What do HV and LV mean on Mad Rock shoes?

Two different lasts of the same model, not a men's/women's split. HV (high volume) fits average to moderately wide forefeet with a small heel and flat instep; by other brands' standards it wears like a medium shoe. LV (low volume) is a genuinely separate, much narrower shape - Mad Rock's own guide warns that without a narrow foot "you will have a hard time wearing this fit". When in doubt, take the HV (except the Shark, which is properly wide).

Do Mad Rock shoes run true to size?

Mostly yes: our owners average between street size and one size down across the range, far milder than Italian performance lasts. The exceptions: the Drone CS and RedLine Strap run small (size up half, up to a full size on the RedLine), the Remora and the leather Phoenix stretch (size down half to one).

Are Mad Rock shoes good for wide feet?

The Shark 3 HV is the one built for it, with width through the ball of the foot and instep room. The other HV toe boxes are wide across the toes but low in overall volume, so chunky, high-instep feet often struggle in the Drones. The Remora HV works as a wide-friendly soft slipper.

Are Mad Rock shoes good for narrow heels?

The Drone family (Drone 2, Drone CS, D2.One) and the RedLine Strap have some of the smallest, best-locking heel cups sold, and our scan data backs it up (11 of 14 D2.One HV owners rate the heel perfect). Avoid the Shark 3 HV and the classic Remora if your heel is narrow; both cups run wider.

What is the difference between the Drone 2, Drone CS and D2.One?

Same family, three characters. Drone 2: stiffest, most downturned, edges and board climbing. Drone CS: softest, stickiest rubber, smears and volumes. D2.One: the newest, splits the difference and is the pick if you only buy one. Heels are compact on all three; the CS is the widest in the forefoot, the Drone 2 the narrowest.

Are Mad Rock shoes vegan?

Every current model except the Phoenix, which uses a leather upper and footbed. The synthetic models (all Drones, RedLine, Remora, Remora Pro, Shark, Talaria, Rover, Mad Monkey 3) are vegan-friendly.

Do Mad Rock shoes stretch?

The synthetic uppers barely stretch; they break in and mold over roughly 5-10 sessions (the Drones and CS are notorious for a painful first week). The elastic-closure Remora gives up half a size or more, and the leather Phoenix up to a full size. Buy synthetics at the fit you want to keep.

Mad Rock Climbing Shoes in 2026: Every Model Compared, With Fit Data From 51 Owners

Mad Rock offers 12 shoe models, most in a high-volume (HV) and a low-volume (LV) version. This guide compares all of them with three sources: fit feedback from 51 owners via our foot scanner, the published reviews and community fit threads per model, and the author's own climbing in four of them (Drone CS HV, D2.One HV, Remora Pro HV, RedLine Strap). Counts in this static copy were verified against the live database on 2026-07-03; the live page updates them as more climbers scan, and prices are live per market.

How Mad Rock fits: HV, LV and the Shark exception

Mad Rock HV lasts are wide in the forefoot but low in overall volume, with a rather flat instep and a narrow heel; they fit a medium-width, medium-volume foot well and do not wear like wide-feet shoes by Scarpa or La Sportiva standards. LV lasts are seriously narrow: Mad Rock's own sizing guide warns that without a narrow foot "you will have a hard time wearing this fit". The Drone-family heel cups (Drone 2, Drone CS, D2.One, plus the RedLine Strap) are among the smallest and best-locking sold: 11 of 14 D2.One HV owners rate the heel perfect. The exception is the Shark 3, Mad Rock's widest performance shoe, with a wider, shallower heel that suits wide and higher-volume feet; the Villain adds a deeper heel seat to the stiff Drone platform.

The lineup

D2.One (HV/LV) - the newest Drone, hybrid of Drone 2 and CS, the most versatile pick. RRP 149 EUR.
Drone CS (HV/LV) - soft comp-series Drone for volumes and smears; runs small, size up half. RRP 159 EUR.
Drone 2 (HV/LV) - the stiff, highly downturned power Drone for boards and edges. RRP 149 EUR.
Villain (HV/LV) - Matt Fultz's Drone 2 variant with a deeper heel seat. RRP 159 EUR.
RedLine Strap - midsole-free soft comp slipper with a strap, deep narrow heel; runs small. RRP 149 EUR.
Remora Pro (HV/LV) - the 2026 ultra-soft performance rebuild of the Remora. RRP 159 EUR.
Shark 3 (HV/LV) - moderate all-rounder and Mad Rock's widest last. RRP 139 EUR.
Remora (HV/LV) - soft do-it-all slipper, no midsole; size down half, it stretches. RRP 109 EUR.
Talaria (HV/LV) - dedicated speed-climbing shoe. RRP 119 EUR.
Rover - value beginner shoe on a supportive flat last. RRP 79 EUR.
Phoenix - leather lace-up for all-day, trad and beginners; the only non-vegan model, stretches up to a full size. RRP 89 EUR.
Mad Monkey 3 - kids shoe with a grow-along heel strap. RRP 45 EUR.

What 51 owner fit reports show

51 Mad Rock fit reports out of 961 across all brands (verified 2026-07-03). D2.One HV (n=14): the heel is the headline, 11 of 14 rate it perfect, owners size -0.5 EU vs street. Remora Pro HV (n=9): the most down-sized Mad Rock at -0.9 EU. Drone 2 HV (n=8): near street size (-0.4), the compact heel splits 5 perfect against 3 loose. Drone CS HV (n=7): the only Mad Rock owners size UP (+0.3, matching the official advice) and the best-rated fit in our whole database among shoes with 7 or more reports - every toe and forefoot rating is perfect. Early small-sample signals: both RedLine Strap owners at street size rate toes squeezed and heel empty (the shoe officially runs small); Remora LV owners size down -1.5 into the stretch; both Phoenix reports rate the heel empty after leather stretch.

Sizing cheat sheet

Drone CS: runs small, size up 0.5 (owners average +0.3). Minimal stretch.
D2.One, Drone 2, Villain, Shark 3: street size to half down. Minimal stretch.
RedLine Strap: runs small, size up 0.5-1. Very little stretch.
Remora Pro: street size officially; our owners average -0.9. About half a size of stretch.
Remora: the official exception, size down 0.5; it stretches half a size or more.
Phoenix: size down 0.5-1; the leather gives up to a full size.
Talaria, Rover, Mad Monkey 3: street size.

Which Mad Rock for which foot

Medium forefoot with a narrow or medium heel: any Drone HV; the Remora Pro HV may also fit if the heel is not too narrow.
Wide, high-volume foot: Shark 3 HV; the Remora HV is the soft budget alternative and the Villain HV takes bigger heels.
Narrow, low-volume foot: any LV, sized carefully; owners call the Drone CS LV heel the narrowest they have tried. The RedLine Strap works if your foot is narrow but not ultra narrow.
First shoe: Rover; all-day and trad: Phoenix; comp style: Remora Pro; board and small edges: Drone 2 or Villain; kids: Mad Monkey 3.

Method

Fit data comes from the climbing-gear.com foot scanner (700 scans, 961 fit reports, 51 on Mad Rock, verified 2026-07-03; counts update live). Specs were verified against madrock.com product pages and sizing guide on 2026-07-03; review claims are attributed to their outlet or forum. Prices are the cheapest in-stock offer per market, refreshed live. Some shop links earn us a commission at identical prices to you. Scan your feet for a fit score on every Mad Rock in this article, or browse all shoes.

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