Rock Shoes: Acopa Chameleon
1st Mar 2006
£71.99 | Velcro | size reviewed 9.5 (foot size 10) | weight 556g | medium asymmetry
Acopa are an American brand designed by legend John Bachar. Initial impressions were important as we had no previous experience on which to judge them. Looks wise they are certainly not unpleasant, but don’t exactly stand out – much like a real life Chameleon! There is a slight scruffiness to them evident in the surface of the rubber in the rand, but otherwise they appear to be solidly and well made. They are un-lined leather, not overly asymmetric, and are extremely stiff. The stiffness is due in large part to a thicker than average sole, with extra thick rubber on the inside edge. Unfortunately this extra thickness lead to a little insensitivity whilst edging. On the other hand it made for excellent and comfortable toe jamming. The rubber itself is very smooth to the touch, and gives the impression that it is here to stay. That is a general feature of the shoe. Although it looks a little rough and ready it is extremely sturdy and feels well put together. The fit is very snug, but the heel has a little bagginess low down which is frustrating. These boots are excellent for wall and slab climbing as the stiffness takes a lot of the effort out of your calves. However as mentioned above this stiffness hinders them when it comes to smearing. With wear they are slowly softening, but they are still very stiff. The twin offset pull loops are too small to access easily. All in all a quirky shoe that will suit some people down to the ground and last for ever, but not for everybody.
This review was carried out as part of a massive comparative review of 25 pairs of Performance Rock Shoes. We think that this could be the biggest review of such shoes ever undertaken. You can read the whole review here.