Evolv Geshido Velcro Climbing Shoe Review

Intro/Background:

The Evolv Geshido is an update of an old favourite. It is available in both a velcro and a lace up design but for this review I am focusing on the velcro version. Both the Velcro and the Lace Up Geshido come in a Low Volume version as well which allows people with narrower feet to still get a great fit in them. The Velcro is also made of synthetic materials throughout its construction as opposed to the Lace Up which uses a Leather upper. Beyond this they are very similar shoes as you would expect.

Function:

A comfortable option for longer routes or sessions with great all-round performance.

I was excited to try the Geshido as it shares some of the same features found across the majority of the Evolv line but offers a stiffer full-length midsole but is not as aggressively designed making it a lot more comfortable for longer periods of wear.

To quote Evolv, they designed the Geshido to “Ge-t Sh*-t Do-ne”, which is where the name comes from. To achieve this, the Geshido features a full length 1.2mm plastic midsole to increase performance on smaller edges though is not so stiff you can’t smear when needed. This makes them a great no fuss all-rounder with a slight focus on edging performance. 

The profile has a very slight downturn to it which helps slightly with toeing into footholds when climbing on steeper terrain though if that is your main focus it may be worth considering more of an aggressive specialist shoe. Unlike the majority of Evolv shoes, the Geshido does not feature a rubber toe patch. This produces a focus towards increased comfort in the toe box allowing the upper to flex around the top of your toes and continues to lean more towards a design better suited to face climbing than highly technical roof problems.

Fit/Sizing:

Evolv design their shoes to match your street shoe size to make selecting the right size a lot easier.

As with other Evolv shoes, they recommend sticking to your street shoe size for a snug but comfortable fit that will suit most climbers and half a size down from your street shoe for a performance fit. As when reviewing other Evolv shoes, I stuck to my street shoe size to be able to see if this recommendation is correct and found it was perfect for me. I wanted the Geshidos to be a trad/training shoe for me for which made these perfect for me. If you want an out and out performance fit than I’d suggest possibly looking at a more technical shoe before downsizing massively in these. 

The Evolv Geshido is also available as both a higher and lower volume so it is important to note I used the higher volume model for my review. This is seen as the standard fit which is a bit wider in the toe box than many other shoes out there making it a great option for climbers with medium-wide feet. It also has a bit more of a rounded taper at the big toe for this asymmetric shoe which will appeal to those once again who require a bit more width to their shoes.

At street shoe they were still tight enough to feel confident on smaller edges and maintained a dependable heel without fear of slipping or rolling. The shoes stretched minimally, up to half a size across the forefoot, and remained secure with its two opposing velcro straps.

After a couple of sessions indoors, the shoes felt nicely settled on my feet which was impressive. I put this partly down to there being less rubber over the toe box than in some shoes out there allowing the synthetic upper of the shoe to marginally flex over the toes. In addition to this, the Geshido sports a slightly less aggressive heel than some other models possibly making it a great bet for those who suffer with pain in their achilles. The most significant features which make the difference are the Evolv “Knuckle Box” and “Love Bump”. These are both features that are designed to increase performance and comfort by strategically increasing and decreasing certain areas of the toe box to minimise deadspace and maximise comfort. This is an innovative design by Evolv which is part of their trademark fit from Evolv shoes that I like a lot as it just makes sense. Where some other brands just seem to hope the upper stretches enough around your foot, Evolv make their shoes more foot shaped giving a great fit.

Forefoot:

A medium-stiff midsole offering great support on smaller edges and longer routes. Wider toe box with no toe patch.

With a minimal downturn and slight asymmetry of the toe box, you do get slightly more precision than a completely flat shoe. The asymmetric design increases focus to the big toe further increase precision. This gives you a slightly more technical feel in the toe box but, due to its wider width and more rounded design, still offers more comfort than a typical performance model.

I found the performance to be a good jack of all trades. I would not say it specialises in a particular area, be it edging or smearing necessarily but more that it just allows equal performance across the board. I also found a unique feeling in the midsole that had some elasticity and increased tension when standing on the wall in them. I could feel the midsole pulling back into its desired shape in an almost bouncy tensioned way which is hard to describe beyond that which was quite different to any other shoe I’ve had. When weighting my feet on smaller edges I could feel the tension of the shoes midsole supporting me in a way I haven’t felt previously in the many other shoes I have tried before because of this tension. This took some getting used to but actually makes you know the shoe is supporting your through the smaller holds out there well.

