clunky out of the box. But after a few pitches the shoe conforms to the climbers’ forefoot and the rubber breaks in, giving you a durable platform that becomes more sensitive with use. 

Value
At the low end of shoe prices in this review, the Vapor V 2015 is an excellent value.