UKC

Interested in personal opinions?

Feel free to suggest other shoes if you can come up with something better. These look very pretty though!

Thanks
Mike

In reply to Mike Nolan:

what are you using them for?

In reply to Mike Nolan: Them seem abit much if you're climbing at HS trad. What are your planned use for them ?

In reply to Mike Nolan: I refuse to pay that much for climbing shoes so the solutions were out straight away. The dragons are lovley for steep bouldering though, I find myself doing most of my bouldering in them these days.

In reply to maybe_si: Bouldering, that's why I picked two bouldering pairs. I just wanted to know what everyone thought.

I wouldn't use them for trad, I only climb lower level trad and I have other shoes for this, I have started bouldering alot though lately and I would use them for that.

The dragons do look nice, what are they like compared to other 5.10 shoes??

In reply to Mike Nolan:
Have not tried the Dragons, so no much of a comparative, but the Solutions are one of the best all-time all-round shoes i've had. Very comfortable, precise, and they excel at anything, from micro-edges and pockets to slabs and cracks. If you can afford them they are definitely worth the money.
Little tip, at Snell sports in Chamonix they cost the same (or even less) than any other top of the range shoes (Anasazi, miura, etc.). Around the 99EUR mark. So if you know your size you can order them online.

In reply to Mr Lopez:

Have you considered the Testerossa. I know they don't sell them in the UK anymore (I am at a loss why) but they are very very good and I would probably say better than the Solutions which I have also had a pair of.

I do rate the Solutions though, apart from the heel which is too hard.

In reply to Mike Nolan:
Sadly not tried the Dragons but have had several pairs of the Solutions and love them! Only thing I would say is make sure you get the right fit. I bought a 38.5's, 38's and now wear 37.5's (heel hooks feel much better now). They are a lot more roomy than you think.

In reply to Mike Nolan:

Also worth looking at;

Red Chili - Matador
Boreal - Blade
Evolv - Optimus Prime
5.10 - Jet 7's
Sportiva - Miura VS

It all depends on your shape of foot, you need to try them on. Then buy them tight, aslong as your foot doesnt cramp up they will stretch..

In reply to nathanmanc: Had a look at the Matadors, anyone got any views on these?

Also, I read that the heels are rubbish on some 5.10 shoes, does this include the Jet 7's or the Dragons?

Thanks
Mike

In reply to Mike Nolan:

I own and use the Solutions for anything 'hard', they are my 'ego' shoes. The fit is very tight and precise, yet i don't feel that they are 'too' tight.

They are always 'shoe farting though'.

In reply to Mike Nolan:

I initially wasn't impressed with the heel on my jet7s but it's grown and grown on me. Usually use anasazi Velcros as my all round shoe, but sometimes there are just heelhooks which I just can't use except with jet7s. Also some heelhooks I can't do in jet7s which I can do in sazis.

Sazis I think are better at heelhooking edges whereas jet7s are better on nubbins, slopers and rugosities. YMMV.

The definitive answer though is 'the one that fits your foot'

In reply to Mike Nolan:

I dont mean to sound harsh at all but why are you opting for such supertechnical and expensive top end shoes when (if your profile is correct) you are not climbing particularly hard grades?

In reply to maybe_si: Well, why not?

Serioulsy though, suggest something, I'm open to ideas. I just can't see the point in spending £40 - £60 on shoes when, with the increase in grades I have made over the last 6 weeks, I could be climbing even harder in the next few months and might end up needing beter shoes. Which will then cost me another £60 or whatever. If you see my point.

In reply to maybe_si: And I have to say a great way of putting somebody (Who would like to think has improved alot over the last month-ish) down, is to tell them they aren't climbing "particularly hard". Thanks for that.

In reply to Mike Nolan:

What sort of foot shape do you have? what rock types do you climb on most? what grades are yuo climbing? where are you going to be using these shoes mostly? what sort of boulder problems? steep/vertical/slabby? do your feet ever slip off holds? do you drag your toes much? what shoes do you currently use?

In reply to maybe_si:

I'm sorry if I sounded mean, I didnt mean that at all.

In reply to maybe_si:

Average foot shape, not broad, but not whatever the opposite to broad is.

Flash certain V4's, Work V5 and that should be V6 very soon. Do bits of trad, but not really had the opportunity to see what grade I can climb. I walked up a HS the other week though without any problems, just need to find decent weather to try something harder as is always seem to rain when I go outside!

