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copperhead
Dec 29, 2002, 6:47 PM
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Having just read a great post by smithclimber, I will start this new thread.
I wore 5-tennies on my first walls and would have to agree with what Wes has said about foot pain. I will never aid climb in a soft pair of shoes again, given the following exceptions:
For mixed aid and easy free, I wear Sportiva Boulders – gotta like the sticky rubber.
For mostly free with a little aid, I wear board-lasted rock shoes (quite painful in the aiders, but oh well, keep moving…).
Boots:
There are many to choose from but I will discuss what I am familiar with. I wear the following:
Sportiva Trango plus.
Sportiva Baltoro.
I have only one problem with these boots: no clip-in loop. Designs and model names have probably changed but similar boots must exist. The Trangos have a short shank in the sole and are quite stiff. They are great in aiders (super-comfy, even with 1” aider steps) and have a stiff toe-box. The Baltoros are slightly less stiff and are more comfortable for hiking. A boot with tall uppers also provides ankle support and protection. If you are going to hang in your aiders all day, you will want a good pair of boots. There is already enough pain and suffering associated with wall climbing; why make it worse?
What kind of boots do you wear?
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edited to fix automatic 'post' link to appropriate thread. If you type 'post' it automatically provides a link to destructions... I mean directions... I'm learning...
[ This Message was edited by: copperhead on 2002-12-29 12:05 ]
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bigwalling
Dec 29, 2002, 6:52 PM
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Lasportiva Hyper Guides.
I used to use tennis shoes. They made my feet hurt really bad. But I liked how light they were for hikeing.
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copperhead
Dec 29, 2002, 7:03 PM
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Looks like a good boot Bigwalling.
Another note:
Armor: Any boot in stock form will be trashed on a wall. Resolers, such as The Rubber Room, can add extra toe caps and side rands, as well as resole your boots once you have worn the front portion of the sole down. A sharp edge at the toe is nice for edging when attempting to free climb in such clunky boots. Use shoe goo or seam grip to cover all stitching to prevent wear and abrasion on thread. Your boots will last longer if you ‘armorize’ them.
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atg200
Dec 29, 2002, 7:04 PM
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Totally depends what and where I am climbing. I may have a way above average pain tolerance in my feet, but I recently wore a pair of floppy Mythos on every pitch of the Colorado Ridge on the Kingfisher because I was free climbing on every pitch. My feet felt fine, but none of the pitches took me longer than an hour or so to lead.
On my last outing where I spent about 6 hours leading a single pitch, I wore a pair of Saloman hiking shoes with superfeet insoles. Totally comfy, with super tough and ugly high toe rands which keep them from getting torn up. I'm a wimp about free climbing without rock shoes so I was fairly gripped on the free moves I made, but I lived. I hate wearing big klunky boots - only when ice climbing.
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apollodorus
Dec 29, 2002, 7:30 PM
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Scarpa Freney.
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passthepitonspete
Dec 30, 2002, 6:22 AM
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Five-Ten Guide Almightys, which are falling apart.
They replaced my Five-Ten El Caps, which totally disintegrated after only one wall!
DON'T BUY FIVE TEN WALL SHOES.
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gunked
Dec 30, 2002, 8:29 AM
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I watched my partner on Zodiac suffer as his new out-of-the-box guide almighty's fell apart by the end of the third pitch. He was hating life while doing the free sections with wads of slippery duct-tape covering the front half of both feet.
I have an extremely modified version of the la sportiva boulder (high-top). When I can borrow a digital camera, I'll put up a photo. They sport a stiffener in the middle (where you're standing in the aiders), a bad-ass toe-cap, a high rubber heel and an almost complete rand. Tom Wandall, the marmot resoler, decked them out for me. I climbed Braille book car to car in them with no issues. They can handle major big-wall abuse and free climb comfortably. They've been up Zodiac, Braille book, and Royal Arches. Ascents and descents! They still look like they're brand new!
By themselves, the boulder is a great although weak shoe. The sole keeps ripping off in the front and the back. By replacing that crappy foam midsole and adding a toe-cap, heel and rand, he solved the delam issue with a vengeance.
Long story, short, they ROCK!!! So far, mine are the only ones made. He wants to work out the kinks with these prototypes. There is still a little room for improvement, but we're working on it.
Anybody interested in modifying theirs, say so and I'll find out about the logistics from Tom. Possibility, price, etc...
Jason
[ This Message was edited by: gunked on 2002-12-30 00:33 ]
[ This Message was edited by: gunked on 2002-12-30 00:34 ]
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smallwallmonkey
Dec 31, 2002, 3:17 AM
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Yeah, I like the Boulders as well. Unfortunately, since I am a poor starving pirate, they were my only shoes in the Valley this year, hiking, working, lounging, climbing, walling, etc. Thus, they were emphatically trashed.
I attempted to get a new pair recently, but my RIR(relative in retail) has informed me that they are in the process of being redesigned, and I thus have no wall shoes as of yet. Fortunately, I plan on spending the next few months concentrating on a much less painful and shoe intensive sport known as free climbing.
My buddy has some sick La Sportiva ice climbing boots that he took up the Aquarian and several routes on the Column. He said they rocked, though free climbing is a hassle...
sw Max
[ This Message was edited by: smallwallmonkey on 2002-12-30 19:18 ]
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melonhead
Dec 31, 2002, 3:24 AM
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The older style Sportiva Big Wall Boots.
Love 'em.
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flamer
Dec 31, 2002, 6:32 PM
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The Baltoro's have treated me well, although I've had a problem with the lacing eyelets ripping out(on the upper part of the boots). When I'm going for speed though I wear boreal aces- a half size to big and with socks. Also I always have my boreal shoes resoled using 5.10 stealth- that boreal rubber just isn't as sticky!
josh
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glockaroo
Dec 31, 2002, 11:34 PM
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Registered: Nov 28, 2001
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Garmont "Sticky Twist". Beefy construction, pre-armored toe rands, sticky Vibram soles, smooth sole under the big toe area for edging, clip-in loops, relatively rigid plastic insole for comfort in the aiders, lacing goes almost to the toenails.
Not bad for $99. They fit my wide-ish feet nicely and their high quality craftsmanship outshines FiveTen at 100 yards away.
God, I can't understand how Cole's shoe company stays in business.
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iamthewallress
Jan 2, 2003, 8:41 PM
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Registered: Jan 2, 2003
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Ah, but nothing sticks like C4 rubber. And the more you believe in its superior stickiness, the easier it is to exit the aiders. Placebo affect? Perhaps. A little seam grip on the Mountain Masters and you can really extend their lifespan. Plus it's easy to do a half sole on the front of them where they'll wear out the fastest.
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