EP3415024A1

EP3415024A1 - Climbing shoe

Info

Publication number: EP3415024A1
Application number: EP18178139.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Heinz Mariacher; Valdo CHILESE
Original assignee: Calzaturificio SCARPA SpA
Current assignee: Calzaturificio SCARPA SpA
Priority date: 2017-06-16
Filing date: 2018-06-15
Publication date: 2018-12-19
Anticipated expiration: 2038-06-15
Also published as: CN109123892A; EP3415024B1

Abstract

A climbing shoe (1) comprising: a substantially sock-like shoe-upper (2) shaped so as to completely cover the foot of the user; a rear sole (5) made of elastomeric material, which is firmly fixed to the bottom (4) and to the rear part of the shoe-upper (2); a pair of protective inserts (11) made of elastomeric material, which are substantially shell-shaped and are firmly fixed on the two lateral sides (10) of the shoe-upper (2) adjacent to the rear sole (5); and at least one tensioning band (6, 7, 14) made of an elastic material, which is firmly fixed to the shoe-upper (2) so as to tighten the shoe-upper (2) onto the foot of the user; the rear sole (5) being substantially L-shaped so as to have a lower flat portion (12) covering the talus-calcaneal portion (4c) of the bottom (4) of the shoe-upper (2), and an upper flat portion (13) covering the heel portion (9) of the shoe-upper (2); each protective insert (11) being firmly fixed on the shoe-upper (2) so as to have a first lateral border (11a) adjacent to the upper flat portion (13) of the rear sole (5), and a second lateral border (11b) adjacent to the lower flat portion (12) of the rear sole (5); at least one of the two protective inserts (11) also being shaped so that its first lateral border (11a) overlaps and is firmly fixed to a corresponding and complementary lateral border (13a) of the upper flat-portion (13) of the rear sole (5).

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims priority from International Application No. PCT/IT2017/000127 filed on June 16, 2017 and Italian Patent Application No. 102017000067363 filed on June 19, 2017 .
The present invention relates to a climbing shoe.
As is known, climbing shoes generally comprise: a leather shoe-upper which is substantially sock-shaped so as to accommodate and completely cover the foot, including the sole of the foot; a front tensioning band made of highly elastic rubber, which is substantially U-bent and is fixed by gluing onto the tip of the shoe-upper so as to surround the tarsus-phalangeal region of the foot; a rear tensioning band made of highly elastic rubber, which is substantially U-bent and is fixed by gluing to the rear part of the shoe-upper so as to cover the region above the calcaneus of the foot, and then extends along the two lateral sides of the shoe-upper up to meet and join to the front tensioning band; and a sole made of soft and flexible elastomeric material with a high friction coefficient and substantially non-extendible, which is fixed by gluing to the bottom of the shoe-upper, above the front and rear tensioning bands, so as to cover the whole of the sole of the user's foot.
In some models of climbing shoe, the sole is moreover provided at the back with a large oblong tongue that rises along the heel up to the height of the rear tensioning band, while remaining substantially astride the midplane of the shoe, and in addition overlaps two protective inserts made of low-elasticity rubber or other similar elastomeric material, which are substantially seashell-shaped and are fixed by gluing to the two lateral sides of the shoe-upper so as to cover and protect both sides of the calcaneus of the user's foot.
Unfortunately, experimental tests have found that the rear part of the climbing shoe is frequently subject to particularly high tangential stresses that, in some cases, discharge directly onto the lateral side of the rear tongue of the sole, initially causing fraying of the tongue and then its complete detachment, with all the problems that this entails on the structural integrity of the sole.
Aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a climbing shoe that overcomes the drawbacks described above.
In compliance with this aims, according to the present invention there is provided a climbing shoe as defined in Claim 1 and preferably, though not necessarily, in any one of the dependent claims.
The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting embodiment thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective and schematic view of a climbing shoe realized according to the teachings of the present invention; whereas
Figures 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are respective perspective views of the shoe in Figure 1 with parts removed for the sake of clarity.

With reference to Figures 1 to 6, reference number 1 denotes as a whole a climbing shoe that may be particularly advantageously used for climbing on rock walls classified as grade IV or higher, where climbers usually have to use the heel of their foot for progressing in the climbing.
