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bradhill
Sep 16, 2002, 8:44 PM
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I'm in the market for a new approach shoe. I'm tired of feeling quite safe and secure 500 ft off the deck but quite sure I'm going to kill myself on the 4th class walk-off once I re-don my tennies, or thrashing my shoes and feet to walk off in the climbing shoes.
I had all-synthetic Montrail trail-runners that I had to throw away before they were declared a superfund site. I ran maybe 5 miles in them before they got such a HORRIBLE odor that even soaking them overnight in hydrogen peroxide didn't help. I want natural materials from now on to stop the stink.
What's the lightest shoe around with a vibram sole? What do you use for long approaches and tricky walk-off descents? I'm thinking about the Mega-Dru. Any experience with this shoe? Is it comfy to walk in?
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sauron
Sep 16, 2002, 8:58 PM
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5.10 Guide Almighty's
Best $67 that I've ever spent on climbing related stuff..
- d.
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cedk
Sep 16, 2002, 9:05 PM
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Hey if you pick up the Mega Dru I'd definately be interested in what you think about it.
When I was in Colorado Springs last year I tried on a pair of Kayland Spiders and I really wish I'd bought them. They fit so nice, didn't weigh much and had a sticky rubber but not over-flexy sole. I don't know how they hold up long term though. Anyone have a pair? I think maybe the La Sportiva Fly is comparable. Who likes those?
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cedk
Sep 16, 2002, 9:22 PM
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Any of these would have to be better than the asics runners I've been using.
http://www.kayland.com/active.html
http://www.sportiva.com/products/mountainrun/mountainrunning.html#
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bradhill
Sep 16, 2002, 9:25 PM
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I was at Neptune's when a guy was returning a pair of Sportiva SuperFlys. He'd bought them 6 hours earlier, done three laps up the First Flatiron (21 pitches total on sandstone) and the soles were totally thrashed. They do sound like what I want, but for the major durability issue. I'm looking more towards vibram than sticky rubber for that reason.
The other thing is that I really want a waffle-type tread, rather than a slick or octopus-sucker pattern. Slippery gravel is one of the major pucker-factor multipliers on exposed 4th class descents, and a high-relief tread is best for this, in my experience.
[ This Message was edited by: bradhill on 2002-09-16 15:12 ]
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missedyno
Sep 16, 2002, 10:25 PM
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i just wear me teva's....
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camhead
Sep 16, 2002, 10:39 PM
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I really like my Merrel "jungle climbs" I think they are called.
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climberchic
Sep 16, 2002, 10:45 PM
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Anyone have the Garmont Sticky Weekends?
I have two big wall friends that swear by them and have two pairs each.
~Erica
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climber1
Sep 17, 2002, 4:19 AM
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5.10 mountain masters
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climber1
Sep 17, 2002, 4:19 AM
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5.10 mountain masters
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gunked
Sep 17, 2002, 4:44 AM
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la sportiva booulders (the high-tops) are my favorites, but they need to be modified a bit. I had "wall-armor" put on at Marmot resolers in Berkeley. They been up 2 walls and a few thousand feet of free-climbing at 5.8 or higher. Not to mention the LOOOOONG approaches involved. Forget about the descents afterwards!
Anyway, that's my shoe of choice!
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gunked
Sep 17, 2002, 5:01 AM
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Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. My buddy, George, was using 5.10 Guide Almighty's that were new out of the box on Zodiac with me. They fell apart in 3 pitches. His toes were exposed and the sole was delaminating on the sides and back too. We had to duct-tape them. He was none too thrilled about the free sections he had to climb with duct-taped feet. Especially in the wet sections. They could've been a BAD pair. Just thought I'd say something.
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dirtbag
Sep 17, 2002, 6:06 AM
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The Lowa tempestlo - no sticky rubber but mighty durable, and comfortable.
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cragchica
Sep 17, 2002, 6:14 AM
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I normally hate Nike, but I discovered a pair of their ACG series "Lavadome" approach shoes on clearance for $23. I bought them about 3 weeks ago and have been loving them ever since. They stick very well, have held up great... and a generally a godsend (especially for $23!).
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javabean
Sep 17, 2002, 6:31 AM
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Check out the Nike Teewinot http://niketown.nike.com/pdp.jhtml?style=303823&categoryID=52857
I got a pair of this babe it got vibram sole and has unbeliable traction. plus it looks ten times better than any 5.10 approach shoe. it is lightweight too
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col_sanderz
Sep 17, 2002, 6:43 AM
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Agreed, the Nike Tweeinot rules. If you dont feel like spending that much for an approach shoe, look into the Addidas TR series. I have several pair of these and they are the beez knees in all sorts of situations.
