Boreal's Dharma

Boreal's DHARMA

Pic from Boreal website.

Trying them out on 'La Boda Roja', 8a+ in Piedrasecha (León - Spain). Pic@ Ignacio Sandoval Burón.

Here you can appreciate the arch elevation, as well as the instep and the heel design.

Another shot in the same route using the same climbing shoes. Pic@ Ignacio Sandoval Burón.

Michael Pickwell explaining the product's main characteristics during the 2014 Friedrichshafen fair.

Dani Andrada does the same in Spanish during the Boreal team meeting in Chulilla (Valencia - Spain).

In this second installment of the reviews we're carrying out of the new Boreal climbing shoes collection –after the one we did about the Marduk and with the Satori's still to come–  we're going to tell you about the DHARMA model.

No doubt these are the more versatile out of the 3 new models, looking for maximum performance in all climbing terrains. With this model, as well as with the Satori, the Spanish shoes company has just made a big leap forward. Pretending not to be left behind, Boreal has come up with this more modern and innovative model, with features which are very much demanded in the actual market, such as the quite aggressive and downturned last.

Their main characteristic is their last which, as said above, is downturned at the toes. Something which is conceived to provide much more contact in steep climbs. At the same time, it is quite wide at the front and the arch is quite elevated (something to be considered by those with these kind of feet). 

It also comes with an integrated elastic tongue in neoprene and a triple velcro system for a better fit. Add the Rand Wrap system with tension bands –a mandatory construction in this kind of last– in order to get a super snug fit which doesn't allow the heel to move at all –something super convenient for heel hooking, a usage this shoes have been designed for–.

The last remarkable detail is a quite high top of the instep, thus avoiding an excess of pressure on the bent toes against the harder rubber part. 

Even if the Satori and the Dharma share the same last, there are certain details which makes them differ from one another. The main difference being that the Dharma has a special anti-deformation half midsole which makes them stiffer than the Satori's. This makes them more convenient for vertical or slightly overhanging routes, where edging on very little holds is the key to performance. The Dharma haven't got an integral molded talon with an insert which eases the heel hooking if we're not specialists in this kind of foot work and/or we're not much into bouldering. With the entire heel all covered in rubber we found it a little bit bulky when trying to put it on tiny/narrow pockets or similar –however, that extra contact surface works better on wider sidepulls or slopy surfaces–.

On a more positive aspect, we would like to highlight the rubber quality. We've had nice feelings on all terrains where they've been tested, from vertical walls with tricky foot work to climbs with polished foot holds, as well as all sort of overhangings... 

We've experienced a normal to fast rubber wear and tear. 

What we didn't like as much was the velcro design which, don't get confused, work really nicely after a lot of usage but it's aesthetically poor for our snobbish taste... In fact, we've found it the least appealing out of the 3 new models.