La Sportiva TC Pro Review

The “TC” in the TC Pro name stands for Tommy Caldwell, an American professional climber who helped design these exceedingly popular shoes. Caldwell has a long list of climbing accomplishments, but he's probably most known for his free climbing prowess on Yosemite's El Capitan. These shoes are built for this purpose with a stiff sole and high-top upper that supply excellent edging performance and extra padding for all-day crack jamming. Although they're exceptional for granite cracks, they're also a solid choice for trad climbing on almost any rock type. That's why these shoes have gained devoted fans all around the world.

The classic TC Pro received a slew of updates with the new version released in 2021. Past TC Pro fans will be happy to hear that almost all of these changes seem to be for the better. Perhaps the most appreciated change is a redesign of the rand. The sides of the shoe now feature a continuous rand that's far less prone to delaminating or peeling. The laces are also a little burlier, so there is less fear about shredding them while crack jamming on coarse rock. La Sportiva removed a small hem on the heel of this shoe. This subtle change helps alleviate pressure and reduce Achilles pain. On the other hand, we were disappointed to discover that the new TC Pro feels ever so slightly less sensitive. This is especially disappointing because these shoes weren't particularly sensitive to begin with. Aside from this difference, though, we're thrilled with most of the changes to this already fantastic shoe.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

After enough pitches, any climbing shoe will make you miserable. How long that takes is the measure of how comfortable a shoe is. The TC Pro doesn't baby your foot like some flat shoes. The toe is molded into an asymmetrical point, and if you size it too tight, your toes will curl over slightly. Our lead tester wears a euro 44.5 street shoe but sized down to a 43.5 for a performance fit in TC Pro. At this size, he finds it possible to wear them during massive days with minimal pain.

The sole offers tons of support to stave off fatigue, and the high-top upper protects your foot amazingly in cracks. Both of these aspects of its performance are more important than its comfort out of the box. And out of the box, it can feel rather uncomfortable until the stiff leather uppers have been properly broken in with a few days of climbing. The TC Pro isn't perfect for everyone, especially those with wide or high-volume feet.

Smearing

This hard man's shoe is extremely supportive, but it still manages to provide some sensitivity. Its 4 millimeters of Vibram XS Edge rubber is slightly more than average but actually pretty modest for a specialized crack shoe. This compromise between protection and performance means that the TC Pro actually offers impressive smearing capabilities for such a stiff shoe. The flat shape allows you to cover small features with rubber, and its rigidity allows you to transfer power and stand for extended periods of time on thin smears.

Shoes with softer midsoles can still provide much higher levels of sensitivity, but after you get accustomed to the stiffness of the TC Pro, it's possible to detect tiny rock features. You might not be able to feel absolutely everything, but with careful technique, you can learn to trust them.

Edging

The XS Edge rubber used on the TC Pro is, as the name implies, designed for edging. It works phenomenally for this purpose. The pointed toe stands on extremely microscopic features with ease, and both the inside and outside edges feel precise enough for hard face climbing.

Like many top-rated La Sportiva shoes, the TC Pro employs its P3 technology to add support. This design employs a tensioned rand across the heel that runs inside the shoe all the way to the forefoot. The result is a stable platform with considerable stiffness all the way from heel to toe. The downside to this design is additional material between your foot that harms sensitivity. Despite this limited tactile feedback, if you place your feet precisely, the edging performance can be outstanding.

Pulling

Just looking at the pointed toe of the TC Pro suggests that it will do well in pockets at some angle. The steeper you get, however, the worse it performs. That's partially due to the flat toe, which is so amazing on edges and in cracks, but it's an ineffective design for pulling your lower body in on overhanging terrain.

The heel cup is also bulky with a hard rubber spine that reduces sensitivity for heel hooks. The TC Pro is still great for vertical terrain, but for steep cranking or pocketed limestone, we recommend a shoe with a pointier toe and a more aggressive downturn.

Crack Climbing

Fish do well in water, and the TC Pro does well in cracks for the same reason: they are meant to be there. The virtually flat toe fits pretty well into cracks, allowing you to crank and jam in all directions with impunity. The forefoot is surprisingly stiff for how sensitive the shoe feels and holds its shape no matter how hard you try to mangle your foot in the wide stuff. With these shoes, your hands will beg for a break long before your feet.

Unfortunately, the toe box is rather tall, which means you can't slide a ton of material into thin cracks. Most people will probably prefer a shoe with a slimmer toe profile to charge up cracks that are thin hands or smaller. For anything wider than thin hands, however, the TC Pro is extremely capable.

Should You Buy the La Sportiva TC Pro?

The TC Pro is easily one of the most popular shoes in the granite climbing areas of the American West, and it's easy to understand why. Its excellent balance of comfort, edging performance, and sensitivity remain unmatched by its rivals. Of course, there are also a few detractors to any fan club. Some of these detractors are just grumpy contrarians, but criticism about limited sensitivity and poor performance on overhanging terrain seem warranted. And of course, to get your hands on a pair you'll have to fork over some serious cash. But the TC Pro is a shoe that's worth saving up your lunch money for, considering the additional value in its versatility and improved durability. We're confident you'll be pleased with what we believe is the best shoe for trad and crack climbing.

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