Scarpa Vapour S Review 2023

Excellent suppleness and precision fit make this the ultimate indoor and bouldering shoe for intermediate climbers.

PROS

• Great, precision fit
• Good friction
• Supple and soft(er)

CONS

• Soft(er) if you are used to Vapour V’s

I’ve now used every model of the popular Scarpa Vapour series – I’m into my fourth pair of Vapour V’s and I have another pair that I have had resoled twice (my comfy shoes). The lace-up versions were also great for harder climbing, especially sport climbing. These days I’m firmly in the intermediate camp of climbing – I’m more than happy with this as I’ve seen plenty of my peer group fall to injury year after year and mid-life climbing is all about staying injury free!

The newest addition to the popular Vapour range is the Scarpa Vapour S, a slipper-style shoe. Designed for bouldering and indoor climbing the shoe is versatile enough to be worn for sport climbing and trad too. There were plenty of years when I climbed in just slippers and they have their benefits – namely ease of getting them on and off, especially for bouldering.

If you are a Vapour fan then the fit of the Vapour S isn’t going to disappoint. My Vapour V’s are a UK7.5 so I tested a size UK7 EUR41, they are made on the last as the Vapour V’s. If your Vapour V’s fit you well then the Vapour S should too. They fitted snuggly perfectly straight out of the box without having to resort to plastic bags! I climbed immediately, and as the test period progressed, the fit improved. The toe profile is precise without being overly aggressive which offers comfort whilst still being able to ace those tiny footholds and smears. The toe rand offers full coverage and can cope with toe hooks and thin cracks. It is split so will able to accommodate a variety of foot widths – although you should note that they are a narrow fitting shoe so I would strongly recommend trying a pair on at a specialist shop.

The Vapour V and S are made on the same last so the shape is very similar.

The heel rand is partial and extends up into the Achilles to offer an excellent, tight fit so they stayed in place even when heel hooking aggressively. Full support is also given around the foot arch where the rand extends. The Bi Tension system also offers extra support as this allows the heel rand to continue under the foot. On top of that and if you feel you need an even more precise fit there is the Nano Strap System: a removable tension strap that can be totally removed so the Vapour S acts as just a plain slipper and then re-threaded in two different ways to offer differing levels of tension. This is good and easy to do – so you could have a fast mode for general bouldering or a strong mode for sending sports projects. A really good feature and just the sort of innovation you would expect from Scarpa. There is an excellent video on the Scarpa website that explains the different tension options.

The rubber is Vibram XSGrip 2, this is softer and found on the more performance Drago’s. Perfect friction for gritstone bouldering and indoor climbing but as the rubber is a softer compound you shouldn’t expect the rubber to last as long, especially if it will be your regular bouldering shoe. That said, they have lasted well throughout the test period and I have used them exclusively and they still have plenty of rubber left. The shoes can be resoled through the Scarpa resole/refurbishment scheme. You can read our review of this excellent service here. 

The friction of the XS Grip 2 rubber was perfect for gritstone bouldering.

The uppers are microfibre, this seems to be standard now for most Scarpa climbing shoes, particularly at the performance level. This has performed as well as my Vapour V shoes and they have kept their integrity and shape. They also have remained smell free – happily, I do not suffer from smelly feet – even through this recent hot spell. Finally, they have also finished two rear heel loops and a well-sized tongue pull.

Soft enough for extended wear during longer indoor sessions.

So, the Scarpa Vapour S are an excellent addition to the popular Vapour range of climbing shoes, the fit is excellent and they performed straight out of the box. They have great features that are suited to bouldering and indoor climbing and the XS Grip 2 rubber is awesome. The combination of a pair of Vapour V and Vapour S shoes in your pack would serve you well for most types of climbing for many years.

The Scarpa Vapour S shoes come in sizes EUR 39-45 in half sizes. There is also a female-specific version that comes in sizes EUR 35-41 in half sizes.

The SRP is £145 and they can be purchased directly from Scarpa UK and specialist retailers.

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