i have just bought a pair of instinct slippers and am shocked at the length of time they have lasted.I'm climbing on well used limestone at ansteys and torbryan so its not like i'm giving them the granite treatment but i have gone through the toe on one boot and am close on the other in 10 sessions.
Has anyone else had this issue?
The boots are really good and climb superbly but at £8 a climb it seems insane to own them or purchase another pair.Also the rubber over the top of the toe box is coming away on both boots , i have been toe hooking with one boot which is the one showing the worst wear but the rubber on the other one is coming apart too.
Last year i bought some la sportiva pythons which only did maybe 20 sessions so i am aware that i can wear a boot out quickly but it still seems like the instincts have worn at an unacceptable rate.
Mine don't appear to be as durable as my 5.10s but unless your footwork is shocking, 10 sessions sounds ridiculous. they do have thinner rubber on them than most shoes- 3mm soles IIRC. The toe hooking rubber does also come away on mine, v. annoying but as they are better than any other shoe I have tried for toe hooks, it is not a deal breaker for me.
If I hadn't looked at your profile I'd have said you were a clumsy beginner! For what it's worth mine didn't last as long as my other shoes, but still lasted about six months. I've used them uniquely on limestone here in France, so never anything like grit. As soon as I bought them I did notice that the toes had been ground down as part of the finishing process and wondered if they'd last very long. I've now had them resoled with 4mm rubber and they seem just as good as before.
In reply to misterb:
i might send them back as its only about a month since i bought them , a pair of vapour v or lace which i also climb in normally do six months ish.
i did think when i bought them that the toe rubber looked really thin but as they are a slipper i was expecting it to look thinner.
Hey ho i think i'll have to stick to the vapour v's just from a cost perspective , i don't want to be buying 5/6 pairs of boots a year.
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