If you are into bouldering and sport climbing, it will pay if you try Ocun Ozone bouldering and rock climbing shoes. They may not have reached household status yet; however, reading through our Ocun Ozone review, you'll discover that they have lots to offer. The Ocun Ozone is an aggressive bouldering and sport climbing shoe that's great for vertical climbs.
The shoes hold their own tremendously well in tough conditions, and while they may not have a flawless design, they are quite solid and are not likely to let you down. Ocun, a Czech climbing brand formerly known as Rock Pillars, has a huge fan base in Eastern Europe. Although the company is not quite popular, it's begun gaining more traction, slowly becoming a big player in the global market.
In addition, the company has brought about various major innovations such as crack climbing gloves and modern heel designs. The Ozone, designed for bouldering and steep sport climbing, is one of Ocun's flagship products. Ocun Ozone climbing shoes have a great performance and age quite well, considering their price tag.
Having used them for about three years now, I can vouch for their performance and their ability to take on their fair share of punishment. Let's dive in and determine why the Ocun Ozone climbing shoes are great for sport climbing and bouldering.
- USE CASE: The Ocun Ozone was designed for high end technical performance and extreme precision on tiny footholds and ‘credit card’ edges. Sticky rubber toe patch for toe hooking and patented 3-Force System for higher torsional stability the Ozone excels at steep, overhanging sport routes. Ideal for indoor or outdoor climbing, bouldering or sport climbs.
- FIT: The Ozone fits best on an average to slightly wider Greek foot shape with a medium heel volume. Ocun shoes are designed for a performance fit at or near street shoe size, most climbers find this shoe fits best +1/2 size up from street shoe size or at street shoe size based on personal preference. We strongly recommend against aggressive downsizing.
- FEATURES: Vegan construction with a microfiber upper, 3D medium stiffness midsole, and patented 3-Force System for perfect balance on the tiniest of footholds and edges. A pretensioned arch and heel rand transfer power to the tip and dual opposing Velcro closure ensures a secure fit. Rubber sole features Vibram XS Grip for optimal friction and edging capabilities.
Last update on 2023-09-27 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Ocun Ozone Feature Highlights
The Ocun Ozone is a mid-to-high performance climbing shoe for sport climbing, bouldering, and trad climbing, with the 3-Force system that greatly enhances stability and control on tiny footholds.
Feature Toe Box
Ocun has an innovative 3-Force system integrated into the toe rand helping the toe box deliver a high performance. In addition, the rubber strap wraps around the shoe's front, which helps distribute the weight from the toes to the rest of the foot.
The system works particularly well during climbs and provides you with a great amount of support, especially on small pockets or edges. That's not all. The Ocun Ozone climbing shoe has an amazing hooking ability. It provides you with all the friction you need when you'd like to stick a tricky toe under the roof formation.
However, one problem could be that the 3-Force system makes the shoes a poor selection for multi-pitching or crack climbing. But, you'll feel right at home on overhung boulders or polished limestone slabs.
Related Article: Best Bouldering Shoes for Beginners
Feature Heel
The Ozone's heel may be their biggest downfall. The Ocun Ozone climbing shoes have a fairy standard heel compared to other high-performing climbing shoes on the market, such as La Sportiva Solution. However, the heel is less versatile compared when it comes to technical heel hooks.
While the rand's tension helps keep the shoe fitted securely to your foot, the heel cup can be relatively narrow, making the shoe's heel feel shallow for your foot. The rand does keep the shoe secure; however, you'll find yourself getting the feeling that your foot might slip out any time. This isn't the feeling you'd want, especially when you're ascending a steep climb.
Although this issue is widely recognized among climbers, some climbers love how the shoe fits. Therefore, it would be proper to say that whether or not you get this feeling can be attributed to the shape of your feet rather than the shoe's design.
Related Article: La Sportiva Skwama Climbing Shoe
Feature Rubber
Ocun uses Vibram XS Grip rubber instead of the XS Grip 2 favored by high-performance shoes like La Sportiva and Scarpa, which is rather interesting. However, you may be wondering why they would opt for the older and less versatile option.
There are a few reasons why. First, Vibram limits the number of brands allowed to use XS Grip 2 to make the rubber more exclusive. And two: there is a significant difference in price between these two rubber compounds, and thus the Ozone's price tag isn't as competitive as other brands using superior rubber.
While the shoe uses Vibram rubber, which is slightly dated, it should not be thought of as second-rate climbing shoes. On the contrary, the semi-stiff rubber makes it easier to climb steep limestone faces by providing more sensitivity and edging ability.
However, when you compare the rubber to more rigid types like the XS edge, you'll find out that it isn't the most durable rubber in the market but, you'll have an easy time resoling the shoes. Plus, because of their 3D molded midsole, the shoes won't lose their shape even after being repaired.
