La Sportiva - Python - Orange - Climbing Shoes

• Best for:
  • Bouldering
  • Indoor climbing
  • Sport climbing

A competition-bred slipper built for maximum sensitivity and hooking performance. The Python is La Sportiva's answer to the modern bouldering gym — volumes, toe hooks, heel hooks, and the kind of overhanging movement that demands a shoe that stays on and grips everything it touches.

Why we love it

There's a reason the Python has been a fixture in competitions and gyms for years — it does exactly what a dedicated hooking shoe needs to do, and does it without fuss. The highly asymmetric last and strong pre-tensioning push power into the big toe, while the moderate downturn keeps the shoe functional across a wide range of movement. The real story is the rubber. The heel is wrapped in ultra-sticky, anti-detachment Vibram XS Grip 2, reinforced with a special adhesive to handle the repeated strain of heel hooks without delaminating. The instep carries the same rubber in a three-dimensional relief pattern specifically designed for toe hooks on volumes and features. La Sportiva doesn't just cover the shoe in rubber — they engineer the coverage for the moves that actually require it. The result is a slipper that disappears on your foot and reappears only when the holds get hard.

Tech Specs

• Weight: 440 g (pair, EU 39)
• Last: Highly asymmetric – slight/medium downturn, strong pre-tensioning
• Upper: Suede leather + synthetic – unlined
• Midsole: LaSpoFlex 0.8 mm – anterior only
• Outsole: Vibram® XS Grip 2 – 3.5 mm
• Closure: Single hook-and-loop strap + heel pull tabs
• Fit: Normal foot / medium volume

Features

• Vibram® XS Grip 2: La Sportiva's softest, stickiest competition rubber – the natural evolution of the world championship-winning XS Grip compound, delivering outstanding friction and adaptability across all surface types indoors and outdoors.
• Reinforced heel rubber: Ultra-sticky XS Grip 2 with anti-detachment adhesive wraps the heel – engineered to withstand the repeated shear forces of aggressive heel hooking without peeling or delaminating over time.
• 3D toe hook insert: Structured rubber relief pattern on the instep – designed specifically for toe hooks on volumes and features, maximising grip surface and friction when the foot is inverted or loaded laterally.
• LaSpoFlex Midsole: Ultra-thin 0.8 mm insert at the anterior – provides just enough support on micro holds while preserving the sensitivity and ground feel that makes the Python a benchmark hooking shoe.
• Can be resoled: Bring your shoes to our shop and we will take care of the rest.