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daggerx
Apr 2, 2006, 8:25 PM
Post #26 of 34
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Registered: Sep 16, 2001
Posts: 761
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I have been around along time and can tell you for the most part it's not the shoe that will fall apart it's the climber not working the proper way. With that said try to stay away from soft rubber shoes like mad rock for now. Go with a brand like lasportiva or evolve that will stand up to the abuse of a new climber. And yes in the past decade I have tried every brand more then once it seems like.
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inkblotrobot
Apr 3, 2006, 3:22 AM
Post #27 of 34
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Registered: Mar 25, 2006
Posts: 7
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the abundance of information is greatly appreciated ......it is all well noted.......i am on to harnesses now.....i got the 5.10 anasazi's on sale for 65 bucks ...they feel good ....harnesses? thanks again people
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bclimbin
Jun 27, 2006, 1:03 AM
Post #28 of 34
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Registered: Sep 6, 2003
Posts: 16
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hmm, about the sportiva cliffs. I have a wide foot and they work well for me. I like the way they fit, they seem grippy, and the soles seem durable. BUT, mine are starting to delaminate the sole at the inside edge at about the ball of the foot. It's not a big delam yet, maybe a quarter inch wide and 3/4 inch long. I dont know if anyone else has seen this. I still climb in them and really like them. They dont seem to be getting worse but it is kind of disappointing to have a brand new pair of shoes start to delam after 40 or so climbs.
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w_weezer
Jun 27, 2006, 2:03 AM
Post #29 of 34
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Registered: Mar 20, 2005
Posts: 73
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hey, great find on the anasazi's for 65, ive had two pair, very good shoe if it fits, and honestly, it donsn't fit me that well, so i just use them for super edging duty, I give another vote to the Evolv Defy's, i have the raves, which are the defy's minus the velcro, and they are great, but the velcro is good for the heel hooking.
As far as a harness, try as many different ones on as you can, I would highly recommend the ones that are "auto-lock" different brands have a different name for it, but the ones where you don't have to double back the straps, much nicer, less hassel, i don't own one, but my brother does, and i steal it as often as i can, Mad rock harness look very appealing, and for the price you just can't go wrong, Anyway, good luck
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phang_nga
Jun 27, 2006, 2:55 AM
Post #30 of 34
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Registered: Apr 2, 2006
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In reply to: You're new and your footwork sucks. Expectedly, you're going to wear the crap out of your first pair of shoes really fast.
I see that a lot of climbers say this. Please explain how or why poor footwork destroys shoes.
__________________________
"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." Socrates
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trenchdigger
Jun 27, 2006, 3:06 AM
Post #31 of 34
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Registered: Mar 9, 2003
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In reply to: In reply to: You're new and your footwork sucks. Expectedly, you're going to wear the crap out of your first pair of shoes really fast. I see that a lot of climbers say this. Please explain how or why poor footwork destroys shoes.
When your footwork sucks, your feet scrape on the rock... a lot. You miss holds and scrape your sole along the rock until it finds a place that it'll stick. You place your feet in the wrong spots and they blow off of holds. Anytime your weighted shoe slides along the rock, your shredding rubber off of your shoes.
Climbers with good footwork place their feet precisely onto holds. There's no slipping, no sliding, and no scuffing and scraping along the way. Climbers with good footwork make zero noise with their feet as they move on rock.
Really, it's the equivalent of walking normally or dragging your shoes along the ground with each step.
Do a search and you shuold be able to find a number of posts about developing good footwork.
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phang_nga
Jun 27, 2006, 6:47 AM
Post #32 of 34
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Registered: Apr 2, 2006
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Thanks Trenchdigger!
That makes a lot of sense. I should have realized that that was the case.
Although, I didn't realize that the rubber was that sensitive. I'm guessing that edging shoes are a bit less likely to wear out that the softer rubber on smearing shoes.
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jgoolia41
Jun 28, 2006, 2:10 AM
Post #33 of 34
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Registered: Jun 27, 2006
Posts: 16
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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.
Very helpful post, trenchdigger. I just bought some shoes online and was wondering if pain was the norm...I'll upsize. Thanks!
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shockabuku
Jun 28, 2006, 3:40 AM
Post #34 of 34
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Registered: May 20, 2006
Posts: 4868
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Somewhere in here was a question about harnesses. Harnesses also have some fit issues but, I don't think they're quite as critical as shoes. First, you have to decide if you want a stripped down sport harness, a more middle of the road all around harness (probably for a beginner), or some other more specialized type like an alpine or big wall (probably not). The all around harnesses offer different options such as adjustable leg loops, full strength haul loops in the back, different padding and buckle designs, position and type of gear loops, etc.
I really like the Petzl harnesses. #1 point - they look cool, but of course that costs a little more. Seriously though, you can get a single buckle design (most brands) that requires feeding the belt back through the buckle, or you can get the buckles Petzl and the Focus and Momentum Speed Black Diamond harness use that have a two-piece, self locking design that you don't have to feedback through and is always (as long as you don't force it apart) in the locked configuration. Some Petzl and these BD models also have two buckles, one to either side of the belay loop, that keeps the gear loops symmetric about your body as opposed to other designs that reposition the gear loops as you tighten the buckle. Yeah, I'm a little O/C about symmetry, what can I say, I'm a physicist. Of course, this costs more. I also like the gear loops that extend out from the harness for easier access. Depending on how much you want to shell out you can get some or all of these options. I generally also like my harness to have adjustable leg loops since I climb with various levels of clothing on depending on the season.
Metolius makes the Safe Tech harness that has a great adjustment design in which you can adjust the leg loops as well as the harness rise, the distance from the waist belt to the leg loops. It's a nice feature. The harness is also designed with some decent safety features such as full strength gear loops (most gear loops are not designed to hold heavy loads) because people accidentally tie important things to them sometimes. If you're alert and paying attention (or gym climbing) you shouldn't need this but, s*&^ happens.
Black Diamond makes some nice harness too. I own both a Petzl Calidris and a BD Momentum AL. I bought the Petzl (discounted) a little big so I could use it for ice climbing, then lost some weight and it was too big without the winter clothes, so I decided to get the BD for the rest of the year and save a few bucks over another Petzl. If you want a nice all arounder at a reasonable price, I'd look at the BD Momentums. You can get cheaper but, for the price, I think it's a really good harness.
But, after all that, get it fit checked by a knowledgeable person.
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