The Mythos is an iconic climbing shoe that has been in La Sportiva’s arsenal for over a quarter of a century. Tried and true to boot, climbers covet the comfortable moccasin-style shoe that adapts to the shape of your foot as opposed to painful, aggressively downturned shoes. The lace-up leather design is ideal for crack climbing, with a relatively flat fit, low profile toes, and forgivingly rounded shape.
Climbing shoe company La Sportiva put a spin on its latest model with the addition of the Eco Rubber, completely rebranding the otherwise harmful process used in the production of climbing shoes. The company utilizes biodegradable leather for the sole of the shoe and a tanning process that is completely metal free — no traces of mercury or chrome to be found. These heavy metals are unhealthy for both your feet and the planet and La Sportiva has implemented a creative way to go without.
The laces and the webbing in the heel were fishing net in their previous lives, but have been recycled and transformed into effective mechanisms for keeping your shoes nice and snug. The Eco Rubber is perhaps the most impressive development of all. La Sportiva took trimmings of their coveted Vibram XS Edge rubber to use in the Mythos Eco, making for a high-quality product, albeit recycled. The Vibram XS Edge rubber that is not used up in the production of other shoes, such as the Muiras, is combined and repurposed for utilization in the Mythos Eco. For every five sheets of Vibram rubber, the company is capable of producing one sheet of Eco Rubber — a pretty impressive use of leftovers. Additionally, only water-based adhesives are used to hold the whole package together.
You can purchase the La Sportiva Mythos Eco for $155 on the company’s website.
