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Based on Chris' climbing expertise and design ideas, Evolv created this shoe for him which he used to send his project "Es Pontas", his deep-water solo project route in Mallorca, Spain. It is a wildly overhanging route that is 65 ft long and includes a challenging, 7-foot dyno that is 35 feet above the sea and ends with a powerful and technical finish.
Sole:
4.2 mm TRAX XT-5 high friction rubber
Rand:
2.2 mm TRAX duro-rand
Upper:
Non-stretch Synthratek synthetic upper
Lining:
Cotton fiber lining
Midsole:
MX-S 1.5 mm 3/4 -length semi-stiff midsole

Based on Chris' climbing expertise and design ideas, we created this shoe for him which he used to send his project "Es Pontas", his deep-water solo project route in Mallorca, Spain. It is a wildly overhanging route that is 65 ft long and includes a challenging, 7-foot dyno that is 35 feet above the sea and ends with a powerful and technical finish.
This all-around high performance shoe fuses precision, power, and responsiveness in an excellent glove-like fit. The heel is one of Evolv's best that fits securely from base of the heel to the achilles without discomfort and deadspace. We equipped it with an extended toe rand that is functional for toe-hooking without feeling excessive and the tri-grooves relieves pressure off the big toe. The 3/4 length semi stiff midsole provides the ideal balance of edging power and responsiveness from toe through the arch.
The PONTAS will inspire confidence on technical climbs with micro-edges, steep climbing and precise footwork requiring moves as a outstanding overall performance shoe.

Introducing the world's 1st Chris Sharma signature climbing shoe! The high-performance Evolv® Pontas fuses precision, power, and responsiveness in a glove-like fit. An outstanding all-around shoe, the Pontas excels at technical climbs with micro-edges, steep climbing, and moves requiring technical footwork.
The Evolv Pontas is an all-around high performance shoe fuses precision, power, and responsiveness in an excellent glove-like fit. The heel is one of our best that fits securely from base of the heel to the achilles without discomfort and deadspace. We equipped it with an extended toe rand that is functional for toe-hooking without feeling excessive and the tri-grooves relieves pressure off the big toe. The 3/4 length semi stiff midsole provides the ideal balance of edging power and responsiveness from toe through the arch.
Evolv Pontas Climbing Shoes are aggressive sport climbing shoes designed for Chris Sharma and used to send 'Es Pontas', his deep-water solo project route in Mallorca, Spain
The high-performance Pontas shoes combine precision, power, and responsiveness in a glove-like fit
Heel fits securely from base of the heel to the achilles without discomfort or dead space
Three-quarter length semi stiff midsole provides the ideal balance of edging power and responsiveness from the toe through the arch
Extended toe rand allows toe-hooking without feeling excessive and the tri-grooves relieves pressure on the big toe
'TRAX rubber has the perfect blend of stickiness and durability for extreme climbing of all types. Whether I am on a granite slab or on an overhanging limestone sport route, I have total confidence in every foot placement with TRAX rubber' - Chris Sharma

Part of the Chris Sharma Signature Series, the high-performance Evolve Pontas rock shoes feature a glovelike fit for your feet that inspires confidence on technical climbs.
Designed by Chris Sharma himself, the Pontas from Evolv has a glove-like fit for control on micro-edges, performance on all textures and a power transferring design for every move you can think of. Push to the next level with this incredibly nimble and focused rock shoe.
The Evolv Pontas is an all-around high performance shoe that fuses precision, power, and responsiveness in an excellent glove-like fit. The heel is on of Evolv's best that fits securely from base of the heel to the achilles without discomfort and deadspace. The shoe is equipped with an extended toe rand that is functional for toe-hooking without feeling excessive and the tri-grooves relieves pressure off the big toe. The 3/4 length semi stiff midsole provides the ideal balance of edging power and responsiveness from toe through the arch.