Evolvs own Trax SAS rubber can be found on the Geshido, much like the majority of their shoes. As always it felt sticky and seems to last forever so a winner bet! 

Comfortable and performing well at the front end of the shoe. Does this continue to the back though?

Heel:

A secure and comfortable heel which can be trusted to stick and could be a great option for people with sensitive heels or Achilles.

A common design feature of a lot of modern climbing shoes is for the heel  to have a highly tensioned band which helps to drive the foot forward resulting in the toes being pushed aggressively into the toe box which assists in the forefoot performance but sacrifices comfort in the heel itself significantly. The Geshido goes against the grain here with a much more relaxed lever of tension in the heel. You may expect a less secure fit as it is not as tight around the heel, but this was not the case for me. The heel cup was as secure as you would ever want due to the overall fit of the heel cup around my heel. It is a slightly boxier shape than some heel designs out there, but still felt secure when in use throughout my time with the shoe. I haven’t experienced any slippage or heel rolling when using the Geshido.

My only concern with the heel is my personal preference across a large proportion of the climbing shoes out there where the rubber spine of the heel is secured over the top of the tension band as opposed to beneath it. This has in my eyes more risk to delaminate at this point as the spine of the heel is more exposed. This DID NOT HAPPEN with my time wearing the Geshido but it is something I like to mention in a hope brands may one day see it as it does always surprise me it’s still the standard way.

A strong performer with the heel for both Achilles comfort and security.

Conclusion:

The Geshido covers a variety of angles and disciplines for those looking for an allrounder or comfortable option.

The Geshido definitely appeals to a large range of climbers out there. With more of a focus on a comfortable fit with rigidity in mind for edging and support, I see the shoe appealing to two types of climbers in particular.

Firstly, I would say it fits the bill well for climbers moving from a beginner style shoe into something a bit more technical whilst not wanting to sacrifice on comfort as they get into the sport. They are much more technical in the heel and asymmetric in the toe box than most beginners shoe with a nice level of stiffness in the midsole for support as they get used to weighting their feet.

Secondly, the Geshido will also appeal to what I describe as the “Anasazi” climber out there wanting a flatter profile and a great jack of all trades shoe which may not excel at a specific skill but performs well across the board. All this whilst maintaining a higher level of comfort when compared to a lot of the more technical models out there with highly downturned and uncomfortable designs. It performs both outdoors over multiple disciplines as it does for indoor training as an example though I would say that they might be slightly stiff for those wanting to exclusively climb indoors as you may want a slightly less stiff shoe for smearing on volumes every session.

One detail I’ve enjoyed the most in the Geshidos has been their comfort for trad climbing with both the synthetic upper and opposing velcro straps giving a snug but comfortable feeling across the toes and top of the foot. The rigidity of the midsole has also been very welcome here for waiting around placing gear.

They are definitely a great bet for those meeting the above requirements of the two types of climbers described above and anyone looking for a less aggressive, well made and comfortable shoe which does still perform. They happen to look incredible in both the standard and low volume version as a bonus too.

Great as always Evolv.

Manufacturer Description:

The Geshido was designed for the climber that needs to excel on all types of terrain from moderately overhanging, to vertical, to off-vertical faces for long periods of time. The Geshido is built with a single later vegan synthetic upper, a synthetic upper will undergo less stretch than a leather upper, which will, in turn, keep the shoe feeling tighter and more powerful. The Geshido has a 2 strap hook and loop closure system for easy on and off. Equipped with a 1.2 full-length plastic midsole that will ensure that you have enough power to drive through small features and provide confidence during those technical sequences. The Geshido has a thinner heel rand to yield when the route goes past vertical but is paired with a dark spine heel midsole to ensure that there is plenty of rigidity and power to the toes when needed.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• Closure: Velcro
• Gender: Unisex
• Liner: UNLINED
• Midsole:
• MX-P:1.2mm full length midsole
• Dark spine heel midsole
• Outsole: 4.2mm TRAX® SAS outsole

• Profile: DOWNTURNED ASYMMETRIC
• Rand: VTR rand (THICKER FRONT TOE AREA)
• Upper: Synthetic (Synthratex VX)
• Vegan: Yes