UKC

I'm about to buy some rock shoes for trad and wonder which to get.

I wear Katanas, size 38, indoors and I love them, but I want something a bit more comfortable and which I can fit some very thin socks inside for outdoors (eg the Roaches in a week's time). I know I'll probably still get cold feet but I neet the shoes for longer routes in the summer too. I'll be climbing about VS. I'm afraid I've grown to rely on sticky rubber and I can't cope in just appraoch shoes.

Thanks

In reply to Dandelion:

You might be better with some stylish ankle warmers. A thin sock won't do all that much for your warmth, but a stretchy fleece or wool ankle warmer might be better. I say try the Katanas at first and see how you get on.

My GF has Scarpa Force shoes which are lined, so a bit wormer and less aggressive than a katana, so they'd be a good shout if you do decide to buy another pair.

In reply to Fultonius:


Not stylish but warm. I cut the toes off old socks (and a cut on the heel). Can wear with rock boots in cold weather without affecting the fit. Gives a bit of protection to ankle bones when climbing rough gritstone cracks as a bonus. Toasty

In reply to Fultonius:

To be honest my current Katanas are giving up the ghost and can only buy 1 new pair of shoes at a time, hence getting the others now. Had a quick look at the Scarpa Force just now and yes they look just right, thanks I'll find a pair and try them on.

In reply to Rick Graham:

Good idea, but I have wide feet and the whole shoe is usually pretty tight.
I've just seen some wool ankle warmers on Etsy, plain grey, which I've gone for.

In reply to Dandelion:

If you can manage to save for a "climbing shoe fund" between shoe purchases, you can save a lot of money by buying shoes when they're cheap, rather than when you need them.

I've just bought 2 pairs because they were £40 off full price, despite having about 4 usable pairs in the cupboard....I am a bit of a shoe hoarder though

In reply to Dandelion:

If you're climbing about VS then wear a pair of warm socks and buy a pair of boots that you can wear them with. That way you'll have comfy boots that you can wear for the eight months of the year when the weather isn't very warm. The same boots will do you well into the harder grades.

Pmc

In reply to Dandelion:

Sports Direct has got some amazing deals on La Sportiva climbing shoes at the moment, so I just bought two new pairs for the price it would usually cost for one pair

http://www.sportsdirect.com/SearchResults?DescriptionFilter=la%20sportiva

Might help if you need both a new technical pair and a comfy pair for wearing outside.

In reply to Dandelion:

Why not just get a pair in a 39 and wear socks?

In reply to ianstevens:

I think it's not just a bit more space, it's a flatter style I'd need, particularly for a bit more comfort on longer days. Otherwise I like the direct thinking!

In reply to Dandelion:

Fair enough. Personally I find katanas (the velcro version) are quite a flat shoe - I've got a pair of size 40 Muiras for tricky single-pitch stuff, and, you've guessed it, 41 katanas for multipitch and chilly days.

In reply to Dandelion:

I like the Sportive Mythos shoes, which are available for a reasonable price in the Sports Direct link above. THese are my wear all day shoes.

In reply to Dandelion:

I was about to suggest La Sportiva Tarantula. If you like Katanas it seems to me to be a kind of comfy version - I have both. Just as I was about to reply I saw there's a person called Kirsten advertising a pair on this forum - search Tarantula - I'm sure you'll find it.

Or, as someone above suggested - Mythos - been around for 20 years - can't go wrong with them for a comfy shoe.

In reply to Dandelion:

I would suggest that if you're wearing Katanas you either don't have wide feet or you're not wearing very well-fitting shoes. Sportiva themselves say they are one of the narrower shoes they do.

If katanas DO fit and you like the shape - buy TC pro's in half to one size up (it's the same last just stiffer).

If actually you're wearing 38 katanas and your street shoes are like 38-40ish, and you think you do have wide feet, then maybe try going into a shop and trying on a selection of Scarpa shoes. For all day trad, have a look at the Techno X, Force, and maybe the lace up (stiffer) version of the vapour?

In reply to neuromancer:

+1 for the Scarpa Vapour, they fit wide feet well and they last an age. I've had some that I've been using indoors fairly intensively for about 3 years now, and they could do with a re-sole, but otherwise still perfectly usable. The most important thing is to try them on first, preferably at a climbing wall where you can have a little climb in them. If you're on grit, then don't worry too much about socks - you shouldn't be on the route for too long, and can slip on the approach shoes in between. Also, at this time of year consider bouldering rather than trad for the same reason.

In reply to Dandelion:

Katana is considered as one of the best multipitch shoes, provided they fit and are sized correctly.

If Sportivas fit, TC Pro is also a really good option (especially for cracks).

And Sportiva Mythos was the old "standard".

But as said, it's all about the fit (after which comes the sizing).

My de-facto multibitch shoe happens to be Millet Hybrid Velcro... http://www.climbing.com/gear/millet-hybrid/ and it gets me up the punter grades I climb, be it even harder single pitch...