Ace

Pretty good shoes; on the pricy side. Definitely a stiff, rugged shoe: good for cracks and large edges, not as good for smearing or small edges.

Important: sizes are UK. Boreal's official conversion chart produces the following simple formula: US size=UK size+1. I wear a US 13 street shoe, which gives a UK 12. I went a half size smaller (11.5 UK) and have been pretty happy.

My only point of reference is the 5.10 Spire, which is their entry-level model. The Ace is definitely a more rugged shoe, though less sensitive.

I owned a pair of the Aces from 1997-1998, and I used them regularly for about 1 year until their stench became unbearable (not the fault of the shoes!). They were ok all-around shoes, but they definitely lacked sensitivity. I never felt completely confident on small edges or on slabs. The shoes sort of felt like bricks on my feet. If you're looking for good friction and sensitivity, I don't think Boreal rubber is the best bet. But, if you're just looking for a solid, durable, general-purpose climbing shoe, the Aces are decent.

These were the first climbing shoes I ever had and I thought they were great until I tried a Scarpa. After using a more sensitive type of shoe though, I would only use the Aces for a long, easy trad route or something I was going to do a longer walk-off from. You just can't get your toe in a little hold with these (or at least trust it if you do). The Aces are durable though, they just have their limits.

definatly a good shoe but far to stif for a better comfort fit and more felling i would recomend the Boreal "Zepher" which was designed as a more sensitive but less rugged version of the Ace.

Reputation is better than the shoe. Dark color of shoe is hot. Durable and well built, but quite pricy. The board last offers great support. Shoe lacks "touch" for fine face problems. I look forward to climbing with mine after I resole them with some C4 Stealth rubber.

I bought my first pair of Aces about 9 years ago, wore them out, and replaced them with another pair, which I still own today. They are very durable. I have owned several other pairs of rock shoes, but, if I could have only one pair of shoes, I would choose my Aces over any other shoe because of their versatility. They work well on all sorts of rock: slab, cracks, smears, or micro edges. They are every bit at home on a sport route as they are a full-day trad route.

My only complaint is that they (like any other rock shoe) hurt my feet a bit after a few hours, which I attribute to their stiffness. I have kind of a wide, bony foot, and the shoes tend to irritate this odd, bony bump I have on the outside of my feet.

OK shoes. Since most of my "climbing" involves peakbagging work, I don't usually bring these along. They are my only pair of rock slippers, though, and so they get used for everything not in the mountains. I don't like the fit on my wide feet too much, even when slightly oversized. They don't seem to be too sensitive, either. Most of the problems are most likely due to a loose nut behind the shoe, though ;-)

These are a great all-arounf rock climbing shoe. I have worn mine for 4 years and they are still looking pretty good. Like any rock shoe, they are not comfortable after a long time in them. Sometimes on a long belay, I will slip them off, but because they are laced and not velcro, they can be a pain to get back on.



One issue I have with them is the long laces. Boreal could take 12 inches off the length of the laces and still have too much. I guess if I ever need an extra prussik all I have to do is use the laces.



Good shoes, you will not be disappointed if you buy them.

I bought a pair of these in 2002 from a friend when I started getting into climbing. Since then I have gone through 8 different pairs of other kinds of climbing shoes, but I still have these. I don't climb in them personally anymore, but they have lasted 5 years and still have a lot of life in them. They are a really great entry level shoe, and I still carry them with me for my friends to climb in. I do agree that the laces are too long though, but I just ended up tucking the excess lace into the tongue of the shoe.

Well I don't think anyone would describe climbing shoes as comfortable but as far as climbing shoes go, these aren't bad. A good all round shoe for everything from basic top roping to crack climbs & multi-pitch routes. Mine are about 10 years old now and are just starting to fall apart now. My next pair however will be velcro and bigger.