Climb Confidently, Comfortably: Scarpa Drago XT Rock Shoe Review

Given that GearJunkie already crowned the Scarpa Drago the “best climbing shoe for steep routes and boulders,” it was a surprise when the Drago XT showed up in the mail. I couldn’t see how Scarpa could improve such a beloved, high-performing shoe, or why it would introduce another Drago model that could sully the line.

So, I put myself on a mission to find out.

I live in an area where steep, pocketed, and polished limestone dominates. Powerful, bouldery moves define most cruxes. Soft and sensitive shoes are the weapon of choice against short but stiffly graded routes and problems. The Scarpa Drago (and Drago LV) has been a local favorite since its introduction in 2016.

I tested the Scarpa Drago XT for 2 months, climbing and training in them dozens of times, indoors or out, at or above my limits. Whether that be four moves on a training board or boulder or the stopper move on a sport route, I relied on the shoes to power me on moves I had low odds of surmounting, and to precisely deliver the adhesion and sensitivity on moves that demanded my best.

In short: The Scarpa Drago XT is slightly stiffer and less asymmetrical than its predecessor. This provides more edging abillty and a tad more comfort when the feet are highly loaded. It does come at the sacrifice of some sensitivity and shoe conformity, but the Drago XT is effective on a wider variety of routes or problems.

Find your perfect fit in GearJunkie’s guide to Best Climbing Shoes.

Scarpa Drago XT Review

Materials, Construction

The Drago XT maintains the majority of the Drago DNA; it’s the softest line in Scarpa’s extensive offerings meant for high-performance rock climbing. Scarpa added slight tweaks that add a bit more support, security, and comfort when you are bearing down the hardest on the smallest holds.

Like the Drago XT, the Drago XT has an underfoot tensioned rand. This substantial strip of rubber helps maintain longitudinal tension under load to transfer power to the big toe. This pairs with a soft, wraparound rubber rand on the circumference of the forefoot of Scarpa’s M50 rubber. Scarpa states that this enhances power at the tips of all the toes and keeps sensitivity high.

Both versions of the Drago have the same downturn, but the Drago XT has less asymmetry.

Scarpa uses the proven Vibram XS Grip2 3.5 mm rubber for the outsole and microfiber for the upper. The Drago XT has two Velcro straps for closure, compared to only one for the original Drago.

The heel is a substantial departure from the Drago. A 3mm-thick, full-coverage heel cup is said to deliver more support, and the surface is laser-etched to provide grippy edges. Additionally, the double strap closure ensures security during high-force heel hooks.

The sample Drago XT in size 43 weighs a verified 1 pound, 1.2 ounces per pair.

Fit

I wore a 43 in a Drago LV, and the fit was excellent for my narrow heel and wide but vertically thin forefoot. The 43 in the Drago XT was perfect for the length and width of my forefoot, but the upper and heel were slightly baggy.

The sole followed the contours of my foot well, and it became even more so when loaded. Compared to the Drago, the Drago XT’s shape was more in line with my foot when it was vertically loaded. But the more asymmetrical shape of the original Drago felt better when I needed to pull my hips in on roofs or very steep sections where there wasn’t that much weight on my feet.

If Scarpa releases a Drago XT LV, I’m sure I would have zero complaints regarding the fit. But even with the upper a little loose, I didn’t feel it detracted much performance. It only affected the comfort and sensitivity of toe hooks and scums. The double strap closure surely helped with the slightly baggy upper.

Scarpa Drago XT Performance

I was very accustomed to the feel and performance of the original Drago. I often brought both the Drago and Drago XT to the gym or crag to compare. The differences were nuanced, but at the higher grades, they did make a difference.

Edging

This is where the Drago XT differed from Drago and other super-soft shoes. It wasn’t an obvious difference, and I didn’t notice until I wore them outside and tried both shoes back to back. The Drago XT had an advantage when trying to stand in micro edges or other minuscule protuberances. It had less tendency for the edge to roll or deform under high load.

I also felt that the front closure strap aided this, as I could really crank down the forefoot area to make my foot a stiffer platform and help prevent the shoe from rotating around my foot, especially when it was hot, and my foot felt slimy. The added circumferential tension around all the toes also helped them sense the smallest features or changes in textures.

Again, this was a subtle difference that didn’t matter until I was using smaller features. And, generally speaking, the Drago XT is still a soft shoe. It’s not super soft like the Scarpa Furia Air or LaSportiva Mantra, but it’s close to the Drago.

