The flat last design gives good comfort and ease of fit. The tongue is made from BD's 'Engineered Knit Technology' which is said to give a softer toe compartment, although we felt that this isn't really noticeable. 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 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. The Engage lace is a medium to narrow width, with a pretty regular volume. Being fully laced, this shoe will adapt to lots of different foot types and you can reduce the volume. However, if you have a wide foot you may struggle. As ever with footwear, try before you buy. Summary: I definitely do not find the Alpha broad, at all. I think it's fair to say I've always felt Boreal shoes come out narrow. Perhaps it's partly a toe profile thing in this instance, and the fact I down-sized clearly hasn't helped, but on me they are very close throughout, so much so that I cannot imagine a size larger feeling suddenly wide in comparison.

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.

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. But I think the Quantic might also have found a perfect niche at an edgier and slightly more budget-friendly end of the range. This is without doubt a really good shoe, with more than enough performance for most of us weekend warriors. The Joker are at the broader end of the spectrum, so accommodate wider feet nicely. Volume-wise they sit somewhere in the middle, which is a blessing given that this then allows them to fit quite a range of feet, as the volume can easily be adjusted from high to low courtesy of either the lacing or the velcro closure. If you're after something a little narrower and lower volume then Boreal produce a women's model, which would potentially provide a solution - irrespective of whether or not you're actually a woman. The closure for the new Vapour V has changed, and you can see a lot of time and thought has been applied to make it a genuine improvement. Whilst the basis of fastening still comes from two velcro straps, changes to the tongue - and the addition an elastic strip - mean that it's easier than ever to get a good fit. Another factor that can be a great indication of product quality is the brand. Brands like Boreal are of course extremely well known, especially for Climbing Shoes.

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.

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. The downside to buying online is that you can’t actually get hold of the product to try it out first. The Stealth C4 rubber is a fairly standard 3.5mm along the sole, with a thinner strip over the toe. Therefore, most of the NIAD's stiffness comes from the midsole. Price – as you’d expect the price of a product can be an instantly recognisable factor on what sort of quality you can expect. Whoever came up with the phrase “you get what you pay for” pretty much hit the nail on the head. Whilst it’s not always the case and there are many bargains to be had, you can as a general rule, expect the higher priced products to offer better quality than a the cheapest option. We’ll dive into the price of Boreal Alpha Men’s Climbing Shoe in more detail in a moment.