The climbing shoe 1 basically comprises: a shoe-upper 2, preferably made of leather, which is substantially sock-shaped so as to accommodate and completely cover the foot of the user, including the sole of the foot; and a front sole 3 made of a soft and flexible elastomeric material with a high friction coefficient and substantially non-extendible, which is firmly fixed to the bottom or insole 4 of the shoe-upper 2, preferably by gluing.
More in detail, the bottom or insole 4 of the shoe-upper 2 is divided longitudinally into a front or tarsus-phalangeal portion 4a that is immediately underneath the tarsus-phalangeal region of the sole of the user's foot; a central or plantar-arch portion 4b that is immediately underneath the plantar arch region; and a rear or talus-calcaneal portion 4c that is immediately underneath the talus-calcaneal region of the sole of the user's foot.
The front sole 3 is preferably made of a soft and flexible elastomeric material with a hardness (UNI 4916) preferably lower than 80 ShoreA and optionally ranging between 69 and 75 ShoreA, and is shaped so as to cover the tarsus-phalangeal portion 4a of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2, preferably roughly up to the border with the plantar-arch portion 4b of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2.
In other words, the front sole 3 only covers a portion of the bottom or insole 4 of shoe-upper 2.
Preferably, moreover, the front sole 3 is made of a soft and flexible elastomeric material with a density (UNI 7092) preferably comprised between 1.12 and 1.50 g/cm3 (grammes per cubic centimetre).
More in detail, in the example shown, the front sole 3 is preferably made of a soft and flexible elastomeric material such as, for example, the XS Edge compound or the GRIP 2 compound manufactured by VIBRAM.
In the example shown, furthermore, the front sole 3 is preferably shaped so as to more or less completely cover the tarsus-phalangeal portion 4a of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2a, and optionally also a small area/region of the plantar-arch portion 4b.
The climbing shoe 1 moreover comprises a rear sole 5 which is likewise made of a soft and flexible elastomeric material with a high friction coefficient and substantially non-extendible, and is firmly fixed to the bottom or insole 4 of the shoe-upper 2, preferably by gluing.
More in detail, similarly to front sole 3, rear sole 5 is preferably made of a soft and flexible elastomeric material with a hardness (UNI 4916) preferably lower than 80 ShoreA and optionally ranging between 69 and 75 ShoreA, and is shaped so as to at least partially cover the talus-calcaneal portion 4c of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2.
The rear sole 5 is thus separate, discrete and spaced apart from the front sole 3.
In the example shown, in particular, the rear sole 5 is equally preferably made of a soft and flexible elastomeric material such as, for example, the XS Edge compound or the GRIP 2 compound manufactured by VIBRAM.
With reference to Figures 1, 4, 5 and 6, furthermore the climbing shoe 1 additionally comprises one or more tensioning bands made of elastic material, i.e. of a material with an elastic modulus (also known as Young's modulus) significantly lower than that of soles 3 and 5, which are firmly fixed to the shoe-upper 2 preferably by gluing, and are adapted to embrace and tighten the shoe-upper 2 onto the foot of the user.
Preferably, the elastic-material tensioning band or bands are moreover pre-tensioned in order to embrace and tighten the shoe-upper 2 strongly onto the foot of the user, and optionally also so as to bend/curve downwards the foot of the user.
More in detail, the climbing shoe 1 is preferably provided with at least one front tensioning band 6 and at least one rear tensioning band 7, both preferably pre-tensioned, which are preferably made of highly elastic rubber or other elastomeric material with an elastic modulus 2-3 times lower than that of sole 3 and/or of sole 5, and are finally firmly fixed to the shoe-upper 2 preferably by gluing.
The front tensioning band 6 surrounds the tip 8 of the shoe-upper 2. The rear tensioning band 7 instead surrounds the rear part of the shoe-upper 2, remaining substantially above the heel portion 9 of the shoe-upper 2, i.e. above the portion of shoe-upper 2 that covers the rear end of the calcaneus of the user's foot.
In the example shown, in particular, the tensioning bands 6 and 7 are preferably made of highly elastic rubber or other elastomeric material with a tensile strength (DIN 53504) preferably ranging between 17 and 23 N/mm² (Newtons per square millimetre), and with an elongation at break preferably ranging between 500% and 600%.
