UKC

Hi all,

I'm currently looking into getting a new pair of climbing shoes and was just wondering what people prefer? I'm largely a trad climber and have been climbing for about three years and i'm wanting to get an 'higher end' shoe?

Do people find that the rubber compound used on the shoes make a difference at all? I know Scarpa have their grading system but i'm not sure whether its very trust worthy?

Anyone's views on different shoes and their past experiences with them will be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

Sam

In reply to SamStrong93:

Genuinely do not think rubber makes much difference p they are all pretty good.

Foot shape will affect which shoes work for you.

Go to a shop and try on a few pairs - I wear la spotiva Katan's or Miura's and have some comfy shoes (Mythos) for all day routes

In reply to sdavies141:

Yeah i thought foot shape would be more important, i'm just curious as to whether all these branded compounds and little differences between shoes make any difference at all! Thanks for your help

In reply to SamStrong93:

I'm not a wad - so take this with a pinch of salt.
But you'll find that as with hiking - there's no "one shoe to rule them all". The shoe that'll give best performance on slate or limestone (deeply curved to increase the downwards force component, hard sole and sharp edge for edging), will not be ideal for friction slabs (rubber that deforms to get maximum purchase, flat for increased contact).
Some (most?) top-grade climbers will have multiple pairs of shoes, optimized for the type of route that day.

With that said, presumably you're after one shoe to do everything, and in that case a shoe that is middle of the road will be best. I'm in this boat and found 5.10 Anasazi VCS to be the shoe for me

In reply to SamStrong93:

I think the fit is the most important thing,nothing worse than trying to convince yourself that the £120 shoes you've bought aren't absolutely crippling you. Doesn't matter how good the rubber is if they hurt, and to be honest All the top end shoes have decent rubber, well I can't tell the difference anyway.

In reply to SamStrong93:

5.10 anatazi work well as an edging and smearing shoes.

In reply to SamStrong93:
Ditto re shape being more important.

Some people do get hung up on rubber if you are doing very hard grit slabs for example but, even then, I am sure it is very marginal. At one point a lot of grit climbers (incl myself) were obsessed about 5-10 stealth rubber but that no longer seems to be the case.

I've been using La Sportiva's for years now and the rubber is very good. I've gravitated towards miuras for most of my climbing outside - the toe is great for pockets, very precise, and it's rigid enough for edges without being rubbish on slabs. However, I think a lot of people can't tolerate the shape of miuras. Katana velcros are a less rigid, wider, take on it which suits slabs a bit better probably although you can also get Katana lace-ups.

Personally I don't bother with a very comfy all day trad shoe as I can merrily wear miuras and various other lace-ups most of the day unless it gets very hot (in which case a velcro is probably better anyway so you can slip it off between pitches easily).

I'd really try a number of them to see what your foot shape suits best. You may well find lace-ups will suit if you have a narrow foot but velcros if not. However, I can and do wear both fairly successfully.

In reply to SamStrong93:

Yes, the different compounds of rubber do make a difference. Will you notice it? It depends. If you're bouldering and/or sport climbing at your limit then the extra few percent of friction may mean the difference between success and failure. If however you're climbing well within your grade, on big footholds, or mostly trad (top end trad exluded) then the difference in frictional properties will be barely perceptible. What you might notice is the difference in stiffness that XS Edge offers over XS Grip2 (continuing the Scarpa example).

However you will notice far more clearly the difference between a good fit, and a bad fit. If the shoe is too tight, and painful, or to big and sloppy, then you won't be able to climb as effectively as you would with a snug, supportive fit. Go try a load on and try them on some small footholds. You should feel like you can stand on them without too much effort, but that you can also smear on slopers in them.

Personal recommendations based on what you've said would be:
Scarpa Techno X
Scarpa Vapour Lace
LaSpo Katana Lace/Velcro
Boreal Lynx
Tenaya Tarifa
Tenaya Masai
5.10 Anasazi Lace

In reply to SamStrong93:

It's all down to the shape of your foot. After years of agony in loads of boots, I now buy Sportiva Testarossas off European websites as they're not available over here. Although they're highly aggressive and asymmetrical, I can wear them pretty well all day. Worth finding what fits your foot, rather than what fits others...

