My first pair of official shoes. Always resorted to the help of Chuck Taylors. This is completely different. They keep you very grounded and stable, almost to the point where I need some adjustment time. The shoes are heavy which I like. In my opinion, they fit perfectly and true to size if the socks are not too thin. In them you will not get much joy from jumping and running. But for squats, deadlifts, or anything that requires a stable stance, they're perfect. They look GREAT, went black but other colors are being considered in the future. As other reviewers have said, it looks even better live. And I'm sure the same goes for all the other beautiful color combinations they have! Great shoes all round. I don't have a link to compare to other climbing shoes but from what I've used this is a dramatic improvement. If you've been exercising for a while and haven't taken a significant step, do it. And the price of the Revain was fantastic too: $60 for a shoe that looks forever is just amazing.