Based on Chris Sharma's climbing expertise and design ideas, the Evolv Pontas Rock Climbing Shoe was developed. An all-around high performance shoe, the Pontas fuses precision, power, and responsiveness in an excellent glove-like fit. The heel fits securely from base of the heel to the achilles without discomfort and deadspace.

With a design influenced by Chris Sharma, Evolv created the first signature-series climbing shoes, the Pontas. Chris needed a piece of precision footwear to send his deep water soloing project Es Pontas, and Evolv brought him the goods with a sticky TRAX XT-5 sole and a stretch-resistant Synthratek synthetic upper. The Pontas Climbing Shoe takes on the most technically demanding boulder problems and sport climbs with ease. And deep water soloing it does that too. Material: Synthratek synthetic
With a design influenced by Chris Sharma, Evolv created the first signature-series climbing shoes, the Pontas. Chris needed a piece of precision footwear to send his deep water soloing project “Es Pontas,” and Evolv brought him the goods with a sticky TRAX XT-5 sole and a stretch-resistant Synthratek synthetic upper. The Pontas Climbing Shoe takes on the most technically demanding boulder problems and sport climbs with ease. And deep water soloing—it does that too.
| Asymmetrical Curvature: | High |
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| Can be resoled: | Yes |
| Country of Origin: | United States |
| Gender: | Unisex |
| Lacing: | Hook-and-loop |
| Last: | 4.2 mm TRAX XT-V high friction rubber |
| Liner: | cotton fiber lining |
| Lining: | Cotton fiber lining |
| Manufacturer Warranty: | 1 Year |
| Material: | Synthratek synthetic |
| Midsole: | MX-S 1.5mm three-quarter length semi-stiff midsole |
| Outsole: | TRAX XT-5 rubber |
| Rand: | 2.2mm TRAX duro-rand |
| Recommended Use: | Sport climbing, bouldering, deep water soloing |
| Shape of last: | Flat |
| Sole: | 4.2mm TRAX XT-5 high friction rubber outsole |
| Upper: | non-stretch Synthratek synthetic upper |
| Weight: | 492 grams |
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View other products from Evolv classified in Men's Footwear > Climbing. View all products from Evolv.
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Sometimes, we can't be sure that the product is the same across the stores that offer its, so you may find the same product listed more then once on GearBuyer.com, we these list highly similar products below.
| Evolv Pontas Lace Climbing Shoe | $100.98 - $125.00 |
Sometimes brands make complementary products for the opposite gender that coordinate with this product, we also try to show these products below.
| Evolv Pontas Climbing Shoe + Free ChalkUnspecified | $114.95 |
These are products that have been indicated being comparable to this product:
| Evolv Defy Climbing Shoe Men's Footwear > Climbing | $68.98 - $89.99 | |
| Evolv Evo Climbing Shoe Men's Footwear > Climbing | $104.95 - $105.00 | |
![]() | Mammut Mirage Harness Climbing > Harnesses | $43.98 - $55.00 |
This product is available in the following colors:
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| Yellow / Black | Yellow/ Lime | ||
| Yellow | |||
Use this chart to find which retailer offers this product in the size, color or other options that you desire. Click on the price to purchase.
TahoeMountainSports.com offers this product at $114.95, but does not provide any color/size information.
Al's Sports offers this product at $114.99, but does not provide any color/size information.
