DRAGO XT

The Drago XT is a work of art. It's truly impressive when you learn about all the components of the shoe and how it's assembled — leather and microfiber, a complicated midsole, 3 tension systems, 5 different rubbers — There's so much thought, care and detail put into it — like EVERY Scarpa show. But, what matters is how it fits YOUR foot and what YOU NEED it for. It's not for everyone, or for everything. I use it mostly for gym climbing/training because of the fit, ease of use, precision, and most importantly the medium soft stiffness profile. I could see using it very well for certain outside bouldering and route climbing for sure. For me and my feet, and primarily as a route climber, it's the best Drago with 1) a slightly taller toe box but lower overall volume everywhere, especially the heel (which is so amazing) 2) a more precise fit and adjustability with double straps 3) more stiffness for precision and support on small footholds, and also support for circuits and route climbing, 4) Coolest look. I find it's the most comfortable and best performing Drago... but you should go try them and decide for yourself.

I might be a die-hard stiff shoe fanatic but I've started using the Drago XT on a big sandstone multipitch project where the primary footwork is smearing on a flat wall and am very impressed with their function in this application. The softness allows me to smear a larger surface area on the wall and if they are sized appropriately, I can still edge when needed. I've found this shoe molds to my foot better than any other shoe I've used and the two strap closure feels like an upgrade from the other Dragos. They feel overall lower volume than the normal Drago and the heel fits better with less bagging out. I do find that I need to size them a half to full size smaller than other SCARPA shoes - I typically wear a 39-39.5 for a performance fit of Boostic R, Instinct, and Drago but I think I could go down to 38.5 in these.