UKC

I've been climbing for about 4 - 5 months, pretty much 2-4 times a week, slightly addicted.

I mostly climb indoors on either concrete or plastic and have ran a pair of boreal Velcro jokers pretty much into an early grave, they have a month or so left in them at this rate of climbing.

So I'm interested in getting a more aggressive shoe, I think I'm climbing around v6-v8, it's hard to tell what rating the climbs have but I know I want a tighter toe for the real small holds. So I just don't know which shoe to try, I like the sounds of evolvs pontas, I hear the shamans are chunky and I'm interested in boreals kintaros because I like the jokers so much, I've got about £100 so most shoes are in the running. I appreciate each foot is different and each climber has there own views but I'm the most experienced climber that I climb with and was wanting some seasoned views on the matter.

In reply to Jamiejoseffry: Not to sound nit-picky, but I don't climb V8 yet, and I've been climbing nearly 3 years. Only just hit V6. Maybe your wall grades them softly, or you're just a prodigy, but either way... Sounds dubious.

With regards to shoes though, Scarpa Instinct or Vapour V's are excellent on overhangs and small holds. They will stretch, as they're leather.

5.10 Anasazi VS are some of the best edging/smearing shoes I've ever come across. As far as I can tell, the north east bouldering scene as a whole swears by them. I know I do, they're great all rounders. Will fit a narrower foot than the Scarpas, and won't stretch as much.

Basically, find a shoe that fits you well from the offset. If the shape is right, but it has to be painfully tight to not be baggy, then maybe buy those as a third pair, so you have a comfier pair to wear as you stretch the tight ones in. And remember that synthetic shoes won't stretch as much as leather etc...

Yuh. That's all I can recommend.

In reply to Jamiejoseffry:

I suggest you climb outdoors to get an idea of what level you really climb at. I can do V6 V7 indoors but lucky to get past 6a+ (V3-4) outdoors for which your Jokers would be fine
If you just want a fancy pair of shoes (Climbing shoes) try the La Sportiva Muiras, Boreal Storm, Five Ten Anasazi VCS,Five-Ten Anasazi Verde
the list is endless, you need to try them on and find the best fit for you and how you climb.

In reply to Madden: Cheers for the advice, I have no idea what grade I'm climbing to be perfectly honest, the routes I'm climbing arent graded exactly but more in a range say v1-v6 or v2-v8 so I might infact be climbing v3,v2,v1 the problem is my boreals are on the way out and I want to try something new and a bit more aggressive. I'll take your advice on board and I may just get another pair of the jesters for now or just go and try loads of shoes on, I just have the cash to get a better pair and want a good investment.

Thanks again and I'm sorry for getting the grading so wrong

J

In reply to fozmeister: Good call! I will.

Thank you

In reply to Jamiejoseffry: I guess what I was looking for on the forum was somebody who had jesters and moved onto another more aggressive shoe, I've always been one to buy into a brand, I quite like boreal so Ill probably just get another boreal shoe, at the end of the day I'm progressing well in these shoes and my only reason for wanting something else was the fact I had ruined the boreals I had.

Sorry to all you experienced climbers for my noob mistakes.

In reply to Jamiejoseffry: Go to a shop that sells shoes try them on see what looks more aggressive but are comfortable. I started with Jokers but didn't need to replace for a year. Do they need replacing because they have stretched or you've blown the toe? I can recommend Evolve bandits as a good next step. Similarly I have had good experience with Anasazi Verdes from 5:10, they are similar to Velcro ones but laced. I would think you don't need anything aggressive but probably could do with improving footwork also. If the jokers became to baggy ask advice about how much a shoe stretches when you buy. La Sportiva miura vs are brilliant and I just bought a pair to complement my verdes (which I will get resolved).


Good luck, try loads on, ask about stretch and no amount of brilliance in a shoe will make up for improving footwork

In reply to puppythedog: Superb! Thanks for the advice. My jokers have stretched, the glue on the soul has started to go and the stitching has come away abit on the upper part from toe hooking a bit too much, the general soul condition is fine it's more just seems, to be honest they could be repaired. I've read novice foot work ruins shoes and am working on that all the time, ive really enjoyed the jesters and clearly it's about trying as many shoes as possible, there are about three shop nearby that have an array of shoes, the selections are always pretty small though.

Again thank you for the advice.

In reply to Alan street:

Don't worry about the mistakes on the grading indoor walls trip people up time after time. When you first go outdoors you feel you can do anything then you go to somewhere like Stanage or Burbage South boulders and want to cry like a baby at not being able to do a simple V2.
Walls have a lot to answer for I rarely look too deeply at the grades just look for the ones that will test my technique and that means ones that rarely use jugs...
Personally get outside if you are doing the grades you say then a better pair might help if as most people have commented you are not you wouldn't need to change until you hit V5 outdoors (Which might be sometime) unless you want to - its your cash.

