I'll talk about the fit first. I have rather wide feet, and in running shoes I wear a US size 12 with a 4E width. Based on my previous experience with rental climbing shoes (Evolv brand if it matters) I simply got the next size up from my running shoes. The Drifters fit pretty well (albeit not perfectly, more on that later), not too tight but not too loose. A general rule of thumb with climbing shoes is: Are your toes comfortable? If yes, your climbing shoes are too big. Are your toes/feet painful? If yes, your shoes are too small. Are your feet mildly uncomfortable, but without pinching or pain? You've got the right sized shoe.
Comfort level wise, they're okay. The leather in the uppers allows the shoe to mould itself to the user's foot over time. No pokey interior stitching to annoy, and the leather upper is left unlined. Over time, the leather got a good stretch to it, making the fit a little better, and the comfort much improved. You're not gonna want to wear them all day, but you can easily keep them on between sends or while belaying.
On to what made them less than perfect! I mentioned earlier that I have wide feet. While the toe box and length of the shoe worked well for me, the balls of my feet (the widest part) slightly overhangs the sole of the shoe. Same with my heels. The leather uppers can stretch to fit across the foot, but the hard rubber sole can't. Also, the heel pocket isn't all that deep, and the overall shape is super flat. They do okay for edging (until the edge wears off to a nice gentle round...) but every time I wanted to heel hook I found myself toe-ing at the holds instead. Admittedly that may be due to a certain lack of skill on my part... Oh! Again it could be my questionable technique, but I didn't like these for slab climbing. The rubber seemed to go from sticky to slick relatively quickly, maybe a week or two. The rubber on the soles and along the edge seemed to wear out pretty quick, I've used these for maybe 4-6 months and already the edges on both shoes have rounded off (but then I go bouldering 2x a day 4-5 days a week so they might last longer for you).
Performance while climbing is fair. I've sent boulders as hard as V3 while wearing them. As mentioned, they're a bit slick for smooth slabs, and the lack of aggressive shape makes the heel hook harder to use well. Edging is actually pretty good, smears are so-so, the toe is functional. While I haven't sent V4 or V5 (yet!), I never felt like it was the shoes alone which held me back.
Conclusion: I'd say these are a decent beginner shoe. They'll take you from V0-3 with ease, and can likely be stretched to the V4 and V5 problem sets by a skilled climber. They are fairly comfortable to wear and use, and the price you pay is more than worth the shoe you get. For intermediate climbers progressing past the V3 mark, I'd humbly suggest investing in a more aggressively shaped shoe that will get you better smearing, edging, and hooking. For advanced climbers... you know better than this. Go get some Evolv Shamans and crush V12s and leave us climbing peasants to our V3s and flat shoes.
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Product Description
- Stiffness: Medium
- Upper Material: Leather
- Closure: Hook-and-loop
- Rubber: Science Friction 3.0, [rand] Science Friction R2
- Midsole: 1.8mm polyester midsole
- Profile: Comfort
- Asymmetrical Curvature: Moderate
Drifter
Don't let this shoe's looks fool you. Having climbed grades up to V15, the Drifter proves an astonishingly great value. By steering clear of some of Mad Rock's more technical features, this wallet friendly classic puts competition on it's wake.
- Versatile climbing shoe ideal for climbers looking for all-around performance
- Slightly asymmetric last and flat profile for comfort
- Full grain leather uppers stretch out over time for a custom fit
- Split neoprene tongue for easy on/off
- 3D molded heel for a great fit made with sticky rubber and cushy EVA
- Science Friction 3.0 rubber sole for the best friction
Climbing is our Passion
Mad Rock began in 2002 as a climber owned and operated company that made innovative, technical and affordable rock climbing shoes. "Innovation" isn't just a catch phrase-it's a challenge. We use quality materials and innovative technology to meet consumer demands, which is what puts us in climbers' packs around the world!
Reviews with images
Order 1-2 sizes up and they're awesome.
Just to preface, "Fit as expected" means order climbing shoes in one to two sizes larger than you wear in casual footwear. That in mind, I wear a 12 in normal shoes and was told to buy a 13 in these. While they're snug at first, they do loosen up a bit so they're still snug but not foot torture.
Top reviews from other countries
Jonas van Essen
Viel zu klein und schlecht verarbeitet.
Reviewed in Germany on August 24, 2021
Shane
The other shoe was fine. Made it to painful to use the shoe
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 3, 2017
Geoff Ramey
Seems like good shoe, but fit REALLY small.
Reviewed in Canada on February 25, 2014