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The Sizing, the Shoe and the Smell. | |
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First off, these shoes are great.If you like the Defys, you'll love the Pontas-- if you're looking for something a good bit more agressive and a tad more "precise".I tend to look at my Defys as a comfortable, broken in pair of training shoes, and the Pontas as a performance pair of racing flats.The Pontas are essentially a performance minded big brother to the more relaxed Defys.I recommend getting both: wear the Defys on long Sunday mornings at the gym, and the Pontas to harder group trips to new outdoor spots (once you've spent a few weeks breaking them in on plastic, of course).DON'T size up/down/etc when going from Defys (this conversation seems to come up quite often). Going from a broken in pair of Defys to new Pontas is not going to be the most comfortable thing in the world. This has nothing to do with the sizing, and more to do with the fact that the last thing you climbed in were essentially snug Christmas slippers.If your Defys feel PERFECT (as an old pair of well fitted Defys will), then go with the same size in Pontas. Once they're broken in, you'll get the same sensitivity with an added aggressive edge you won't confuse with "too tight".That said, these things are terrific. The teeniest nicks in rock become ledges; smearing is fantastic.Note: this style of shoe (pointy, asymmetrical, big-toe emphasizing) either fits or doesn't; if you love the Optimus (round box) style, you'll probably feel weird and cramped in these (but you most likely already know that).Ok, on to the smell thing.For whatever reason, Evolv (and other synthetic, i guess) climbing shoes will start to stink really badly after awhile. At first i thought it was just guys, but my girlfriend-- who honestly never has BO and barely sweats even after hours of running/riding/climbing/whatever on the hottest days-- took her Evolvs off the other night at the gym.I was genuinely offended!To fix this, i recommend this simple solution (which works brilliantly every time):1) Spray (liberally) the inside of each shoe with Odor Eaters spray (it's cheap and can be found at any drug store).2) Pour a bunch of baking soda in each shoe and shake everything around until it's coated.3) Put them in a plastic grocery bag (sorry, California), tie it tight and place it in your freezer overnight.4) Take them out the next day, remove them from the bag and let them sit for a few hours (i let them sit while i'm at work).5) Dump the powder out into your trash or whatever (warning: it's going to smell a bunch), then wipe the excess baking soda off with a paper towel or whatever (smacking the shoes-- open end down-- into the trash works too).6) Spray with another hit of oder eaters and you're done. They'll smell great. Do this once a month or whatever (depending on how often you climb). | |
| Carlos from Philly at Backcountry.com on 09/15/2009 | |
Orgasm on my feet | |
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Yeah that's right these shoes feel amazing. | |
| Anonymous at Backcountry.com on 12/08/2008 | |
Review Title | |
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Love these shoes, on my third pair. | |
| jer3162648 at Backcountry.com on 10/23/2009 | |
Good stuff | |
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Like all shoes, its fit is relative to the wearer as one shoe may fit one person well, and another person terribly. But for me, these feel great. I wear a size 11 running shoe and after reading many reviews of this shoe, bought the same size in evolvs. The fit of the shoe is perfect for my foot, keeping the toes squished close together to provide for a nice, even weight on the tips. The sole itself is much thinner than I was used to as I had previously been using a fiveten entry level shoe with thick soles. At first, the shoe felt flimsy to me, but after using it on smaller foot-holds, tiny crystals and thin cracks, I now appreciate the sensitivity I get with this sole. The rubber is slightly less sticky than my fivetens but not so much that it has ever prevented me from sending a problem. | |
| hoc2956943 at Backcountry.com on 03/30/2009 | |
My favorite shoe of all time. | |
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These are my go to shoes. Like with other evolves, if its your first pair you want to go with your street size shoe. However, as your feet get use to wearing tight shoes you are going to drop sizes I am wearing a 9 now and my street shoe is a 10.5. | |
| Anonymous at Backcountry.com on 03/13/2009 | |
Feels Pretty Good | |
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| I haven't been able to climb outside with these shoes yet, but from how they have performed indoors I can only assume they are going to do well. I originally got a half size too small, but once I changed, the size seems both comfortable enough to climb for awhile as well as technical enough to stand on small things. The shoe seems to be able to climb well on all angles without being downturned. The heel comes up pretty high on my heel, but is still comfortable making it nice to heel hook. I have a wide foot, but a friend who has a narrower foot seems to like his, too. I gave it five stars because I haven't found anything wrong with them and am expecting them to do well. They have also climbed well out of the box. | |