Preferably, furthermore, the tensioning bands 6 and 7 are made of an elastomeric material with a hardness (UNI 4916) preferably greater than 90 ShoreA.
More in detail, with specific reference to Figures 1, 5 and 6, the front tensioning band 6 is substantially U-bent and is firmly fixed to the tip 8 of the shoe-upper 2 so as to surround/embrace the tarsus-phalangeal portion of the foot of the user, i.e. the front part of the foot, preferably also extending/prolonging on the tarsus-phalangeal portion 4a of the bottom 4, underneath the front sole 3.
Preferably, the two ends 6a of front tensioning band 6 furthermore extend on the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 one towards the other, so as to meet/join firmly together preferably at the tarsus-phalangeal portion 4a and/or the plantar-arch portion 4b of the bottom 4.
More in detail, the two ends 6a of front tensioning band 6 preferably overlap and are glued one over the other, directly at the portion of bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 located substantially astride the tarsus-phalangeal region and the plantar arch region of the sole of the user's foot.
In other words, the two ends 6a of front tensioning band 6 preferably overlap and are glued one over the other roughly at the border between the portions 4a and 4b of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2.
Preferably, furthermore, the central segment 6b of front tensioning band 6 is substantially hood-shaped, so as to cover and protect both the sides and the upper part of the tip 8 of the shoe-upper 2, i.e. the part of shoe-upper 2 on the opposite side of the sole 3.
In the example shown, moreover, the central segment 6b of front tensioning band 6 is preferably shaped so as to also extend on the part of shoe-upper 2 covering the instep of the user's foot.
With reference to Figures 1, 4, 5 and 6, the rear tensioning band 7, in turn, is substantially U-bent and is fixed to the rear part of shoe-upper 2, so as to cover the area of the shoe-upper 2 immediately above the heel portion 9, and then extends along the two inner and outer lateral sides 10 of shoe-upper 2 towards the front sole 3, preferably up to reach and join the front tensioning band 6, preferably by gluing.
More in detail, the rear tensioning band 7 is preferably structured so as to reach and join the front tensioning band 6 along the lateral sides 10 of the shoe-upper 2, close to the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 and near the border between the portions 4a and 4b of the bottom 4, i.e. near the border between the tarsus-phalangeal region and the plantar arch region.
Preferably, the two ends 7a of rear tensioning band 7 furthermore extend the other on the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 one towards, affecting the plantar-arch portion 4b of the bottom 4 and optionally also the tarsus-phalangeal portion 4a and/or the talus-calcaneal portion 4c of the bottom 4.
Additionally, the two ends 7a of rear tensioning band 7 extend on the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 so as to meet and firmly joined to one another and/or to the two ends 6a of front tensioning band 6, preferably by gluing, roughly at the plantar-arch portion 4b of the bottom 4.
More in detail, with reference to Figures 4 and 5, in the example shown the two ends 7a of rear tensioning band 7 are preferably shaped so as to cover substantially the whole of the plantar-arch portion 4b of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2, in addition to a small sector of tarsus-phalangeal portion 4a and a small sector of talus-calcaneal portion 4c.
Preferably, the two ends 6a of front tensioning band 6, in turn, extend along the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 so as to go beyond the border between the tarsus-phalangeal portion 4a and the plantar-arch portion 4b, in order to overlap the two ends 7a of rear tensioning band 7 at the plantar-arch portion 4b of the bottom 4.
With reference to Figures 1 to 6, on the other hand, the rear sole 5 is shaped and arranged so as to cover, preferably substantially entirely, the talus-calcaneal portion 4c of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2, and the heel portion 9 of shoe-upper 2 (i.e. the portion of shoe-upper 2 that covers the end of the calcaneus of the user's foot), preferably up to the height of rear tensioning band 7.
In addition, the climbing shoe 1 furthermore comprises a pair of lateral protective inserts 11 made of low-elasticity rubber or other similar elastomeric material, which are substantially shell-shaped and are firmly fixed to the lateral sides 10 of the shoe-upper 2, preferably by gluing, so as to be adjacent to the rear sole 5 on opposite sides thereof, so as to cover and protect the two sides of the calcaneus of the user's foot.