Comfort

Another and more significant difference between the Drago and Drago XT is the latter’s straighter, less asymmetrical last, which is easily visible from the top or bottom of the shoes.

Again, it wasn’t a ground-breaking differential, but it was noticeable more of the time. As the angles became less steep and more bodyweight funneled into the feet, I could tell the shoes were more comfortable and better matched the shape of my foot. They didn’t feel as crammed laterally, and the forces weren’t as channeled to the inner (medial) side of the shoe. My toes felt like they could straighten out both longitudinally and laterally a bit.

I also found the interior of the Scarpa Drago XT kind to my very sensitive feet. After the initial break-in, I never felt any irritating friction or hot spots from the microfiber upper.

Heel Hooking

The visuals of the fully rubber-covered heel and the laser-etched texture promised heel hooking prowess, and it proved true.

The Drago has a more “traditional” heel; the outsole and rands continue to up and around the back of the shoe. This results in more of a “heel rand conglomerate” than a true heel cup, and there is usually a small area that doesn’t have rubber coverage.

The Drago XT has a formed, full-coverage heel cup. The rands continue to the back of the shoe, but a structured and embossed heel cup continues downward from the rands.

This heel cup performed wonderfully both outdoors and on the training boards. The combination of sensitivity, conformity, and padding made high-force heel hooks much more tolerable than with other soft shoes that didn’t have full heel cups.

I could feel the embossing on the heel cup, especially outdoors, bite into any irregularities. When ramping up the hamstring tension, they were much less likely to slide. Whether on the artificial texture of plastic holds or tiny ripples in limestone, the heel cup was a winner.

Sensitivity

I mostly wear very soft and sensitive shoes for climbing in my area. The Drago XT was less sensitive than the Drago, but it was still sensitive compared to other shoes.

I didn’t feel I was at a disadvantage relative to the Drago until I had to smear or smedge (think of edging/smearing at the same time on a tiny feature). This is when I wanted the softer Drago.

When I had to apply force to a slippery limestone nubbin or the notoriously stingy Moonboard starter feet, I needed to concentrate more and have more blind faith to execute a big move. I could feel that I was on the feature, but I had a much harder time knowing when the load wasn’t enough or directed in the exact right vector.

Think of it as climbing with the Drago but with a sock on.

Toe Hooking

This was another feature that helped in one area but detracted from another. The dual strap closure helped edging and sensitivity, but at times, it got in the way during toe hooks.

The added Velcro closure strap on the Drago XT breaks up an almost entirely rubber-covered forefoot upper. The strap didn’t offer the traction of confidence of rubber, and in some cases, it caused a pressure point on the top of my dainty foot.

The front closure strap also interfered with the slight topside concavity that can sometimes be forced out of the foot and shoe. Curling the foot and shoe upward allows “grabbing” during toe hooks. The upper didn’t flex as easily in the area covered by the strap.

Finally, the rubber toecap is embossed with deeper grooves than the heel, but I didn’t improve adhesion as much. This could be because I never put as much force on the forefoot as I did on the heel, possibly not producing the “bite.” But the Drago XT was still an excellent toe-hooking shoe.

When Can I Get the Scarpa Drago XT?

If you Googled “Scarpa Drago XT,” you didn’t get a hit for sales in the U.S. That’s because it’s not publically available yet.

I was lucky to get a prerelease production pair, so what you see on the shelves in a few weeks will be identical. Scarpa set the MSRP at $225.

Conclusions: Scarpa Drago XT Climbing Shoe

If you like the Drago, I am sure you will like the Drago XT when you need more support. Micro edging, longer routes, or any other time that you wished the Drago was slightly more structured and stiffer.

If you haven’t tried the Drago, think of the Drago XT as the softest, most sensitive indoor/bouldering/sport climbing shoe, but add 15% more structure and stiffness. And, of course, the shoe has to fit well for any of this to matter.

The Scarpa Drago XT is a logical extension of the Drago line. Some might say that the Drago is more of a bouldering or indoor shoe, while the Drago XT is more of an outdoor shoe. Or that the Drago XT is for sport routes, and the Drago is for bouldering. Whatever semantics you choose, the slight differences warrant a try if you get along with the Drago.

The Drago XT makes an excellent choice when you are headed to the boulders or cliff, and all you know is that it’s at least slightly overhanging. It’s a more versatile climbing shoe than the original Drago.

Now, if Scarpa made a Drago XT LV and a slightly softer, asymmetrical, more downturned version (compared to the Drago), I’d have a perfectly matched Drago trio. Are you listening, Scarpa?