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inkblotrobot
Mar 27, 2006, 3:10 AM
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I went about a dozen times and find it unequivocally dope in all senses of the word and am going to join a gym and climb multiple times per week. I dont want to spend over one hundred dollars but would not like a beginners shoe that will fall apart or not be adequate when i hopefully increase my skill level. Any suggestions ?...thanks
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coolklimber
Mar 27, 2006, 3:40 AM
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The only place they should fall apart would be the sole, which can be replaced for little $$$$$$$ And how can u afford the gym pass but now shoes?
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so
Mar 27, 2006, 3:44 AM
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Check out the Mad Rock Frenzy or Evolv Defy. Both will land you somewhere in the $60-90 range depending on sales and work pretty well as all around shoes.
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8flood8
Mar 27, 2006, 3:52 AM
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mad rock will fall apart before you learn how to use your feet.
buy evolve. They will last.
go for the bandits. awesome all around shoe.
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ahwoo
Mar 27, 2006, 3:54 AM
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well, the thing is, beginner shoes don't "fall apart". they typically get torn up because of sloppy footwork. that, and gym climbing works shoes down faster. i would probably go with evolvs. they're more affordable and supposed to make some pretty good shoes.
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curt
Mar 27, 2006, 3:57 AM
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In reply to: mad rock will fall apart before you learn how to use your feet...
Is that based on your personal experience? Perhaps you haven't yet learned how to use your feet?
Curt
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ofblinkingthings
Mar 27, 2006, 5:33 AM
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I like montrail a lot. I wear the index style and they are a great starter shoe.
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inkblotrobot
Mar 27, 2006, 12:54 PM
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the advice is appreciated....in addressing koolclimbers comment: i got a promotional gig....took the belay certification class and got 10 individual days free with gear
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chalkfree
Mar 27, 2006, 2:33 PM
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Madrocks suck, their durability is the worst of any and their rubber is poor.
That said I'd recommend that you get a cheap pair of five-tens. They'll last almost exactly long enough that you'll be wanting a higher preformance shoe when they're starting to get worn out.
If you don't believe me, evolv is an extremely good shoe too. Bandits or defys are both excellent choices. (The bandit is a more all day shoe and the defy is a bit higher preformance.)
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kmsmoguls
Mar 31, 2006, 6:13 PM
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I would go with evolve bandits. I have them and they are great. Both comfortable and they perform well with everything, smearing, edging and jams.
However the most important thing is to get shoes that fit your feet. I have a very narrow foot so I have trouble finding shoes that perform well and are comfortable. Since you are just beginning start with a pair of shoes that are comfortable then as your abilities improve you can upgrade your shoes as you see fit. Hope this helps.
Erik
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hosh
Mar 31, 2006, 6:24 PM
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One more vote for the Evolve Bandit. And beware, you don't need your shoes to be stupid tight for them to work. Then need to be "snug", not so tight that you loose circulation.
hosh.
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bobruef
Mar 31, 2006, 6:26 PM
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hey all you bandit owners. How did you size your bandits?(ie what is your street shoes size and what size are your bandits) I didn't size them like my anasazis. I tried to be reasonable. But when switching between the two, I've got this nagging feeling that I could've sized down more in the bandits. Granted the anasazis are brutally tight, and a different breed of shoe all together, but the wory persists.
Anyone
ps- sorry to hijack the thread.
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kmsmoguls
Mar 31, 2006, 6:33 PM
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I used to use 5.10 Moccasym size 9 which were very tight because they stretched a little. My bandits are size 11 but they don't stretch. My street shoe is about 10. I couldn't believe that I was in an 11 but if you go to their web site and measure your feet you can match up to the right size. With the bandits I went with what was snug but also comfortable and they are working great for me.
Erik
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bobruef
Mar 31, 2006, 6:36 PM
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ahhh. Thanks. That makes me feel better. I'm usually a 10.5 and went with an 11 as well. They're snug, but not too tight. I think the anasazis are giving my feet a bad reference point.
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buckyllama
Mar 31, 2006, 7:26 PM
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In reply to: Madrocks suck, their durability is the worst of any and their rubber is poor. That said I'd recommend that you get a cheap pair of five-tens. They'll last almost exactly long enough that you'll be wanting a higher preformance shoe when they're starting to get worn out. If you don't believe me, evolv is an extremely good shoe too. Bandits or defys are both excellent choices. (The bandit is a more all day shoe and the defy is a bit higher preformance.)