Preferably, the lateral protective inserts 11 moreover are made of an elastomeric material with a hardness greater than that of the material forming soles 3 and 5.
More in detail, the rear sole 5 is substantially L-bent so as to form a lower flat portion 12 and an upper flat portion 13 substantially perpendicular to one another.
The lower flat portion 12 covers the talus-calcaneal portion 4c of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2, preferably substantially up to the border with the plantar-arch portion 4b and preferably locally overlapping the two ends 7a of rear tensioning band 7.
The upper flat portion 13, in turn, covers the heel portion 9 of the shoe-upper 2 (i.e. the portion of shoe-upper 2 that covers the end of the calcaneus of the user's foot), preferably up to the height of rear tensioning band 7 and preferably also extending underneath the central segment of the rear tensioning band 7.
With reference to Figures 1 to 6, each protective insert 11, on the other hand, is roughly triangular in shape and is firmly fixed to the shoe-upper 2 so as to have a first lateral border 11a adjacent to the upper flat portion 13 of rear sole 5, and a second lateral border 11b adjacent to the lower flat portion 12 of rear sole 5. The lateral borders 11a and 11b of each protective insert 11 are therefore consecutive and preferably also substantially perpendicular to one another.
In addition, each protective insert 11 is moreover shaped so that its lateral border 11a covers/overlaps and is also firmly fixed to a corresponding and complementary lateral border 13a of the upper flat portion 13 of rear sole 5, preferably substantially for the whole length of said lateral border 13a.
More in detail, the lateral border 11a of protective insert 11 is preferably fixed by gluing to the corresponding lateral border 13a of the upper flat portion 13 of rear sole 5.
In other words, the vertical lateral border 11a of each protective insert 11 overlaps and is firmly fixed to a corresponding and complementary lateral border 13a of the upper flat portion 13 of rear sole 5.
Preferably, each protective insert 11 is furthermore shaped so that its lateral border 11b continues/extends on the talus-calcaneal portion 4c of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2, towards the centreline of the flat portion, while remaining underneath the lower flat portion 12 of rear sole 5 and preferably also underneath the adjacent end 7a of rear tensioning band 7.
In other words, the lower flat portion 12 of rear sole 5 overlaps the lateral border 11b of both protective inserts 11 and is firmly fixed to said lateral borders 11b preferably by gluing.
Preferably, the two ends 7a of rear tensioning band 7 moreover at least partially cover/overlap the lateral borders 11b of the two protective inserts 11.
With particular reference to Figure 4, furthermore, the two lateral borders 13a of the upper flat portion 13 delimit, on the same upper flat portion 13, a substantially ribbon-like medial strip 13b that preferably has a thickness greater than that of the two lateral borders 13a and/or greater than that of the two protective inserts 11, so as to form a vertical ridge or rib which extends substantially on the midplane of the shoe and protrudes/ juts out beyond the two protective inserts 11 that flank it.
In other words, the medial strip 13b of upper flat portion 13 has a thickness greater than that of the lateral borders 13a, so as to form a vertical ridge or rib that covers and protects the calcaneus of the user's foot, and protrudes beyond the two protective inserts 11 flanking it.
Preferably, the medial strip 13b of upper flat portion 13 additionally has an average width ℓ greater than 0.8 cm (centimetres), and preferably ranging between 1.2 and 2.5 cm (centimetres).
Lastly, the two protective inserts 11 are preferably made of an elastomeric material having an elastic modulus both lower than that of soles 3 and 5 and greater than that of tensioning bands 6 and 7.
Lastly, with reference to Figures 1 and 6, the climbing shoe 1 preferably also includes a substantially ribbon-like medial tensioning band 14 which is firmly fixed to the bottom or insole 4 of shoe-upper 2 substantially for its entire length preferably by gluing, and which extends roughly from the centre of the tarsus-phalangeal portion 4a of bottom 4 roughly up to the centre of the talus-calcaneal portion 4c of bottom 4, while remaining more or less astride the centreline of bottom 4, so as to be able to prevent the elongation of shoe-upper 2.
In addition, the medial tensioning band 14 extends underneath the front sole 3 and the rear sole 5, and is firmly fixed to the front sole 3 and to the rear sole 5 preferably by gluing.
