I feel an intimate kinship with Imelda Marcos. When the nosy newsmen invaded her palace in 1986 they filmed and mocked her 5,400 pairs of shoes. Blowhard ignoramuses, every one of them. The newsmen, not the shoes. These filthy, buttoned-down, hairsprayed philistines had the nerve to question not only the style of the shoes within the collection, but the sheer magnitude of it.
I say these newsy, nosy types have never worn the right shoes, because while my personal collection pales in comparison to dear Imelda’s, I can understand how a shoe-whore gets carried away. You see, I am one.
To wit; climbing today I looked down at my well-worn LaSportiva Cirque Pros and despite a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye, I had to admit they are on their last legs.
Wait, not that my legs are “last” in any sense, I hope, but figuratively speaking. I apologize, my emotions seem to be clouding my writing, but onward…despite the pain, onward.
The Cirque Pros are an “approach shoe,” which means they’re designed to walk and hike well enough to get you to the base of a climb, but then scramble and climb well enough to be useful in the safe navigation of steeper, “fourth- and fifth-” class terrain. Imagine a lightweight hiking shoe, but one with a sticky, climbing-rubber sole and minimal padding so they’re nimble and sensitive to the terrain beneath one’s feet. There you have it.
I paid full retail for my Cirques, if memory serves. I’ve had them so long, I honestly can’t be sure if I didn’t beg LaSportiva for a deal, but I’m pretty sure I wandered down to Neptune’s and paid full-boat like a respectable citizen for once. That was 2005 or ’06–which is an eternity for an approach shoe. I’ve followed up to 5.10 in them, led (and fell off!) 5.8 in them, and hiked endless miles at Red Rock, J-Tree, in Eldo, and even in Cham a few times. They’re comfortable, durable, and climb pretty damn well.
The legendary designer Heinz Mariacher created the Cirque Pro, while working at LaSportiva. They’re based on the Mythos lacing and chassis system. They’re fabulous…or were. After having them stitched in a couple places and resoled twice (with Five Ten dot-rubber), they are about to simply wear through the leather lace-guides. Ah, sad to see them go.
The good news? If you’re into it, you can get a similar pair at LaSportiva, the Boulder X, or follow Mariacher to his new position as SCARPA‘s shoe guru. He’s already designed a newer approach shoe at SCARPA, the Gecko Guide. The boys over at SCARPA hooked me up with a pair and I’ve spent 10-15 days in them so far. Initial impression? Awesome.
The LaSportiva Ganda is another worthy replacement and I’ve had 20 or so days in a pair of those. Craftsmanship is impeccable and I expect I’ll have them for years. They’re better hikers than the Cirque or Gecko, but that comes at a bit of a price in terms of climbing. They’re still deft, but I’d call them comfortable at a number grade below the Cirque, Gecko, or Boulder X. They’re fabulous if you’re wearing a pack of walking long distances, though. Think Matthes Crest, Grand Teton, or the Blitzen Ridge. I’ll get around to writing more about them later in the summer.
But this isn’t a review; it’s a eulogy. The Cirque Pro was a badass pair of shoes and I loved ’em. I’ll wear ’em until they disintegrate, which sadly, will probably be by August 1. May they greet Imelda in heaven and kiss her on both cheeks. Facial cheeks…I mean…but you knew that.