Feature Comfort and Fit
The Ocun Ozone rock climbing and bouldering shoes come in three versions because Ocun understands that not all feet are the same, and no one climbing shoe will perfectly fit all feet. All three Ocun Ozone shoe versions have similar features, same design but are meant for varying foot shapes.
- The Ozone QC, with blue straps, is designed to fit people with thinner, flatter feet with an Egyptian toe style.
- The Ozone plus, with green straps, is designed for people with cube or Egyptian toes and wider feet.
- Finally, the Ozone Women's is meant for people with thinner heels and a lower volume foot type.
Take a look at the three variants below.
- USE CASE: The Ocun Ozone was designed for high end technical performance and extreme precision on tiny footholds and ‘credit card’ edges. Sticky rubber toe patch for toe hooking and patented 3-Force System for higher torsional stability the Ozone excels at steep, overhanging sport routes. Ideal for indoor or outdoor climbing, bouldering or sport climbs.
- FIT: The Ozone fits best on an average to slightly wider Greek foot shape with a medium heel volume. Ocun shoes are designed for a performance fit at or near street shoe size, most climbers find this shoe fits best +1/2 size up from street shoe size or at street shoe size based on personal preference. We strongly recommend against aggressive downsizing.
- FEATURES: Vegan construction with a microfiber upper, 3D medium stiffness midsole, and patented 3-Force System for perfect balance on the tiniest of footholds and edges. A pretensioned arch and heel rand transfer power to the tip and dual opposing Velcro closure ensures a secure fit. Rubber sole features Vibram XS Grip for optimal friction and edging capabilities.
- USE CASE: The Ocun Ozone Plus was designed for high end technical performance and extreme precision on tiny footholds and ‘credit card’ edges. Sticky rubber toe patch for toe hooking and patented 3-Force System for higher torsional stability the Ozone excels at steep, overhanging sport routes. Ideal for indoor or outdoor climbing, bouldering or sport climbs..
- FIT: The Ozone Plus fits best to a wider Greek foot shape with a higher volume and a medium to large heel. Ocun shoes are designed for a performance fit at or near street shoe size, most climbers find this shoe fits best +1/2 size up from street shoe size or at street shoe size based on personal preference. We strongly recommend against aggressive downsizing.
- FEATURES: Vegan construction with a microfiber upper, 3D medium stiffness midsole, and patented 3-Force System for perfect balance on the tiniest of footholds and edges. A pretensioned arch and heel rand transfer power to the tip and dual opposing Velcro closure ensures a secure fit. Rubber sole features Vibram XS Grip for optimal friction and edging capabilities.
- Upper Material: [face fabric] microfiber, [insole] leather
- Closure: hook-and-loop
- Midsole: 3D Fit Middle
Last update on 2023-09-27 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
The fact that Ocun considers varying foot sizes in their design makes them some of the most comfortable climbing shoes and most aggressive shoes you could ever wear. Ocun advises that you downsize the shoe size by half or one full size when it comes to size.
If you wear an 8.5 in street shoes, you're better of going down .5 and taking a size 8. However, if you love tightly fitting climbing shoes, then you could go down one extra size. Keep in mind that the hoes don't stretch as much due to the rubber surrounding the toe box.
The shoes will still mold to your feet nicely, but your toes may hurt a little during the first week before you've broken into the climbing shoes. The shoes come with two Velcro straps that secure the shoes to your foot and simultaneously make it easy for you to put on and remove the shoe at will.
Related Article: Velcro vs. Laces for Climbing Shoes
Stick to It, Stand on It, Hook It, the Ozone Lets You Do It All!
Extremely asymmetric, anatomically shaped climbing shoe – a modern gun for competitive and performance climbers. Ozone is very precise on tiny footholds, edges and in pockets. The 3-Force system opens up new possibilities for climbers choosing Ozone for their sends. The performance is boosted by the highly adhesive Vibram XS Grip sole. Ozone's patented 3-Force system provides precise pressure distribution contributing to a higher torsional stiffness and resulting in perfect balance on the tiniest footholds and edges.
The Verdict
The Ocun Ozone's are some of the best and high-performing shoes for their price. They can be found at 30-40 euros cheaper than other high-performance shoes. In addition, they have high durability in extreme weather and great for overhung terrain.
While the Ozone QC is meant for narrower feet, you could always try the ozone plus because of its wider toe box. If you are an experienced climber or an intermediate looking for durable shoes with good performance and a lighter price tag, you could go for the Ocun Ozone climbing shoes.
This is an extensively researched review on Ocun Ozone Bouldering and Rock Climbing Shoes.
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Last Updated on March 6, 2023 by Roger