More in detail, the front sole 3 is firmly fixed to the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2, above the front end of medial tensioning band 14, and is firmly fixed to the medial tensioning band 14 preferably by gluing. Likewise, the rear sole 5 is firmly fixed to the bottom 4 of shoe-upper above the rear end of medial tensioning band 14, and is firmly fixed to the same medial tensioning band 14 preferably by gluing.
Likewise the tensioning bands 6 and 7, the medial tensioning band 14 is preferably made of highly elastic rubber or another elastomeric material with an elastic modulus significantly lower than that of front sole 3 and of rear sole 5, and is preferably pre-tensioned.
Preferably, the medial tensioning band 14 furthermore has a width always less than the width of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2, and extends along the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 from the tarsus-phalangeal portion 4a to the talus-calcaneal portion 4c of the bottom 4, preferably overlapping the two ends 6a of front tensioning band 6 and the two ends 7a of rear tensioning band 7.
The functioning of climbing shoe 1 is easily inferable from the above description, and therefore does not require further explanation.
The advantages resulting from the particular overlap between the rear sole 5 and the two lateral protective inserts 11 are remarkable.
Firstly, the overlap between the lateral borders 11a of protective inserts 11 and the two corresponding lateral borders 13a of the upper flat portion 13 of rear sole 5 prevents fraying of the rear sole 5 even under particularly high tangential stresses.
In addition, the protruding ridge or rib present along the medial strip 13b of the upper flat portion 13 increases the grip on the rock, facilitating the climber during heel-hooking.
Lastly, the overlap of the lower flat portion 12 to the lower lateral borders 11b of the two protective inserts 11, at the talus-calcaneal portion 4c of the bottom 4, improves the containment characteristics of the shoe thus stabilising the user's heel.
It is finally clear that modifications and variations can be made to the climbing shoe 1 described and illustrated above without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention.
For example, in a simplified embodiment, only one of the two lateral protective inserts 11 is arranged on the shoe-upper 2 so that its lateral border 11a overlaps and is firmly fixed to the corresponding lateral border 13a of the upper flat portion 13 of rear sole 5.
More in detail, only the protective insert 11 located on the outer lateral side 10 of shoe-upper 2 is preferably fixed to the shoe-upper 2 with the lateral border 11a overlapping the corresponding lateral border 13a of the upper flat portion 13 of sole 5.
Furthermore, according to an alternative embodiment, the rear sole 5 is made as a single piece with the front sole 3 so as to form a large monolithic sole made of soft and flexible elastomeric material with a high friction coefficient and substantially non-extendible, which is firmly fixed to the bottom or insole 4 of shoe-upper 2 preferably by gluing, so as to cover the whole of bottom 4, and in addition is provided at the back with a big flat portion or tongue that rises along the heel portion 9 of shoe-upper 2 preferably up to the height of rear tensioning band 7, so as to cover and protect the part of the shoe-upper 2 that covers the calcaneus of the user's foot.
In this alternative embodiment, the protective inserts 11 are firmly fixed to the lateral sides 10 of shoe-upper 2 in such a way that at least one of them has the lateral border 11a overlapping the corresponding and complementary lateral border of the rear flat portion or tongue of the monolithic sole. The lower lateral borders 11b of the two protective inserts 11, in turn, extend on the talus-calcaneal portion 4c of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 underneath the large monolithic sole.
Clearly in this embodiment the climbing shoe 1 lacks the medial tensioning band 14.

Claims

A climbing shoe (1) comprising: a substantially sock-like shoe-upper (2) which is shaped so as to completely cover the foot of the user; a rear sole (5) made of elastomeric material and which is firmly fixed to the bottom (4) and to the rear part of the shoe-upper (2); a pair of protective inserts (11) made of elastomeric material and which are substantially seashell-shaped and are firmly fixed on the two lateral sides (10) of the shoe-upper (2) adjacent to the rear sole (5); and at least one tensioning band (6, 7, 14) made of an elastic material and which is firmly fixed to the shoe-upper (2) so as to tighten the shoe-upper (2) onto the foot of the user;
the rear sole (5) being substantially L-shaped so as to have a lower flat portion (12) covering the talus-calcaneal portion (4c) of the bottom (4) of the shoe-upper (2), and an upper flat portion (13) covering the heel portion (9) of the shoe-upper (2);
each protective insert (11) being fixed on the shoe-upper (2) so as to have a first lateral border (11a) adjacent to the upper flat portion (13) of the rear sole (5), and a second lateral border (11b) adjacent to the lower flat portion (12) of the rear sole (5);
the climbing shoe (1) being characterized in that at least one of the two protective inserts (11) is shaped so that its first lateral border (11a) overlaps and is firmly fixed to a corresponding and complementary lateral border (13a) of the upper flat portion (13) of the rear sole (5).
