Boreal Unisex's Joker Plus Sneakers

Product Information

The downside to buying online is that you can’t actually get hold of the product to try it out first. There’s so much information available online when we’re shopping now, that it’s easy to find lots of detail about products like Boreal Alpha Men’s Climbing Shoe. This is of course really helpful, but there’s almost too much information available, so it’s important to know exactly what you’re looking for.

As per my comments on Zenith Quattro within the relatively recent review of the Boreal Beta and Beta Eco, it wasn't - in my opinion - the grippiest; however, it was, in turn, much more durable. You can't have everything and Boreal have designed that compound with longevity in mind.

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At the time I really liked their predecessors, but they now feel quite clunky, cumbersome, and a little basic in comparison, which makes the fact that the new version is actually heavier seem quite surprising (490g vs. 450g per pair, size UK 7 / EU 41). Whilst the fact it's a slipper undoubtedly make the Instinct S a more specialist product, it feels like it has more of a unique selling point than its antecedents, as it's just got that little more oomph. Plus, it looks unbelievably cool. The Beta has been designed with the indoor climber in mind. This shoe is for someone that has recently started climbing, but - as is the indoor way - is looking at climbing a little harder than, say, someone who'd started their outdoor apprenticeship. The Joker has historically been Boreal's offering in this department, but the advent of indoor bouldering has changed things, with newer users immediately climbing steeper and more technical terrain. Hence what was previously good for beginners is now a little different, depending what they're looking to do. The Crux features a comfortable, easy access, wide opening tongue, which is constructed using recycled materials. The opposing twin strap closure system provides good adjustment and keeps your foot firmly in place - something that is further aided by the lining, which helps to absorb sweat from your foot. The microfibre/lined combo doesn't make it the coolest shoe to wear, or the lightest - coming in at 510g per pair.

The achilles heel for most slippers is, literally, the heel; and a large part of whether or not you feel they work for you will come down to how they fit your foot shape. If they fit well, they'll work well, if they don't - they won't. Our recommendation, with footwear in particular, is - as always - to try before you buy. While superficially nearly identical to the Quantic, the Quantix SF actually have some quite different things going on under the hoodThe rubber is Stealth C4 and I personally believe there's nothing better. It gives me the confidence to use the most marginal smears, or commit to horrible slopey volumes indoors. This has been a large contributing factor to Five Ten's success over the years and the NIAD Lace is no exception. Ideal for beginner climbers or as a comfortable and inexpensive second pair, the Alpha features the same super-comfortable semi-asymmetric last as the top-selling Joker model. A low tension rand means there is less unwanted pressure on the foot and the shoe retains shape over time. The unlined microfibre upper feels comfortable next to the skin straight from the box. On the whole, always hard to tell after just a few sessions but I’d say it’s not much different to the original Anasazis (other than the sizing). Then again, I thought the same about the new Anasazis, which some people didn’t like apparently. May be my footwork is so bad that I can’t tell the difference 🤣 When you're looking down at your foot, something that's important - but often goes unremarked - is your ability to see where your edge is and place it on the hold accordingly. I would say this is critical, because it allows you to be precise with your foot placements, and no matter how strong you are with your arms, good footwork is vital. At the heel, Boreal have provided a bit of cushioning, as well as a little textured tread that may offer a token amount of grip on a walk-off. I guess the padding helps with comfort on a walking descent, and it does accord with the old duffer/beginner image of this shoe. But it also seems a bit unnecessary, since you won't need it at a single pitch crag, while if you're walking off Tryfan you'll have brought a pair of actual shoes to do it in. Suffice to say, people who go in for heel hooking are not going to be faring well in the Alpha. That sort of thing is just not their game.

The uppers are virtually all leather with BD's own 'Engineered Knit Technology' for the tongue. The latter feature gives a soft feel and is said to breathe better than a 'solid' togue, although there is relatively little tongue exposed so this difference has to be minimal. It is possible that the leather uppers may stretch a bit, and they do have a certain amount of give which will allow a more flexible fit. Having said that, our pair seem to be pretty good with regard to stretch after a few months' use - ie there hasn't been much. There is a heel tension strap but it has no more power than the Momentum's - comfort for sure, but not the semi-aggressive performance you would expect in a mid-range shoe. The Flagship LV has a lower volume, is a bit narrower (both around the forefoot and the heel) and has a lower cuff around the ankle than the original Flagship, but that's not the only change - the sizing also differs (which is definitely something to be aware of). I have a UK5 in the original Flagship and so got a UK5 in the Low Volume version, assuming it would feel smaller; however, I should have gone for the half, or even full size smaller, and I'd highly recommend doing this if it's outright performance that you're after. The Flagship LV seems larger than the full volume version for a given size, and in the future I would definitely go for the plastic bag approach with this shoe to get the most out of its features. Even just being half a size too big has meant that the heel slips on easily and in some cases slips off too. I have really enjoyed wearing a slightly bigger shoe. Warming up in them and wearing them for everything has worked well, plus they've been great for smearing. Thinking of how to summarise the Crux, the words that came immediately to mind were "all-rounder". It's capable of doing a lot of different things, and doing them well, and if you were looking for a single shoe to do a bit of everything, the Crux would be a great option. By streamlining the key features, Alpha provides a durable, comfortable and great value shoe for any newcomers to the sport.We’re really pleased to have scored Boreal Alpha Men’s Climbing Shoe so highly, givimg it 9.9 out of 10, making it well above the average for all Climbing Shoes. I've used both pairs on gritstone and limestone. Each works, but I prefer the Quantix SF on grit due to their softer nature, and the Quantic on limestone where, at least at my grades, edging predominates. I don't want to oversell the difference - I've climbed in shoes much stiffer than the Quantic (the Scarpa Techno X for example), and shoes noticeably softer than the Quantix SF. But during the testing period I have done a number of routes with a Quantic on one foot and a Quantix on the other, and then the different level of support is perceptible. I'll begin with the things that are similar or the same, then go on to the design features and materials that set the shoes apart from each other.