Butora Altura Review
August 3, 2020
I was recently on the market for a pair of all-day trad shoes and came down to deciding between the popular TC Pro and the more affordable alternative, the Altura from the Korean company Butora. I ended up going for the Alturas based on price, and after climbing about a dozen pitches in them I’ll offer my opinion here for anyone else who might be scouring the internet for more information about the shoes (as I was doing a few months ago).
Sizing: This was my greatest concern. I sized my Alturas true to size; Butora suggests true to size for a tighter fit and a half size up for a roomier comfort fit. I have narrow, straight feet and wear around a US 9-9.5, so I went for a 9.5 Altura in the regular (orange) fit. You can also get the green version if you have a wider foot. For comparison, here are a few other shoe sizes I wear:
La Sportiva Finale: 41
La Sportiva Miura Lace: 41.5
La Sportiva Bushido: US 9.5
Hoka Clifton 4: US 9.5
Adidas Ultraboost: US 9
In this size, my toes are nearly flat, and I have worn the shoes comfortably for roughly 5 consecutive pitches plus a long descent (Fingertrip at Tahquitz) without removing them once. They are snug enough to place precisely on small smears and crank down in jams without being as toe-crushing as my Miuras. I haven’t noticed much stretch, which isn’t surprising considering they are a hemp-lined shoe. In comparison, I found that my unlined Finales and Miuras probably stretched about a half size over time. Based on this, I’d personally suggest sizing true to street size.
Performance: Coming from multiple Sportiva shoes with Vibram rubber, I was a little concerned that I’d be disappointed with the Butora rubber and design. I’ve been quite happy so far with how the Alturas climb on a variety of granite crack and slab routes. The rubber smears well and the shoe is very comfortable to twist and cam into foot jams. Consistent with other reviews I’ve read, I have found that the toe will not jam well into a crack thinner than a .75 or .5 BD C4, but you can still get enough rubber in that it’ll stick. Overall I have found the shoe to perform very well on the moderate trad routes I climb.
Downsides: I haven’t found many problems with the shoes. Sometimes the lining right at the Achilles will fold in when you put on the shoe and irritate your heel the entire day if you don’t fix it, so look out for that. Smearing performance is pretty good but the feel of the smear is not very sensitive, considering the rubber is almost twice as thick as the TC Pro, so moves where you have to stick the friction can feel a little insecure even when your feet are glued on in reality. Not much else to complain about honestly–the biggest problem I’ve found is basically that they aren’t TC Pros, so I find myself wondering sometimes if TC Pros are still better, but for the hundred or so bucks I paid for the Alturas I’m very happy.
Thanks to my buddy for taking this last awesome pic.