I disagree about madrock. I have a pair of flashes that have worn far better than any pair of 5.10s I've ever owned and I've marveled at how well they stick.
Stop worrying about brands. Get a pair that fits you. It will be a while (like probably years) before your technique is to the point where it's your shoes that are holding you back, and by then you'll have a half dozen pairs in various states of disrepair. In the meantime, being able to feel your toes and not have to pull the things off after every 3 move boulder problem is a good thing.
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trenchdigger
Mar 31, 2006, 7:28 PM
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I find it entertaining that so many of you say "this shoe sucks, buy that one" when you have NO CLUE what the OP's foot is like. Your favorite performance shoe might be horribly suited for the next guy simply because of a difference in foot shape. Case in point: you know those new bad-ass, tried and true 5.10 Anasazis? The ones Sharma climbs in? Well they don't fit my feet at all. None of the 5.10s do except the Sapphire - a women's shoe.
So to the OP, I suggest simply finding a shoe that "fits." The hard part when you're new at this is to know what "fits" means.
Rule #1: The shoe should be snug, but not painful. Your toes should be touching the end, and maybe even a little bent. Try shoes on and leave them on for a while. If they hurt, try another size or style.
Rule #2: The shape of the shoe should match the shape of your foot. It should fit like a glove. Loose spots and pressure points are unacceptable. If you have a long big toe, try an asymmetric shoe. If you've got rounder, stubbier feet, get a rounder, stubbier shoe.
Rule #3: Forget about names like "performance" or "beginner" attached to a shoe label. It's unimportant. What matters at this point is fit.
If you go to a decent climbing shop with an experienced shoe fitter, they'll be able to just look at your bare foot and pick a shoe style that should fit the shape of your foot.
You're new and your footwork sucks. Expectedly, you're going to wear the crap out of your first pair of shoes really fast. Such is life. By the time they wear out, you'll have a much better idea of what kind of feel you want out of your next pair of shoes. If you choose your first pair wisely, you may want to send them in for a resole so you'll have a backup pair of shoes. Resoles cost around $35 so long as you don't wear through the rand (the thin rubber under the sole that wraps around the sides of the shoe). Resole early, before you wear into the rand and you'll get much more life out of your shoes.
Hope this helps a bit. Forget about the specific recommendations, go try some shoes on, and buy based on fit.
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bobruef
Mar 31, 2006, 7:32 PM
Post #17 of 34
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Registered: Jul 22, 2005
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In reply to: In reply to: Madrocks suck, their durability is the worst of any and their rubber is poor. That said I'd recommend that you get a cheap pair of five-tens. They'll last almost exactly long enough that you'll be wanting a higher preformance shoe when they're starting to get worn out. If you don't believe me, evolv is an extremely good shoe too. Bandits or defys are both excellent choices. (The bandit is a more all day shoe and the defy is a bit higher preformance.) I disagree about madrock. I have a pair of flashes that have worn far better than any pair of 5.10s I've ever owned and I've marveled at how well they stick.
Yeah, I just had a pair of Flash's. They were awesome. I couldn't believe how well I climbed in them. They were sticky, precise, all around terrific.
Oh yeah, but after two months of use, a huge chunk of sole liberated itelf from the bottom of the shoe near my right big toe. So, I'll have to thow another vote in the poor durrability jar.
Good thing I got mine at REI!
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yokese
Mar 31, 2006, 7:52 PM
Post #18 of 34
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Registered: Jan 18, 2006
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My two cents:
first pair of shoes?
for the gym?
go to the shop
look for the shoes on sale
try them
you like?
tight but not painful?
buy them
go to the gym
practice, enjoy, struggle
never blame the shoes!
have fun
The first pair of shoes are gonna get torn in the gym pretty fast, so don't spend a lot of money on them. Once you get out of the gym and on hard stuff, you may worry about the brand/rubber/shape/etc.
I've climbed with FreeClimb, Boreal, Garra (the three of them spanish), 5.10, Motrail and MadRock, different sizes and models (velcro/slippers/laces) and my performance is pretty much the same, specially in the gym: I suck.