Climbing shoe according to Claim 1, characterized in that the first lateral border (11a) of said protective insert (11) overlaps the corresponding and complementary lateral border (13a) of the upper flat portion (13) of the rear sole (5) substantially for the whole length of the same lateral border (13a) of the upper flat portion (13).
Climbing shoe according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper flat portion (13) of the rear sole (5) is provided with a medial strip (13b) having a thickness greater than that of the two lateral borders (13a) of the same upper flat portion (13) and/or greater than that of the two protective inserts (11), so as to form a vertical ridge or rib that extends substantially on the midplane of the shoe and protrudes/juts out beyond the two protective inserts (11) flanking the same ridge or rib.
Climbing shoe according to Claim 3, characterized in that the medial strip (13b) of the upper flat portion (13) is substantially ribbon-like and has an average width (ℓ) greater than 0.8 centimetres.
Climbing shoe according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second lateral border (11b) of said protective insert (11) extends on the talus-calcaneal portion (4c) of the bottom (4) of the shoe-upper (2) underneath the lower flat portion (12) of said rear sole (5).
Climbing shoe according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by additionally comprising a front sole (3) made of elastomeric material and which is firmly fixed on the bottom (4) of the shoe-upper (2) so as to cover the tarsus-phalangeal portion (4a) of the bottom (4) of the shoe-upper (2).
Climbing shoe according to Claim 6, characterized in that said front sole (3) is separate, discrete, and spaced from said rear sole (5).
Climbing shoe according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one tensioning band (6, 7, 14) includes a front tensioning band (6) which is substantially U-shaped and is firmly fixed to the tip (8) of the shoe-upper (2) so as to surround/embrace the tarsus-phalangeal portion of the foot of the user.
Climbing shoe according to Claim 8, characterized in that the two ends (6a) of said front tensioning band (6) join to one another on the bottom (4) of the shoe-upper (2), substantially at the border between the tarsus-phalangeal portion (4a) and the plantar-arch portion (4b) of the bottom (4).
Climbing shoe according to Claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the central segment (6b) of the front tensioning band (6) is substantially hood-shaped so as to cover and protect both the sides and the upper part of the tip (8) of the shoe-upper (2).
Climbing shoe according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one tensioning band (6, 7, 14) includes a rear tensioning band (7) which is substantially U-bent and is fixed on the rear part of the shoe-upper (2), so as to cover the area of the shoe-upper (2) immediately above the heel portion (9) of the shoe-upper (2) and then extend along the two lateral sides (10) of the shoe-upper (2).
Climbing shoe according to Claim 11, characterized in that the rear tensioning band (7) extends along the two lateral sides (10) of the shoe-upper (2) up to meet the front tensioning band (6).
Climbing shoe according to Claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the two ends (7a) of the rear tensioning band (7) extend on the bottom (4) of the shoe-upper (2) so as to at least partially cover the plantar-arch portion (4b) and preferably also to join with the two ends (6a) of the front tensioning band (6).
Climbing shoe according to Claim 13, characterized in that the two ends (7a) of the rear tensioning band (7) extend over the second lateral borders (11b) of the two protective inserts (11).
Climbing shoe according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one tensioning band (6, 7, 14) includes a substantially ribbon-like medial tensioning band (14), which is firmly fixed to the bottom (4) of the shoe-upper (2) substantially for its whole length, and extends roughly from the centre of the tarsus-phalangeal portion (4a) of the bottom (4) roughly up to the centre of the talus-calcaneal portion (4c) of the bottom (4), while remaining more or less astride the centreline of the bottom (4).