Scarpa Techno X Review

Scarpa Techno X Review Climbing Shoe Score

Pockets – 5 out of 10

Cracks – 9 out of 10

Comfort – 7 out of 10

Sensitivity – 7 out of 10

Edging – 8 out of 10

How Well Does the Scarpa Techno X Climbing Shoe Actually Perform?

Edging is Surprisingly Great

Surprisingly, this particular climbing shoe is pretty great at edging. This is surprising because the Techno X has a pretty flat design and has barely any downturn at all. Usually you would need a ton of support, an aggressively downturned shoe and a much more curved shape to be excellent at edging. 

This shoe is really designed to be super comfortable, especially if you are going on a climb that is going to require multiple pitches which may take you a long time. 

This climbing shoe can actually compare really well to other climbing shoes that are great at edging. The build of the shoe is super stiff and so it can stand up against even the smallest of edges on a rock face. 

The Midsole is actually a Flexan design which allows you to stand on a very small ledge almost like you are standing on a very flat and wide surface. 

Its bi-tension rand really helps with its high edging skills. Most climbing shoes give support by cramming the toes forward into the toe box, directing as much weight and power into the big toe as possible while the other smaller toes suffer in this cramped position. 

However, the bi-tension rand gets around this by actually securely holding the heel and at the same time pushing the toes forward in such a way that they don’t jam tight all together. 

Crack Climbing, Very Easy

Since this climbing shoe doesn’t really have much downturn at all, it actually makes it a really good shoe for climbing in cracks. 

Since the shoe is really flat, it can get into cracks really well and it won’t bunch your toes up like it would if it had a really aggressive downturn. 

Since the downturn doesn’t take away from comfort in cracks, the midsole is able to fully support your foot in a long crack. It is a super stiff design and will keep its shape even if you have to shift your shoe back and forth to get the best hold in the crack. 

All of the shoe’s edging ability and its flat design really come into pay when climbing through cracks. 

And since its flat design really adds to the comfort level, you should be able to climb through multiple pitches without feeling much discomfort at all. 

Pockets Are a Little Tough

Pretty much all of the performance comes from the climbing shoes downturn, or lack thereof. This particular climbing shoe definitely has a tough time because of its lack of downturn when you are trying to climb in pockets.

You won’t be able to pull on the pocket nearly as much. For one you don’t have the natural curve backed by rigid support, so you’ll have to do all the work to curve your own foot when you are attempting to pull at the pocket. 

You’ll mostly be doing this pulling when you are on an overhang, so you won’t have as much trouble when you are on a perfectly vertical climb. 

You may think you won’t have support even when you climb in vertical pockets because of the lack of downturn, but the stiffness still holds up really well. 

Sensitivity 

Since this shoe is so rigid and has to make up for virtually no downturn, it really won’t be a very sensitive shoe. 

The rubber is pretty thick and the design is meant to be extremely rigid.

You should still be able to feel relatively small edges with these shoes. However, the sole is about 4 mm thick, which is really thick. The rubber will be plenty sticky and super durable, which will help force the shoe onto ledges without fear of undue wear and tear and will allow you to stick to those smaller edges, but it will just be a trying time when trying to truly feel the rock face. 

Is the Scarpa Techno X Climbing Easy to Use?

Laces Always Give Trouble

The Techno obviously has a lace closure system, so it’s probably not going to be the easiest shoe to take on and off. Laces are always more finicky than a velcro closure system.

However, there are climbing shoes that have a combination of velcro and lace closure system that will help you get a better ease of use that velcro gives and also strongly adjustably that comes from laces. 

Off Center Laces

This is a pretty unique design for a climbing shoe, but one that should honestly be used in most of them. This offset design allows the laces to be more protected from the typical rubbing and fraying problems when climbing. 

Usually, the laces are in the prime place to come in contact with   the rock face, and this means that the rocks will wear consistently on the laces. 

Even though this is a small adjustment, a lot of time when you are climbing with laces that are offset just miss the rock by a small margin. But consistency missing the rock face by even a small margin can add such a long time to the life span of your climbing shoe. 

Other climbing shoes have really complicated closure systems, specifically when they have laces. This can be tough especially when having to replace the laces when they wear out.

What is the Best Application for the Scarpa Techno X?