I'm climbing indoors alot lately and also bits on grit, occasionally on limestone too.

I love steep problems. (my arms don't though) I do also enjoy slabs though and love a bit of delicate smearing!

They do when bouldering indoors sometimes, infact the reason I havn't climbed V6 is because my foot slipped of a hold indoors and we had to get going.

I don't drag my toes at all really.

Currently using LS barracuda, I found these the most comfortable for what I was climbing when I bought them (Easier grit routes, longer welsh and lakes routes etc.)

And it's ok

In reply to Mike Nolan:

Have a look at the La Sportiva Katana and 5:10 Anasazi Velcro or if you have slightly wider feet then the Galilleo. The rubber on the 5:10's will last a bit longer but I dont find the heel fits as well (your feet may be different) but I know a lot of people who struggle with 5:10 heels. Everyone who I know who has had the Katana loves them they are a very versatile shoe performing well on all types of terrain be it slabby smeary grit slabs or steep limestone/indoor sport routes.

In reply to maybe_si: Thanks, will try and try some on this weekend.

In reply to Mike Nolan:

I think Maybe-Si has given you good advice. Anything too downturned will be useless on a lot of grit problems at your grade. Out of the different anasazis I am sure one will suit you. By the way always take indoor grades with a pinch of salt! v6 indoor could usually be anything from v3 to v7.. heh

In reply to Mike Nolan:

neither of them fit my feet but i manage.

In reply to Mike Nolan:

maybe_si I think is spot on. The thing with the super top-end bouldering shoes, is they tend to be very specialist shoes. The very downturned ones are designed so you can hook with your toes and pull in on very very steep terrain. Good on overhanging boulder problems, but can be impossible to smear when you are on something slabby, or even get much weight on your feed when you are on something vertical.

In other words they are designed for the 1% of moves that you can't do with a good all-round shoe. But they might do that by sacrificing performance on 50% of moves, which you don't need to do on super-hard overhanging boulder problems, but are the bread and butter of mid grade or even harder trad/sport routes

As Si says, I'd try to find a good all round shoe that fits your foot, perhaps the Anasazi, Miura, Katana, or whatever. These are top end shoes, and will be good for harder trad, sport, and bouldering. Many many hard grit routes in the 90s got done in Anasazis. Then, if you find the shoes aren't technical enough to pull off certain moves you find yourself needing to do, you can get a specialist shoe which covers that particular style of problem.

In reply to Mike Nolan: Had a look at the Matadors, anyone got any views on these?

I've recently bought a pair and used them a couple of times indoor up to now they seem good. Should get them on some grit stone this weekend to give them a real work out. I found they fitted my long, thin and if i'm being honest horrid feet well and the heel feels very secure. Hope this helps, TSV.

In reply to Mike Nolan:

Hi Mike,

At HS you'll be fine with whatever you've got on your feet, though as you appear to have the apirations and ability to climb far harder, boots are important. It makes a real difference to me what rockboots I've got on as they give me confidence in my feet, allowing me to weight them more and generally climb better.

I'd say dragons would be fantastic indoors, bouldering and routes, but will fall short on easier trad routes, especially on grit. Solutions would be more "all round" but there are loads of all round boots on the market. I swear by five ten greens but that's because they fit my feet. Remember, laces are a faff, but mean it's easier to get a snug fit for your foot.

The best boots aren't the most expensive, but the ones that fit you, and give you confidence.

In reply to Mike Nolan: Hi, I've used both, and find the solutions fit great! I've got a slightly wide foot.. and the dragons are VERY narrow. Great for getting pull from the toes, but the heel doesn't feel as bomber as the solutions. The toe is great on the dragons, and I like the adjustability of the lace ups.. but get annoyed on boulder probs having to untie and retie between tries... the solutions fit so well that I don't have to always take them off! If that makes sense.
One of the best shoes i've owned and may still be super cheap are the scarpa stix... super down turned, the toe seems to pull on the smallest holds and the heel feels great - even for a slipper!
Shoes are very different for each person...
...well done with all the progress you've been making.. keep cranking hard!

In reply to clare_bear:


Agree, i'm even resoling mine at the moment. Completely useless for smearing and pockets though, so not much of an all-rounder.

In reply to Mr Lopez: no definitely not.. but i've actually found my solutions are great for smearing... so are my all round shoes...! and my stix - strangely enough, come out for when im pushing my limits!