In reply to SamStrong93:

Depends what you like to climb too. When I'm trad climbing, I mostly go for cracks, so I tend to go for flat, stiff shoes, where my toes are pretty flat inside the shoe. Makes it a less painful experience.

In reply to SamStrong93:

That's a bit like saying I want a "good car" without saying what you want the car to do. As SenzuBean said earlier, it's horses for courses. One pair of shoes won't cut it.

FWIW, I rate La Sportiva and some Scarpa shoes. 5:10s don't suit my feet at all so I've given up trying them. As far as rubber goes, I'm not convinced it makes much difference to my climbing success or failure.

In reply to SamStrong93:
Most people can get up what they want in most boots

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ron+fawcett+the+prow&espv=2&biw=1427&bih=...

In reply to SamStrong93:

Thanks everyone for your feedback, it's all very much appreciated.

I'll have a search around for a good fitting shoe.

In reply to SamStrong93:

I think the green Vuade tech slippers are pretty good for all round use and currently on offer for £35 rather than £50. (http://www.decathlon.co.uk/ - the full link won't work for some reason)

decathlon.co.uk/vuarde-tech-slippers-id_8125095.html

A friend recommended them and I've had several pairs now. The rubber seems good, they have great feel and a precise toe. The downsides are they're not so good for heelhooking (I use other shoes for indoor bouldering). They're also not as good as a stiffer shoe on routes with a lot of very small footholds. I was trying a longish 7c+ at Malham last year with these but switched to a stiffer shoe which definitely felt advantageous. But for most other stuff these are my go to choice and a good choice for most trad I would think where the sensitivity pays off. Get them as tight as poss as they stretch a fair bit.

In reply to SamStrong93:

My go to shoe for just about everything has been the five ten moccasym I've tried all sorts of shoes but I just keep wearing these weather trad or bouldering or indoor just love em there quick to put on being a slipper and all and they bag out to a nice fit (although the edging performance depletes over time) so beware of sizing if you decide to try em so at least a whole size down usually also if your not used to a softish shoe I would advise against these as you will need decent foot strength , as a few have said its all down to personal preference, climbing style and foot shape , what shoes my mates swear by are not always great for me so have a shop round and don't be afraid to ask for advice in whatever shop you decide to go to 😊

In reply to SamStrong93:

I have used 5.10 anasazi for ever as they fit my feet (since late 1990s), before that I tried many different pairs.

Personally I think you need to go into a really good climbing shop and give yourself a good period of time to choose a shoe. Forget what the latest craze is, what your mate who climbs harder than you and other preferences. Ask the shop assistant, they should ask you type of foot you have thin, fat, long or short. As believe it or not some shoes fit these distinct type better than others.

Try several pairs they recommend, then when you have narrowed it down try on several sizes of a couple of pairs. Then spend 10 minutes walking around in your preferred pair.

Spending time choose a shoe that fits your feet will pay wonders for your climbing.

If you do a lot of climbing consider getting more than one pair. I have comfy long easy route shoes, tight performance multi pitch shoes for technical walls, downturned steep sport/bouldering shoe and often a climbing wall shoe. Yes I need to get out more.

Hope that helps.

In reply to SamStrong93:

+1 for 5.10 VCS anasazi. Used the same pair for 2 years until they both had toe holes. Now I use them for light indoor use. Fantastic shoe if they fit well, especially for trad. Stickiest of the icky. 9/10 would will buy again. But yeah best fit is what to look for.

In reply to SamStrong93:
I have several pairs of shoes but the ones that are at the opposite end of the spectrum, so to speak, with regard to "edginess" and "smearing" are my Sportiva Miura's and my 5.10 Anasazi. The Miuras are in a different league when it comes to edging but it's mainly a matter of adapting your style to suit the shoe. If I'm honest I much prefer the Miura's possibly because I climb mostly on limestone. I don't think I can feel much difference when it comes to stickiness other than the fact that you get more rubber contact with smearing shoes.

Al

In reply to SamStrong93:

Red Chili Spirit VCR, velcro fastening, because they fit me the best and certainly don't limit what I can climb.

In reply to SamStrong93:

Foot shape again. I have very narrow feet and a very narrow range of shoes that fit. La Sportiva (probably if they weren't so expensive ) Evolv are my current boots but they get too wide too after a while