If you need a shoe that is in between a beginner shoe and an intermediary shoe, the Evolv Kronos is a great middle ground.
There are a lot of things to consider when choosing your perfect approach shoe. The best way to find out the best shoe to pick is to get an in depth detail about the approach shoe that you are considering.
This guide will let you find out the nitty gritty of the Evolv Kronos Review. This will allow you to use the information to make the best decision about what approach shoe is right for you.
In Depth Guide of the Evolv Kronos Climbing Shoe
Background and History:
Evolv Kronos climbing shoes have been a staple in the climbing community since their release. Designed with the modern climber in mind, these shoes blend performance and comfort, making them a go-to choice for a variety of climbing activities.
Evolv Kronos Review Climbing Shoe Score
Fit – 9 out of 10
Comfort – 10 out of 10
Performance – 8 out of 10
Product Technical Specification:
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Weight | 8.5 ounces per shoe |
| Materials | Synthetic upper (Vegan-friendly Synthratek VX) |
| Closure System | Adjustable strap and buckle |
| Midsole | Full-length with a semi-asymmetrical toe profile |
| Outsole | TRAX® SAS rubber for superior grip |
| Care Instructions | Machine Wash |
| Sole Material | Rubber |
| Closure Type | Hook & Loop |
| Water Resistance Level | Not Water Resistant |
| Dimensions | 14.17 x 12.68 x 5.79 inches |
| Weight | 1 Pound |
| Item Model Number | EVL0361-BKO-5 |
| Department | Men’s |
| First Available | October 25, 2018 |
| ASIN | B07JPZHZ85 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #463,052 in Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry; #36 in Men’s Climbing Shoes |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars from 70 ratings |
Performance Analysis:
Indoor Climbing:
- Comfort: The synthetic upper molds to your foot over time, providing a customized fit. The adjustable strap ensures the shoe stays snug without causing discomfort.
- Grip: The TRAX® SAS rubber outsole offers exceptional friction on artificial holds, making it ideal for gym climbing.
Outdoor Climbing:
- Versatility: Suitable for both bouldering and sport climbing. The shoe’s durable build withstands abrasive surfaces and sharp edges.
- Precision: The technical toe profile allows for precise foot placements, essential for challenging routes.
Durability and Longevity:
The Variable Thickness Rand (VTR) technology ensures high-wear zones are reinforced, extending the shoe’s lifespan. Regular maintenance, such as cleaning the rubber and avoiding prolonged exposure to extreme conditions, will keep your Kronos shoes in top condition.
Sizing and Fit:
The Evolv Kronos runs true to size for most climbers. It’s advisable to try on the shoes with your preferred climbing socks, if any, to ensure a perfect fit. The synthetic material may stretch slightly, so consider this when choosing your size.
Comparison with Competitors:
When compared to other climbing shoes in its category, the Evolv Kronos stands out due to its blend of comfort and performance. Unlike more aggressive shoes that may sacrifice comfort for precision, the Kronos offers a middle ground, making it suitable for a wide range of climbing activities.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Excellent grip and traction
- Comfortable, anatomically engineered design
- Easy to adjust for a customized fit
- Durable and high-quality construction
Cons:
- Not water-resistant
- Limited to men’s sizes
How Well Does the Evolv Kronos Climbing Shoe Actually Perform?
Deceivingly Good Performance
When you take a look at the Kronos, the rather flat profile and the straighter design of the shoe, and the high level of comfort, may make it seem like this won’t be the climbing shoe to give the best technical performance.
However, the shoe actual has a downturn that is extremely rigid. Though the downturn isn’t nearly as noticeable as other climbing shoes, it keeps it’s shapes really well.
Even so, it’s definitely pliable when pressed, however this shoe is definitely not as sensitive as other options for climbing shoes.
Good for Moderate Overhangs
Because of its good downturn, it performs pretty well on slight to moderate overhangs. You should be able to climb for a good long time. Between burns, you shouldn’t have to take your climbing shoes off your feet and interrupt your progress.
