La Sportiva TC Pro

The La Sportiva TC Pro is a a mid-cut climbing shoe that has been designed for edging and crack climbing. Excelling on trad, alpine and big wall routes, this shoe can be fitted for all-day comfort on low to mid grade routes or cutting edge performance at the highest level. 

Don’t be put off by its looks, the TC Pro was designed in collaboration with legendary US climber Tommy Caldwell (TC), and the previous version was worn by Alex Honnold on his Free Solo of El Cap’s Freerider, so it has a proven pedigree at the sharp end. As a side note there is a nice little nod to Alex Honnold’s FreeRider solo and Tommy Caldwell’s Dawn Wall with a neat branded graphic of the two lines on the side of the shoe.

The main feature of the TC Pro is the mid-rise ankle. This has been padded out to provide excellent protection when jammed deep into deep abrasive cracks, such as those found on grit and granite.

The shoe is quite stiff though remains remarkably sensitive. The rubber is top notch, using Vibram’s XS Edge rubber, which is great for edging and resists deformation on small sharp holds.

Other features of note are additional areas of padding and lace protection in the toe area for repeated toe jamming, also extra rubber rands, again for crack jamming protection. Where possible ventilation holes have been added to the tongue and uppers to improve comfort on long days. The uppers themselves are made from eco-leather which in this case uses a metal-free tanning process.

The TC Pro has only gotten better with the 2021 updates. Whilst the shoe is often pitched as a big wall and crack climbing shoe, it is also a great shoe for UK trad and alpine rock routes.

Sizing

Sizing is on the generous side. For example, if your street shoe size is 43 then a size 43 in the TC Pro will offer a comfort fit with a thin sock on – ideal for easier big walls. 

If you require some assistance with sizing this climbing shoe to your particular needs click here: Rock Climbing Shoe Sizing Guide

Video

A short tech video from La Sportiva highlighting some of the features and improvements of the updated TC Pro.

What The Rock+Run Team Say

Editor’s Note: The following was written for the previous model, though still remains relevant to this version.

“I was lucky enough to spend two summers climbing Squamish splitter cracks and these shoes made my life so much more pleasant. No more crushed toes and the stability to stand solidly in cracks. They’ve proved so comfortable I use them for nearly all my climbing.” – Matt

Features

• Eco-leather upper with metal-free tanning
• Extended all-around edging for better durability and protection when crack climbing
• Internal padding in the ankle area and front area for maximum comfort
• Revision of the lacing for maximum comfort
• Supported midsole combined with the patented P3 system to maintain shape over time
• Heat branded “embossed” graphics: dedicated to the two most iconic ascents made with TC Pro on El Captain: the left line represents Alex Honnold’s FreeRider narrated in the famous FreeSolo movie, the right line The Dawn Wall by Tommy Caldwell.
• Side ventilation holes for maximum ventilation

Specification

• P3 (Permanent Power Platform) edging system
• Upper: Suede leather, tubular construction
• Lining: Pacific
• Midsole: LaSpoFlex 1.1 mm complete combined with the P3 system
• Outsole: XS Edge sp. 4 mm
• Weight: 550g

Related Products and Collections

• More La Sportiva Climbing Shoes are available in our La Sportiva Climbing Shoes Collection
• See more climbing shoes in our Climbing Shoes Collection
• See more products in our La Sportiva Collection