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mattm
Mar 31, 2006, 8:19 PM
Post #19 of 34
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Registered: May 20, 2003
Posts: 640
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In reply to: I find it entertaining that so many of you say "this shoe sucks, buy that one" when you have NO CLUE what the OP's foot is like. Your favorite performance shoe might be horribly suited for the next guy simply because of a difference in foot shape. Case in point: you know those new bad-ass, tried and true 5.10 Anasazis? The ones Sharma climbs in? Well they don't fit my feet at all. None of the 5.10s do except the Sapphire - a women's shoe. So to the OP, I suggest simply finding a shoe that "fits." The hard part when you're new at this is to know what "fits" means. Rule #1: The shoe should be snug, but not painful. Your toes should be touching the end, and maybe even a little bent. Try shoes on and leave them on for a while. If they hurt, try another size or style. Rule #2: The shape of the shoe should match the shape of your foot. It should fit like a glove. Loose spots and pressure points are unacceptable. If you have a long big toe, try an asymmetric shoe. If you've got rounder, stubbier feet, get a rounder, stubbier shoe. Rule #3: Forget about names like "performance" or "beginner" attached to a shoe label. It's unimportant. What matters at this point is fit. If you go to a decent climbing shop with an experienced shoe fitter, they'll be able to just look at your bare foot and pick a shoe style that should fit the shape of your foot. You're new and your footwork sucks. Expectedly, you're going to wear the crap out of your first pair of shoes really fast. Such is life. By the time they wear out, you'll have a much better idea of what kind of feel you want out of your next pair of shoes. If you choose your first pair wisely, you may want to send them in for a resole so you'll have a backup pair of shoes. Resoles cost around $35 so long as you don't wear through the rand (the thin rubber under the sole that wraps around the sides of the shoe). Resole early, before you wear into the rand and you'll get much more life out of your shoes. Hope this helps a bit. Forget about the specific recommendations, go try some shoes on, and buy based on fit.
This post should be a sticky at the top of the gear thread - I'd trophy if I could.
To expand on trench's post....
Ignore the "beginner" "High End" - there's not such thing really - Yes, some "high end" shoes have radical shapes that help with some types of climbing BUT not always. My best HARD slab shoe is a "beginner" shoe.
FIT FIT and More fit. I'm not familiar with all brands but generalizations from my shoe tying experiences...
sportiva - med to wide (not the mythos though they will stretch)
5.10 (madrock) - narrow to medium - most will be narrow but the newton, altia and mocs can work for wider feet
OK - now for shoe brands recommendations - this is based on owning 20+ pairs of shoes over my climbing career.
SPORTIVA - if you fit them, buy them. Period. They've been in the game forever and make the best shoes around. Yes there are cheaper and yes other models are good as well BUT sportiva shoes are the MERCEDES BENZ of shoes. Try the Cliffs - they get dissed as a newbie shoe - trust me they're not. 11+ slabs await. Katana - best velcro sport shoe around. Miura - BEST DAMN SHOE PERIOD - From the caldwells to lynn to the no names I know sending hard trad - this is the go to shoe for so many people it's ridiculous.
Again - all this is based on the premise you have a good FIT. 5.10 or Evolve or Scarpa or Montrail could be your ticket too. If you can though, go sportiva!
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ninja_climber
Mar 31, 2006, 8:31 PM
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I started out with the Mad Rock Flash. Awsome shoe and it will last you.
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cruxy
Mar 31, 2006, 8:40 PM
Post #21 of 34
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I'm with mattm, go for the Sportiva. They are no were close to the cheapest, but the best by far!
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charley
Mar 31, 2006, 9:00 PM
Post #22 of 34
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In reply to: I'm with mattm, go for the Sportiva. They are no were close to the cheapest, but the best by far!
But they do not fit my wide foot.
Go to a shop and find a shoe that fits.
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andysifain
Apr 2, 2006, 8:10 PM
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fantastic quote.... :D
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up_rope
Apr 2, 2006, 8:12 PM
Post #24 of 34
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Evolv bandits are good I love my La Sportiva cant go wrong there
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overlord
Apr 2, 2006, 8:20 PM
Post #25 of 34
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the only type of shoe you shouldt get (ExCEPT if they fit really well) is the aggresive down-turned one.
why??
because they seem (at least to me) to really loose performace when they wear out. much faster than less agressive shoes. plus they usually have to be downsized a bit which makes them somewhat painfull and painfull means some trouble with learning proper footwork.
my reccomendations??
if i were to choose a first pair with my current knowledge, id choose (in no particular order, whichever fit best) 5.10 anasazis, galileo, zlipper, la sportiva mythos, miuras or katanas, evolv bandit, kaos, the whole symetric line (if youve got that kind of feet), madrock flash, boreal zen.
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