With 95 percent recycled components, including the rubber, the La Sportiva Mythos Eco stand out as a perfectly functional climbing shoe for the eco-conscious climber.
In a market crowded with good shoes, the La Sportiva Mythos Eco stand out because of the way it’s made.
The Mythos Eco uses rubber recycled from the La Sportiva factory and it still performs solidly as a neutral and all-day climbing shoe.
On the rock, the shoes did their job, even with 95 percent recycled components.
La Sportiva Mythos Eco Test
The Mythos is a classic moccasin-style shoe. La Sportiva hasn’t changed the style in 25 years because, frankly, it works great. The Mythos Eco applies this tried-and-true design with sustainable ingredients. I tested the Mythos Eco on a host of different climbing surfaces and styles.
The lacing configuration allows you to tighten these shoes snugly around all parts of your feet, making them a great option for crack climbing.
When sticking your feet sideways and every-which way into the wall, you need a shoe that doesn’t create pressure points commonly found in aggressive, toe-pain-inducing shoes.
Before testing, I thought the rubber sole might not function as well as other sticky rubbers. But climbing on these shoes quickly put that concern out of my mind. The recycled rubber sticks admirably on polished and sharp stone alike.
Environmental La Sportiva Mythos
For those who make environmentally-informed consumer decisions, consider this shoe.
The soles, laces, ribbons, tongue padding, and rubber are all recycled. And in the factory, La Sportiva uses metal-free tanning, biodegradable leather, and water-based adhesives.
To get the rubber, La Sportiva takes the trimmings of their Vibram XS Edge. It’s the same rubber found in Miura and classic Mythos climbing shoes to name a few.
La Sportiva likened the process to using leftover cookie dough. After cutting out the cookies (the Miuras and other climbing shoes to use Vibram XS Edge), La Sportiva balls up the leftover cookie dough and makes more cookies. And as anyone with a decent grasp of the world and all that is holy knows, leftover cookie dough is still delicious.
For the rubber found on Mythos Eco, the brand estimates they can make one sheet of Eco-Rubber for every five sheets of Vibram rubber.
As for traction, both myself and La Sportiva climber Paige Claassen find the rubber compares favorably to previous models.
Who’s It For: La Sportiva Mythos Eco
These shoes are comfortable and functional for long climbing days. Also, anybody who enjoys crack climbing and hasn’t used the Mythos should definitely try them out. It’s a historic shoe for Pete’s sake!
The Mythos Eco retail for $155 and La Sportiva plans on making them for a while. If saving the Earth is your jam, these are the shoes for you.