Good at Edging
The Kronos is good at edging because it actually has more thickness at the toe. You need a good bit of thickness in your toe to get a good bit of support while trying to get a hold on smaller ledges on the rock face.
The shape of the toe is also pretty flat at the end, so not only does the thickness of the rubber near the toe give really good support, the flat edge gives your toes the shape to get support not just from your big toe, but from all of your toes.
Crack Climbing
This shoe works pretty well for crack climbing. It has a pretty low profile, which means you should be able to fit this shoe pretty well into moderate to wide cracks and still give good support.
Also, the toe portion is also relatively flat, so that should actually give you even more support than other climbing shoes that don’t have the flatter design.
Also, the rubber on the shoe is actually a good bit thinner when you get towards the midsole. This allows for you to get the Kronos farther into cracks while still being comfortable.
Pretty Good at Pocket Climbing
Since the Kronos has thicker rubber at the front of the shoe than it does at the midsole, it is well primed for pockets in the rock face. The support you get from the toe portion is pretty strong.
However, since the rubber is also thinner at the midsole, you won’t get a lot of support for that portion and since you can usually only stick the front portion of your shoe in any given pocket, you need more support in the midsole to compensate for the small amount of shoe that’s actually on the rock face supporting you.
The Kronos does have a slight point to it, so although the rubber is thick, the pointed toe should allow you to slip into a pocket without too much trouble. However it is definitely not as long or ‘talon like’ as some other climbing shoes that are specifically made for pockets.
Sensitivity
At the midsole, the rubber is only about 1.2 mm thick, so this allows for pretty great sensitivity in that area. The front of the shoe gets a good deal thicker, so you may not have near as much sensitivity towards the front as the midsection.
It is also thinner in different areas of the shoe, mainly at the pressure points in your feet. This again allows for better sensitivity in those areas and a better experience in different types of terrain that require you to be able to feel the rock face a little more.
But since it is a variable thickness rand, you still won’t get the same kind of sensitivity that you would when climbing with a shoe that’s rand isn’t so variable.
Is the Evolv Kronos Climbing Shoe Comfortable?
You might be a little concerned when you put the Kronos on because it’s almost a little bit too comfortable. Many shoes that feel like this wear out quickly and also don’t provide the necessary performance. But the Kronos is great at giving both aspects quite well.
Synthetic Upper
Not commonly known for comfort, the Kronos employs a synthetic upper where some other shoes would use genuine leather. It is definitely an unlined upper, which is a big bonus when you’re talking about comfort, but it still doesn’t feel the same as leather.
Leather has two advantages. One is that it is a good deal softer and more comfortable than synthetic material and so adds a good deal of comfort. Also, it usually conforms to your foot a whole lot better than synthetic material will. Synthetic will still stretch, but not to the extent that leather will.
Breathability
Though more breathable than a full leather upper would be, the synthetic material on the Kronos still isn’t that great for breathability. It is going to give a small amount of air passage, but not as much as other climbing shoes whose material does this really well.
The tongue of the shoe does have a mesh covering, which certainly adds to your foot’s ability to breathe, not build up as much sweat, and also not cause the climbing shoe to stink as much.
Flat and Straight
Even with its slight downturn, the design of the Kronos is quite flat, and this adds a lot to its comfort level. It does have a wider design because of this, and this allows your foot to naturally not be so scrunched up.
Also, your toes won’t be pinched at the end because of how flat the shoe is there. It is tough to have a good deal of comfort while your toes are bunched together. The Kronos solves this problem.
If you are a beginner, this shoe may be a great choice for you because of how comfortable it is. Not only that but it does provide some higher quality features that will allow you to increase your performance skills while still getting a good beginners comfort level.
And even for experienced climbers, this shoe should afford you a good amount of comfort all day and will still provide a decent amount of performance so that you can get your climbing goals completed.
