It’s the end of an era. I’m switching to Butora.

I’ve been a die-hard Five Ten climbing shoe fan for over 20 years. Their fit and their rubber was second to none. For years, the company was at the top of the climbing shoe scene, but their position has been challenged as more and more competitors have come into the market.

One of the newest players on the scene is Butora, and they have made quite an impact in their 2-years of operation. Butora (BOO-TOE-Ra) is a Korean company and their name means “stick to it” in Korean. While the company is fairly new, the men running the business, Hee-do Nam and Joon Heo, are veterans. Hee-do Nam was involved with design and manufacturing for climbing shoe companies, Five Ten and Evolv, before founding his own. In fact, Koreans have been involved with manufacturing climbing shoes since the first Five Tens in the 80s, and perhaps Butora has benefited from that tradition as their shoes have received favourable reviews since the beginning. (Here are the links for some of the reviews I could find: great Acro review;  Rock and Ice’s best climbing gear of 2016;  Climbing’s top 11 climbing shoes).

What sets Butora apart is their shoes are well thought-out and packed with features. For example, the Acros, which were voted the Best New Climbing Gear of 2016 by Rock and Ice magazine, have climbing rubber on the top of the toes for steep overhanging routes and a full-length ABS midsole to maintain the shoes shape. The company also offers wide and narrow versions of most models to customize fit. And if you really want to customize the fit, visit their factory in Osan, South Korea, and you can buy two different sizes in case one foot is slightly larger than the other which is the case for many people. Another reason to try their shoes is their very reasonable price point. They have quality shoes for every budget.

Besides offering an amazing product, Butora is becoming a pillar in the Korean climbing community. They have sponsored so many events from the local gym’s competitions to national climbing festivals. In particular, I very much appreciate their support for grassroots non-profit organizations like KOTRI who are dedicated to re-bolting and making climbing safer in Korea.

This active participation in the community is what other companies lack. It was their community support that first peeked my interest in the company. I kept seeing Butora shoes as door prizes at every event I went to. This kind of generosity speaks volumes to me. And I was so relieved when I finally tried on a pair of Acros at the Jisan Bouldering Festival this month. I was relieved because the product was awesome. I finally found a local  company I wanted to support, and they had a quality product I wanted to use. The shoes slipped on snug and secure, and the friction was confidence-boosting; everything I wanted in a shoe.

So now I’m stoked to say that iGuideKorea will be representing Butora products. We are excited to offer Butora as our rental shoe, and as a representative, we can offer deep savings on Butora products to our clients;. Another reason you should stick with iGuideKorea, Butora.

For more information on products, product demos, or ordering, feel free to email Eddy Park at igk@iguidekorea.com and check out Butora’s website: http://www.butora.com.