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Bufo Climbing Shoes
By David Loveland
Whether you're a beginner looking for your first climbing shoe, or a
long time climber looking to expand your climbing abilities and find
a shoe more suited for a specific type of climbing, Bufo might have
your next pair or two of climbing shoes. Bufo, a relative newcomer
to the North American climbing scene, has been sold in Europe for
over 14 years. Forget the fact that they would be bargains at even
15% to 20% more money than they cost, these shoes do what they say
they do, a good sign of a good deal all by itself.
We looked at four of Bufo's models, the Shark, The Fly, The Pharoah,
and the Spider. All the shoes were very sticky, well built and took
the usual beating that climbing shoes get—walking around the base of
sport climbs, peeling them off and cramming them on, and of course
climbing. With the prices as low as they are, we looked at them with
a critical eye for manufacturing details, wear and tear, and survivability.
They all stood up to our examinations, making us wonder—just how much
should a good climbing shoe cost? When asked about the price, the
folks at rockshoes.com say the difference isn't how the shoes are
made, it is how the shoes are sold—less overhead and less advertising.
We took these shoes climbing all over the Utah, testing them on
everything from basement bouldering and climbing gyms to outdoor
bouldering and sport climbing—including sandstone, granite and
limestone routes. They also got a workout during some trad climbing
on Navaho Sandstone.
Here are the shoes, and what the testers had to say about them.
Pharaoh
 We
couldn't find any thing these shoes didn't do well. They are great for
hard bouldering, and seemed to excel at heel hooking. Edgy and slabby
climes were done in this shoe, and they held up well. They took on
friction climbs and did great. The lacing on this shoe allows you to
cinch it up as tight or as loose as you need. The sole is curved for
great edging, and they held up to tight crack climbing. The Pharaoh
sells for $79.95
Shark
 This
shoe earned its keep on multi pitch routes. I don't want to use the
word comfortable—hey, we are talking climbing shoes, but I was able
to leave them on during long belays. The narrow shoes were great on
the sandstone cracks found in Moab, where they inspired confidence
on trad climbs. The curve of the sole allowed them to excel on small
pocket holds. These are great all around shoes. The Shark can be picked
up for $77.95
Spider
 This
shoe is hard to beat for all around versatility. It goes on and off with
two Velcro strips, making it great for bouldering and the gym, but I loved
the narrow toe for crack climbing. It seems to be a favorite for small
micro holds, and even though it got the most use of the four shoes, it
has held up well. It is great to find a shoe that goes on and off like a
bedroom slipper, but climbs like a lizard. The Spider sells for $75.95
Fly
 The
Fly has quickly became the favorite gym shoe. With a great toe, it
seemed to be well suited for the plastic holds. For as tight a fit
as it gives, it comes off and on relatively quickly, another plus
for gym use. The soul gives a tight sensitive feel. Price $77.95
Negatives: The only thing we could find was that the heel pull
on a couple of models tended to rub at the back of the heel, raising
blisters along the Achilles tendons. The company has now changed this
heel pull design, putting the heel pull on the outside of the shoe,
and this should eliminate that problem.
Summary: These shoes are the perfect fit of price, performance,
and personality. They do what they are built to do, and are backed by a
company that wants to please its customers. At the prices they are delivered
to your door for, you could have all types of climbing covered—as far as
your feet go. The rest is up to you!
Bufo climbiing shoes are distributed on the internet at www.rockshoes.com.
Dave Loveland's favorite backcountry pastime is
in a tent reading bedtime stories to his four sons.
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