So, let’s get this out of the way: while the Skwama Lite shares part of its name with the performance-oriented OG Skwama, it’s not a replacement for the original shoe. In fact, if we are focusing on names, climbers should pay attention to the Lite part of the shoe’s surname. You see, the Skwama Lite is designed to be a bridging shoe for climbers who have outgrown entry-level footwear but lack the need (or desire?) for the more compressed, foot-contorting fit found in higher-priced performance climbing shoes.

To really understand why the Skwama Lite exists, you have to look at the current climbing demographics and how most climbers move through the various performance tiers. Like most sports, climbing has a massive base of recreational participants who have little intention of compromising their regular lives to chase the next route or bouldering grade. They are, in fact, very content to view climbing the way some folks view a recreational softball league; a sport they casually participate in every Sunday afternoon. And to be honest, there is nothing wrong with this approach. However, as with many other sports, a significant portion of these climbers become more serious and are interested in pushing themselves on more challenging routes and boulder problems, and this is where basic entry-level shoes become a legitimate limiting factor. Historically, at this point, most climbers were faced with the dilemma of ponying up serious dollars for top-tier shoes used by elite climbers to send cutting-edge grades. Unfortunately, these shoes were not only more expensive, but as mentioned earlier, they frequently compromised comfort (more compression, more asymmetrical lasts) to achieve uncompromising performance, which many of these intermediate climbers did not need or want.

Which brings us back to the Skwama Lite. Constructed on La Sportiva’s PD 55 last (the OG Skwama employs the PD 75 last), the Skwama Lite is noticeably less asymmetric, less downturned, and offers less aggressive tensioning. The result is a shoe that climbs significantly better than entry-level models without sacrificing the comfort that many intermediate climbers demand. It’s a smart design decision on Sportiva’s part and mirrors a similar industry-wide trend. Looking at the shoe’s overall construction, we see that Sportiva has spec’d a soft and supple microfibre upper, a massive rubber toe patch (de rigueur for modern gym climbing shenanigans), a supportive yet sensitive full-length 1.1mm LaSpoFlex midsole with the tried-and-true P3 tensioning system, and a heel cup with plenty of rubber coverage for aggressive hooking. These construction and material details make plenty of sense and balance high versatility with comfort.

From a fit perspective, the Skwama Lite leans more to the narrow, low-volume end of the spectrum, which will be appreciated by anyone other than climbers with Hobbit-like feet.

So, the big question is, how do the shoes perform on plastic and rock? During my extended testing, the Skwama Lite surprised me with its nimbleness and precision. The shoe excels in small pockets and sharp edges, and as long as you realize that much of the power and performance is optimized over your big toe, you will not be disappointed. The overall low-volume fit (hugs your foot and prevents foot shifting inside the shoe), combined with the thin midsole, provided just enough support for secure edging on vertical to gently overhanging terrain without the lack of feedback encountered with stiffer shoes. As with many black-coloured microfibre shoes, they can feel overly warm if you’re climbing in hot, sunny conditions. This is not necessarily a problem, but if you are intent on sending your project during sticky midsummer weather, you might want to wait for a cooler or more overcast day. Toe and heel hooking were more than adequate, and while the Skwama Lite may not have the more sophisticated heel cup found on the OG model, it performed admirably in most moderately technical hooking situations. 

At this point, savvy readers may have noticed that I have not discussed the shoe’s sole rubber. And before I do, I want to mention that a famous American economist once said, “There are no solutions, there are only trade-offs.” As stated before, the Skwama Lite has been designed as an intermediate bridging shoe to deliver significantly better performance than entry-level options, at a more accessible price point than top-end climbing footwear. To hit this performance/price-point sweet spot, Sportiva has had to embrace trade-offs, the most obvious being the less sophisticated heel-cup construction and the use of Sportiva’s FriXion Black sole rubber. FriXion Black is a very firm rubber that does not have the same grip as softer compounds like Vibram XS Grip2, which is found on the original Skwama. While FriXion Black delivers solid edging and excellent wear resistance, I found it to be less secure during smearing or when climbing on polished holds. For some climbers, this may not be an issue as the improved durability and reduced costs by not using Vibram’s rubber sole compounds (Vibram rubber is used in the rands) help keep the shoe at a more accessible price, creating solid overall value. That said, if you are spending a lot of your time on polished, smeary holds, you will have to deploy more focused footwork. If, on the other hand, you’re climbing on vertical to gently overhanging terrain with crisp edges and want a precise, relatively comfortable shoe with durable rubber, then the Skwama Lite is for you.

You can learn more about the La Sportiva Skwama Lite and other great La Sportiva shoes at lasportivausa.com.

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