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bradhill
Sep 17, 2002, 3:32 PM
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Well, I went to the shop last night and picked up a pair of Kayland Spiders. They've got sticky rubber soles, so we'll see how they hold up. I suppose I can get them resoled with vibram if they get thrashed really quick. The uppers seem durable. The shop guy, who I know knows what he's talkin about, recommended against hiking in Mega Drus. (they didn't carry them anyway) He recommended the Garmont Sticky Twist, which I liked (good vibram tread) but was too wide for my narrow foot. The Kayland fit like a glove.
I'll report back if I have any issues with the Kayland.
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rocknpowda
Sep 17, 2002, 5:49 PM
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I watched Dirtbag climb the entire upper exum route on the grand teton in his Lowas. It seemed like he was getting better purchase than I was in my Salomon approach shoes but they have been up their share of walls in Zion and kind of worn out.
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tradguy
Sep 17, 2002, 7:09 PM
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I have 3 pairs of approach shoes at this point:
Lowa Tempest Lo - excellent shoe. Fits my low-volume foot really well. Extremely durable. I beat the crap out of them - including mountainbiking through mud and then hosing them off, and they still even look pretty good. Non-sticky sole lasts a long time and provides good traction on gravel and mud. Climbing wise, I use them for approaches that are steep dirt or mud (Red River Gorge). Down side is that they are kind of heavy, and not great traction on rock (descent, but not like sticky rubber).
5.10 Guide Almighty - Nice shoe. I've found the durablility to be excellent. Very good sticky rubber sole allows them to climb much better than I expected - I've climbed 5.8 cracks and granite slabs at Joshua tree with these. They smear great, but do not edge particularly well. As a hightop, they are kind of bulky, and somewhat heavy. I use these for "clean" (ie not muddy), steep approaches where I will be rappelling instead of walking off.
La Sportiva Superfly - Decent shoe. Sticky rubber sole is not as good as the Guide Almighty's, since the donut shapped discs on the sole tend to malform easily, and a couple have started to rip off already (I've only used them 7 days outside). Also does not have a sticky rubber toe rand like the Guide Almighty does. The sole is kind of thin, allowing you to really "feel" the ground, which can be both good and bad. The real bonus is that they are VERY light, low bulk, and compactable, so they can be stuffed in a hip-pack or small backpack, or clipped directly to the back of my harness without interfering with my climbing. I bought these a bit snug, hoping they would climb really well. I was disappointed with them in that arena, but I still prefer these when I plan to walk off a climb and scramble down, rather than rappell.
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edman1
Sep 17, 2002, 7:23 PM
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5.10 Mountain Masters rule. I think an approach shoe should have a thinner sole that conforms to the terrain, not a clunky, thick, cleated, hiking shoe type of sole. I've hauled 80 lb. packs many miles in my Mountain Masters and they've always done well.
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jdcox_9
Sep 17, 2002, 7:24 PM
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I wear Adidas EDGE. with 'torSion' soles.
They work great for aproaches and are comfortable for everyday use.
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jt512
Sep 18, 2002, 1:35 AM
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I've owned many pair of Mountain Masters (I get them cheap). Their workmanship is horrible. They break down too quickly. They're never in good enough shape to resole.
-Jay
[ This Message was edited by: jt512 on 2002-09-17 18:36 ]
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jtcronk
Sep 19, 2002, 2:55 PM
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For a lot of approaches, I wear my Chaco's. If it takes more than a sandal, Sticky Weekends are great. Garmont doesn't make the Sticky anymore, but they replaced it with a similar shoe called the Twisted Weekend. Good luck!
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tradguy
Sep 20, 2002, 1:08 PM
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Weighed my approach shoes, just for kicks. Here's the results (note, all shoes are size 10.5 US, weight given for pair - L & R)
Lowa Tempest Lo - 2 lbs, 7.1 ounces
5.10 Guide Almighty - 2 lbs, 4.5 ounces
La Sportiva Superfly - 1 lbs, 5.6 ounces
As you can see, the true benefit of the Superfly's is that they are roughly a pound lighter than the other options.
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cdb1386
Sep 20, 2002, 1:49 PM
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5.10 Mountain Masters, period.
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