Does the Evolv Kronos Climbing Shoe Have Good Fit?
Easy on/off With High Adjustability
The Kronos features a combination of a hook and loop closure system, along with a smaller, more fine tuned velcro strap near the front of the foot. This gives you a legitimate combination of being able to easily and quickly get the shoe off and on, and also allows you to have relatively high adjustability as well.
The velcro straps are the design that allow you to quickly rip off your climbing shoe and not have to fiddle for a long time with laces as some other climbing shoes have.
Also, since it has a combo of hook and loop closure system and at the same time employs a regular but smaller velcro strap at the front of the shoe, you should be able to get a satisfactory amount of adjustability to lock down or loosen more areas of the shoe than you would be able to without this system.
Snug, But Not Too Narrow
Most climbing shoes err on the narrow side because you do want a truly nice fit when you put the shoe on even before you employ your closure system so you can be sure you won’t be slipping around in your shoe as you make your climb.
However, the Kronos does a good job of having a design that is initially a bit wider in the midsole and in the toe box. This allows you to then adjust your foot more fully when you actually have the shoe on. This makes foot shapes of all kinds be able to sit in the shoe very well.
Not Much Stretch
Since they are synthetic and don’t have any leather, they aren’t going to conform to your foot like a climbing shoe with a good amount of leather in it. They will do a little bit of stretching, but at a certain point they will definitely stop and you’ll be stuck with the size that you initially had quite close to what you started out with.
4. Low Profile Heel
The heel is also a pretty big deal when you’re talking about fit in the Kronos. It has a pretty low profile, meaning it doesn’t cover as much of your heel as other climbing shoes would.
This obviously isn’t great for protection, but it works super well for your fit. Since there is less heel, there is less room for the back of your foot to swivel around in and creates a better heel cupping effect than most.
Does the Evolv Kronos Climbing Shoe Have Good Value?
Durable, Comfortable, High Performing
Since the Evolv Kronos is quite durable, the value for money is good. You should be able to wear these shoes on a multitude of climbs and not notice much wear and tear on them, thus preventing you from having to switch up the shoe.
It’s also a really comfortable shoe which is a lot to say for a climbing shoe. The amount of comfort you get should add to the shoes value drastically.
Also, its ability to pair comfort with performance is one of the gold standards of climbing shoes, so in this area the value for money is pretty high.
How does the Evolv Kronos Climbing Shoe Compare?
Kronos VS Kira
Kronos is going to be the climbing shoe that takes the cake for fit. The Evolv Kira starts on a bad note because without evening using the closure system, it already runs pretty small. This is going to make it tough for people with different shaped feet to use this shoe as their go to.
You clearly want a shoe that is going to be really snug and give you a good amount of support because of that, however you still want to have a high amount of adjustability. You’ll only get this perfect combination if the shoe starts out with a good, neutral fit, as does the Kronos.
Kronos VS Luchador
The Evolv Luchador is going to be your better bet than the Kronos if you are looking for a climbing shoe that can handle pockets. It’s toe is going to be a good bit more pointy and therefore be able to to stick in and hold on to different pockets. The Kronos does a middling point to its toe, but the rubber thickness sometimes prevents the shoe from really wedging into those tough pockets.
It also slightly surpasses the Kronos in its closure system. While the Kronos has a double closure system, one part of it being a velcro clasp with a hook and loop design, and the other a smaller velcro strap situated at the front of the shoe.
However, the Luchador has a three prong closure system consisting of diminishing sizes of velcro straps that afford even more adjustability than the Kronos.
What’s the Verdict on Evolv Kronos Climbing Shoe?
Great Intermediate Shoe
This climbing is great for beginner to intermediate climbers.
Intermediates will love it because of its advanced closure system and naturally wider fit, allowing for higher adjustability, and for its thick toe region that’s a good start for edging skills.
Beginners will love it for its comfort. Though its slight downturn may challenge them early on, this is a great leveling up climbing shoe.