The New Scarpa Mago, Field Tested

The Mago is a high-end asymmetric shoe built for the steeps. The lace-up has a microfiber upper and footbed, a supple (and comfortable) heel cup equipped with Scarpa’s “PAF” system, a stiff TPU insert beneath the forefoot, 3.5mm of Vibram’s XS Grip 2 rubber (one-third length sole), and a super-sticky M50 rubber toe cap.

Scarpa’s updated Mago is a beast of the steeps that, like its same-name predecessors, is aggressive and asymmetrical and meant to be fitted small. But everything about the new Mago—its perforated microsuede upper; pliable top-of-toe rubber; bendy midsole; minimalist heel; and form-fitting outsole—maximizes flexibility without (overly) diminishing shoe support and edging performance. Putting the new Mago to work on everything from board-style granite boulders to limestone sport routes, our testers loved the shoe’s versatility: leave it loosely tied and it climbs like a comp slipper, power-smearing on volumes and dragoning into incut crimps; but lace it tight and the shoe stiffens up for techy vertical terrain. The Mago has a small piece of fiberglass under the big toe that allows it to edge admirably given its softness, and its “X-Tension” arch support helps the shoe maintain its downturned shape. Still, our testers yearned for stiffer soles when we got to harder vertical climbing, particularly when trusting all to a single thin edge—something that the earlier Mago models excelled at. Sizing: The Mago runs way small—we graduated a full size from the Instinct Lace.