So iLL Catch long term rock climbing shoe review 2024

Historically most climbing slippers have leaned towards the softer side for midsole and toe stiffness, such as the Five Ten Moccasyms (broken in ones at least) or the La Sportiva Cobras. They have also typically been ‘high-stretch’ shoes (especially the Moccs), requiring plastic bags and gritted teeth to help prevent the dreaded “bagging out” most climbers fear from a shoe with no closure system. The So iLL Catch sits in neither of these camps. Unsurprisingly, Fred Nicole (the man, the myth, the legend) knows what he’s doing, and has found an excellent balance between the sensitivity people expect from a slipper and enough stiffness to make them versatile for most styles of climbing on most types of rock.

Fit:

The Catch is a slightly to moderately downturned shoe with medium asymmetry and a low to medium-height toebox. In terms of volume and width, it’s pretty much bang in the middle! For those with a slightly wider foot (like me), the Catch would probably accommodate it after some breaking-in to stretch them width ways (which mine did). They also have quite a lot of tension across the back of the heel, which did feel like it was digging in at first, but inevitably eased off to the point that I don’t notice it (this is to help prevent slippy heel fits after break-in). Don’t be fooled though, this is not a high-stretch shoe, if anything I’d say they only stretch ¼ to ⅓ of a US size. This low stretch is due to the special type of vegan microsuede So iLL sourced from South Korea (with the help of Jae Jung, who used to design shoes for Butora). 

Features/Design:

One of the first things I noticed when wearing the Catch, was how comfy they felt! The upper is made from a single piece (one seam) of their special vegan microsuede, which felt very soft and almost velvety against my foot. They’ve also been built so that the toe patch connects to the rand as a single piece of rubber, meaning there’s no overlapping rubber above your toe knuckles (further adding to the comfy feel). The toe patch is also quite generous in size and is textured in a way that looks kinda cool without compromising the functionality (see my previous review of the BD Method S for context). In terms of rubber, the Catch features 3.5mm of Vibram XS Grip on the sole (just like Tenaya), 2.2mm at the toe rand and toe patch. This rubber choice is part of what makes these shoes so versatile, as it fits nicely into the middle in terms of stickiness and durability. I’ve found it to be sticky enough for climbing in the gym or on Victorian sandstone/quartzite (after break-in), but stiff and durable enough for granite and limestone (which normally chew through softer rubbers). Just make sure to keep the rubber wiped clean for maximum stickiness. 

Function/use case:

The Catch is stiff for a slipper, but not stiff like the Muira VS or Vapor Lace. I‘ve found them to be stiff enough in the toe for edging and powering down on small footers, but still flexible enough in the mid for pasting on volumes in the gym or glassy smears at Arapiles/Dyurrite. The amount of heel tension has kept the Catch feeling plenty secure during heel hooks, but this comes down to fit. The midsole is also comprised of two parts, a 1.5mm fibreboard along the full length of the shoe, and a 0.7mm thermo melting board under the toe. This means the midsole gradually softens over time but retains toe stiffness. I’ve sized and used my pair for mostly hard bouldering and sport climbing, but these would be just as suitable for trad or shorter multi-pitch routes if sized appropriately. Also for those wondering if they’re suitable for steep boulders/boards, I’ve sent my hardest 2016 Moonboard benchmarks to date wearing the Catch, so yes!

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I’d rate it 4.5 out of 5 blue offsets.