Scarpa

Scarpa's Story

Scarpa is an Italian footwear company renowned for producing high-quality outdoor shoes and equipment, with a particular focus on climbing, mountaineering, skiing, hiking, and approach footwear. Founded in 1938 by Rupert Grafoner, Scarpa has built a long-standing reputation for innovation, craftsmanship, and performance-driven design within the outdoor industry.

Scarpa designs and manufactures a broad range of technical footwear for varied terrain and disciplines, catering to both recreational climbers and professional athletes. Key product categories include:

Climbing Shoes

Scarpa offers one of the most comprehensive climbing shoe ranges on the market, covering sport climbing, bouldering, trad climbing, and indoor climbing. Their climbing shoes are engineered for precision, sensitivity, and control across different rock types and climbing styles, and are widely regarded as industry leaders.

Hiking Boots and Approach Shoes

Scarpa produces a strong lineup of hiking boots and approach shoes designed for a wide range of conditions and approaches. These models prioritise comfort, stability, and reliable traction on rugged, uneven, or technical terrain.

Street Shoes

Scarpa also offers a range of lifestyle and street-inspired footwear. Drawing design cues from their technical models, these shoes combine considered aesthetics with functionality that extends well beyond everyday wear.

Scarpa continues to invest heavily in research, development, and technical innovation, working closely with athletes and industry experts to refine fit, performance, and comfort. The brand also places growing emphasis on environmentally responsible manufacturing, incorporating sustainable materials and processes where possible.

This commitment to quality craftsmanship and outdoor performance has made Scarpa a trusted choice for climbers and outdoor professionals seeking reliable, high-performance footwear.

The Climbing Shop's top Scarpa picks

Climbing Shoes

Choosing a single Scarpa climbing shoe is difficult, as fit and foot shape are the most important factors. Instead, we recommend the Scarpa Instinct Series, which includes the Instinct VSR, Instinct VS,  Instinct VS Womens, Instinct (lace-up), and the Instinct S. This series covers a wide range of foot shapes and climbing styles while maintaining the core performance characteristics the Instinct line is known for.

Proper fit is critical for climbing shoes. We regularly see shoes that were never suited to the wearer’s foot shape. If you need help, use the live chat button at the bottom right for personalised fitting advice.

Approach Shoes

This is a challenging shoe to narrow down to one model.  Our question to the customer is, 'what are you going to use them for and where are you going to use them?'  Visit The Climbing Shop's Approach Shoe page for a detailed breakdown.

As a general guide:

• For short walk-ins and frequent scrambling on rock, the Scarpa Mojito Wrap is an excellent choice. With 7 colours available, it balances performance with distinctive style.

• For longer approaches, muddier or wetter terrain, and occasional scrambling, the Mojito Trail GTX offers added protection, traction, and weather resistance.