In reply to fozmeister: Cheers, having read a bit more I'm only really looking for a shoe with a sharper toe/better edge some of the crimps I'm working on need a better edge I think although I'm sure my technique has a fair bit to do with it, I'm gagging to get out doors actually... Maybe getting the jokers resewn and buying a bouldering mat is a better use of the funds... Infanct it most definately is! And now a plan is formed!!!!

In reply to Alan street: As Fozmeister said; don't worry about maybe getting your gradings wrong. Indoor walls are almost always wrong!

In reply to Alan street:

You're not allowed to buy new shoes until you've climbed V5 outdoors, until then you must wear beginner's shoes so everyone at the wall can see you're a novice. Perhaps you could buy a T-shirt with novice on the front to wear at the wall? Some people are so funny about grades...

Are you quite young? It's not unusual for younger climbers to really shoot up the grades because of their power to weight ratio and plus all of the small holds are bigger to them!

If you do lots of bouldering with toehooking, like you described then perhaps some models with toe rubber would help. Off the top of my head include; Scarpa Instinct, Scarpa boostic, La sportiva Python, La sportiva solution and Five Ten Team. People will argue that these shoes are 'advanced' but I think you're more likely to take advantage of their features on steep problems indoors than you are outdoors.

If you're Boreals fit well, I assume you have quite a high volume, blocky foot shape? If so, the Scarpas may be good for you. I'd recommend that you give the instinct slipper a try.

In reply to cha1n: Thats great! I've got a fair few new shoes to try now! It is really just the edge that after, the teeny crimps I'm working of are great and possible in the jokers but I do find I slip off sometimes but this is probably my technique, I just feel like there's no controlling that on an overhang in these shoes, sometimes the shoe works some times not. The toe hooking and heel hooker is fine on these boys but the wear on the fabric upper is pretty bad.

Sadly I'm not young, 28... Some (kind people) might say young ish... Old enough to know you can't rush at getting better at climbing, I was strong and light to start but have been aching (in a good way) for 5 months. I won't be climbing a good grade, probably a terrible grade but I'm starting to solve the harder problems at the gyms I go to. I'm looking forward to climbing outside, we'll see how I get on.

I shall get myself a Tshirt or just L plates

In reply to Alan street: Typing on an iPhone is just great... I wish I had checked that through properly.

In reply to Alan street:
From my own experience in getting new shoes, you really need to test both shoes! My right foot is in better shape than my left, which is blighted with a bunion at the joint where the big toe connects with the foot. Probably caused by the breakage of this toe about three / four times over the years (initial breakage weakened the toe).

I tried on Evolv Pontas and while my right foot found these fine, my left was having none of it. it seems I may be doomed never to wear any kind of a technical climbing shoe!

In reply to Alan street:


This is a real mistake with climbing shoes. Sorry. Some brands of shoe are known for suiting a particular foot shape - eg. to generalise and oversimplify massively, Five Ten tend to suit wide feet, Sportiva tend to suit narrower feet. If I were to decide I liked Sportiva as a brand, it doesn't matter how technical the shoe is, all my shoes would probably fit badly as my feet are wide.

Your other problem is that Boreal Jokers, as a comfort oriented shoe, tend to fit most people and feel comfortable. The information that Jokers fit you well, is therefore not particularly helpful in predicting what more technical shoe might fit you.

As has been pointed out, your best bet is to go to a shop with knowledgeable staff, at a time when they are quiet (or at least it's not hire shoe rush hour at a wall) and try on all the technical shoes they have without getting too hung up on the brand or how they look. It's ok to have a list of shoes you'd like to try on or that you like the look of, but if you want your shoes to fit, then keeping an open mind is key.

In reply to Quiddity:

Spot on

I definitely wanted Five tens anasazi's because they were what friends wore who climbed better on grit than I did. Turns out the shoes hurt like hell and my friends could climb better in wellies on ice than I could on grit.

Find the shoe that suits your feet not your image - worked for me.

Many a wise word there are plenty to try

In reply to DAVE_BRAIN:

i seen your comment about the shamans being chunky and totally disagreed!
i have had a pair for a few months and they are fantastic!
they are aggresive, good edge, good heel hooking capabilities, sticky rubber, nice fit, velcro closure is good makes it even tighter, toe box is amazing!
these are the comfiest high end shoes i have ever put on my feet! i forces your feet into that crimped position but as the shoes is shaped that way it fits and isnt painful

the down sides, i find when i boulder these shoes get really hot and the arch under the ball of the foot "the love bump" disappears which means the dead space it got rid of is back (they would benefit from a p3 type idea on the solutions), this isnt a big issue i just take a 10min break pop it back to its original shape and let it cool down and re harden.
now about the clumpy thing - there does seem to be a lot of rubber on the bottom but its not really when you compare it to most shoe i think the rubber is just slightly harder and that why, it just needs wearing in! these shoes could be a little more sensitive but then that would also decrease there lifespan.

sizing can be a killer if you get it wrong, im a uk size 10 and i got a 9 but could probably have got 8.5 as they have stretched a little.

dont cancel these out because of what someone else has said, give them a go and see what you think, you put them on and they could be your dream shoe