| JTNibbles at Mountain Gear on 04/07/2009 | |
Good shoe | |
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| I have used these on all different climbs. From multi pitches, to gym boldering, and they work great for all of them. This is my second pair of them. The rubber is very sticky and durable. The fit is tighter than the Defy's. I did a split sizing order from evolve and got the perfect fit on my second pair. I got the first pair a whole size down (same size I had in the Defy's)and had toe problem with my right foot. They smell like all synthetic climbing shoes, however the fact they will not stretch more than make up for it. I will agree 1/3-1/4 of a size stretch. Not a significant amount. To keep the smell down keep them out of your pack, in a well ventelated area at all times. | |
| Iron at Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) on 05/08/2009 | |
great overall shoe | |
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| I purchased these shoes after having owned mad rock hookers, 5.10 dragons, and evolv defys (my first climbing shoes). I'm on my second pair now and I have no serious complaints whatsoever. These shoes hold up for regular indoor and/or outdoor climbing. The trax rubber (I haven't gotten the opportunity to climb on the ecotrax) is not as sticky as 5.10 stealth but hold out much longer. I've been climbing about 3 days a week and outdoors about every other week since February and the rubber is still holding up very well. Toe and heel hooks very well and perform well and balances sensitivity with durability. for performance, order about a size and a half smaller than your street shoe | |
| vunamese at REI on 07/16/2009 | |
Great all-round shoe | |
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I got these shoes early last summer and have found them to be great at everything except for cracks. They climb cracks well enough, but the Velcro doesn't hold up super well when jamming. The rubber is really sticky and seems to be durable enough. Also, you can pay to have your shoes resoled by Evolv themselves (I did that at the end of last summer and it worked out well). In short, get these shoes if you do a lot of face climbing and want to be able to get out of your shoes quickly. If you climb cracks, you might want to look at some slippers or lace-ups. | |
| Christopher Smith at Backcountry.com on 05/20/2008 | |
Not too shabby | |
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| For the price, these things are awesome. The rubber seems really sticky so far, and the fit is fairly okay. When I'm not climbing I notice a lot of pressure on the joint on my big toe because of the toe rand. Also, I have pretty wide feet and these felt narrow when I pulled 'em on, but once I started climbing I stopped noticing all the fit issues. They're pretty good to wear for a few laps, but I wouldn't recommend them for all day climbing or belaying much. I certainly recommend them for sport climbing, but not necessarily for all day adventures when comfort is key. | |
| Jason Kowitz at Altrec on 08/05/2009 | |
Smaller Foot Model | |
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I ordered these shoes based on my fit in other Evolv shoes, and was sorely disappointed. Whereas I wear a 39 in the Elektras, Evos, and Defys, I couldn't even get my foot in the 39, let alone climb in it. | |
| JanineChar1053560 at Backcountry.com on 02/16/2009 | |
Don't waste your money | |
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| These shoes are falling apart. The Velcro is ripping apart. They smell awful and the edges don't last. For the money buy something else. | |
| fatts at Mountain Gear on 10/10/2007 | |
[...] | |
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| If you are at all familiar with Evolv, you understand that they use an extremely soft, sticky rubber, which for smearing is good, but I wore out my last evolvs in three months. That said, these have a decent design. The toe hooking is wonderful, but there is a lot of dead space in this heel unlike the optimus. Also, these shoes are a little painful if sized for performance because the big toe area will not flex due to the thick rubber. Now for the good. These shoes have carried me up the hardest boulder problems I have ever touched, and they edge like freaks. The smearing is excellent and the heel, though huge, grabs anything. These also do not suffer from the stinky problem because they are not synthetically lined like the Defy. As well, these shoes are EXTREMELY soft feeling and are likely very comfy if sized for comfort. | |
| Infinity at REI on 07/28/2009 | |
decent edging at reasonable cost | |
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| Tried the Pontas after many years of using Anasazi velcro. Pontas edge well and the toe rand and tri-grooves are sweet. Overall shoe quality is lower than Five Ten, especially interior lining and, alas, rubber. Fit is slightly baggier feeling at mid-foot than Five Ten - though that could well be my foot shape - and I would recommend down-sizing 1.5 from street shoe. Good shoe especially for the price. | |
| Anonymous at Altrec on 03/20/2009 | |