All day, Multi-Pitches

You should be able to rely on the Techno X to last you all day long, even if you have several different pitches you have to go on. Jamming your shoe into all types of rock faces, cracks and pockets on vertical climbs and smearing shouldn’t be much of a problem.

Since they combine rigidity without a downturn they can be applied to several different climbs and still give great comfort all day. 

Is the Scarpa Techno X Climbing Shoe Comfortable?

Almost No Dead Space

A lot of climbing shoes have spaces in the shoe where the rubber or material just won’t meet your feet. This makes sensitivity, edging, and other technical performance tough wherever those spaces are. 

They are called dead spaces, and luckily the Techno X has almost none. This is a huge plus and will let you focus on the skill you are trying to complete rather than the flaw holding you back from finishing. 

The biggest boon that the lack of dead spaces gives is the overall comfort. A better fit will inevitably lead to better comfort. 

Flat Shape

This climbing shoe is super flat. This distributes weight super well which helps you avoid pressure points, or places in your foot where the majority of the pressure is put. Sometimes you want pressure in certain places, such as your big toe or in your heel when you are heel hooking, but most of the time you want to avoid most pressure points. 

Also the toe box is flat as well which really helps when edging. Usually you need a flat toe box and a super downturned shoe to be great at edging, but since the Techno is so rigid and the rubber is so thick and since the whole shoe is flat, the toe box is flat, this makes for a pretty unique combination for edging prowess. 

Normal Narrow

Like many other climbing shoes, these are super narrow. They are usually like this to give you the best possible, snug fit. Those with narrow feel will obviously be pleased as climbing shoes with a wider fit tend to fold over a little bit and create an unstable feel, which is the last thing you want on a climb. 

Small Fit

Not only are the shoes pretty small, but they end up being an overall small size right out of the box. This means if you are looking for higher comfort than they already give, you will probably have to upsize a little bit. But if you are comfortable with the initial fit, you should be able to try your normal walking shoe size and still get good support. 

This is usually the case, but since they run small, you may have to upsize to get the level of comfort you are looking for. You should try out the normal size first obviously and make sure that doesn’t fit you well, then go from there. 

Does the Scarpa Techno X Climbing Shoe Have Good Fit?

The Techno X has a really amazing fit. Almost every aspect of the shoe, from the heel to the toe provides this overall superb cling to your foot. 

Great Lace System

Not only does the lace system provide much higher adjustability than velcro straps, or even other lace systems because it covers the surface area of the shoe, it is also offset. 

This means that it isn’t going to come into nearly as much contact with the rock as the climbing shoes. It may only miss scraping against the rough surfaces by a small margin, but it will still really help you in the long term. 

Narrow Build

The shoe is built narrowly and it also runs small, so you can be sure that you will get a really good snug fit. This may cause some problems of discomfort for a few people, but since this shoe is already really flat and doesn’t really have a discernible downturn, the initially tight fit isn’t going to be increased by the forced downturn. 

Does the Scarpa Techno X Climbing Shoe Have Good Value?

Good, Average Price

At about $150, the Techno ends up having a pretty average price. High enough to signal quality, but low enough to not break your bank. 

This isn’t the most versatile shoe, but you can still use it on several different climbs. It’s not going to perform as well as more well rounded climbing shoes, but if you are just beginning to level up your climbing skills, this is pretty great shoe to start out with, even more so because you don’t have any downturn which can be hard to get used to if you are just starting to get into more technical shoes. 

Pros and Cons of the Scarpa Techno X Climbing Shoe

Pros

• Durability 
• Great Lace Placement
• Stiff

Cons

• Fit is narrow
• Small fit overall

How does the Scarpa Techno X Climbing Shoe Compare?

Techno X VS Nexxo

The Nexxo is a great climbing shoe for crack climbing. Its naturally flat design and super thick soles really aid you while jamming your foot into long cracks. 

The Nexxo isn’t nearly as good at this. The rubber isn’t as thick and it has a much higher downturn than the Techno which sometimes prevents good support particularly in cracks. 

Techno X VS Mundaka

The Techno has pretty much the same level of comfort as the Tenaya Mundaka. They have comfort for different reasons, however. Both have really great closure systems, but the Techno X has a little bit higher adjustability which controls a good bit of comfort because it is completely a lace closure system, whereas the Mundaka is velcro plus lace. 

What’s the Verdict on Scarpa Techno X Climbing Shoe?