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buzzardboy
Dec 10, 2003, 7:35 PM
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I just got my new issue of Climbing and there's a Montrail Rock shoe ad with about half a dozen new shoes.
Anybody try these out yet or hear anything about their quality??
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jdean
Dec 11, 2003, 9:40 PM
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I haven't heard anything other than that one ad, but they do look cool. They aren't even on their website yet either. At the prices they are advertising I can definitely see myself trying a pair.
Matt
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trenchdigger
Dec 11, 2003, 9:52 PM
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Yah, got to try them out in J-Tree last time I was there. Nomad Ventures had a shoe demo day and Montrail was there along with a bunch of other manufacturers. I used the black velcro ones and they worked great and were very comfortable for me. They edged well and jammed well - I led my first 5.8 trad climb in them and had no problem standing in difficult spots to place pro. They seem to be good shoes that will be well worth checking out when they hit the shelves. As with all shoes, fit is all about personal preference. I turned down a couple of their other models before selecting that one to try in order to find one that fit my feet and performance desires well.
~Adam~
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climbsomething
Dec 11, 2003, 9:58 PM
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...like squirrels on a pack fulla granola bars! I knew there'd be a thread on this too ;) But nobody said I wasn't a squirrel too...
I am skeptical about the model with the plastic buckle heel-tension system. Gimmicky, and how long would those buckles REALLY last, especially after being stuffed in cracks? The rubber and mesh slipper looks like it'll go the way of the 8-track, but with less popularity. Does anybody remember 5.10s Rock Sock? Gads, 5.10 can barely GIVE those away now.
I find the designs to be overall pretty spartan, visually, but then, there's nothing wrong with simplicity if they perform. I'd try them out if they come in size 3 or 4 :P
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crazygirl
Feb 18, 2004, 7:06 PM
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rei is now selling them.
has anyone tried them yet?
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mustclimb69
Feb 18, 2004, 7:08 PM
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Yeah I saw them last summer from the rep the rubber is apparnetly grippier than 5.10 and more durable than vibram but still sensitive enough fot great performance. The toe box fits me the best and the price is comparable... I really want my own
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mtman
Feb 18, 2004, 7:11 PM
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my friend just got a pair he likes them but i am waiting to see how they hold up in the long run
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pbjosh
Feb 18, 2004, 7:19 PM
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I've got a pair of the Karmas. These and the Zealot (velcro) and the Smoothy (laceup as well) seem to be the better shoes. The slipper is ok but very soft. I guess if you like slippers it should be fine. Re: Rock socks, note that La Sportiva dropped the Cobra and is introducing a mesh topped version for $30 more called the Venom. The heel buckle seems very gizmo-ish indeed on the cruiser.
In any case, though, the shoes are very well made. Burlier than any other climbing shoes I've seen except for perhaps Sportiva's Mega and Focus. Where Madrocks are kinda flimsy and cheap, 5.10's have poor construction and Sportiva's are pretty decent, the Montrails are very beefy, heavy duty materials, double and triple stitching everywhere, and what seems to be great quality control. Assuming there aren't any delam issues they should be my longest lasting shoes.
I am someone who dislikes the Madrocks for their total lack of stiffness - lousy edging shoes. The new Montrails (Karma and Smoothy anyways) are very nice, stiff shoes, very precise. The Karma seems to me to be a great shoe, the lace attachment points are hidden under the flaps of leather than make up the top of the foot to protect them when jamming and the shoe is a great combination of precise edging and good jamming. Perhaps not the finger crack maestros that Mythos or Moccasyms are but over all a great trad shoe for me so far and also a very nice edging shoe, I've worn it on a lot of hard face climbs and boulder problems (5.12 and V5-8ish stuff) and liked them so far.
Overall they seem like the best made shoes. If they fit you I'd recommend them a lot. I'm thinking of getting a pair of Zealot's for steeper sport and bouldering...
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pbjosh
Feb 18, 2004, 7:20 PM
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In reply to: I've got a pair of the Karmas. These and the Zealot (velcro) and the Smoothy (laceup as well) seem to be the better shoes. The slipper is ok but very soft. I guess if you like slippers it should be fine. Re: Rock socks, note that La Sportiva dropped the Cobra and is introducing a mesh topped version for $30 more called the Venom. The heel buckle seems very gizmo-ish indeed on the cruiser. In any case, though, the shoes are very well made. Burlier than any other climbing shoes I've seen except for perhaps Sportiva's Mega and Focus. Where Madrocks are kinda flimsy and cheap, 5.10's have poor construction and Sportiva's are pretty decent, the Montrails are very beefy, heavy duty materials, double and triple stitching everywhere, and what seems to be great quality control. Assuming there aren't any delam issues they should be my longest lasting shoes. I am someone who dislikes the Madrocks for their total lack of stiffness - lousy edging shoes. The new Montrails (Karma and Smoothy anyways) are very nice, stiff shoes, very precise. The Karma seems to me to be a great shoe, the lace attachment points are hidden under the flaps of leather than make up the top of the foot to protect them when jamming and the shoe is a great combination of precise edging and good jamming. Perhaps not the finger crack maestros that Mythos or Moccasyms are but over all a great trad shoe for me so far and also a very nice edging shoe, I've worn it on a lot of hard face climbs and boulder problems (5.12 and V5-8ish stuff) and liked them so far. Overall they seem like the best made shoes. If they fit you I'd recommend them a lot. I'm thinking of getting a pair of the Zealots for use on steeper sport and bouldering... |
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pbjosh
Feb 19, 2004, 12:32 AM
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Worth noting that Evolv's shoes seem to be quite well made as well, but unfortunately they don't fit my feet terribly well.
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fritzski
Feb 19, 2004, 1:07 AM
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REI now carries them and I tried on both the black mesh/vecro and the gray w/ clear plastic. Very impressed with both, and the grays were one of the most comfortable shoes I've ever tried. Split soles too for easy half resole.
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ryu
Feb 27, 2004, 9:15 AM
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I've been gym bouldering (v4-5) with the Zealots (velcros) for
about a month now, 2-3 X per week. The rubber is a bit stickier
than the 5.10 Anasazi velcros. The shoes has a slightly more
pronounced camber (but nothing outrgeous like the 5.10 Dragons).
Edging is good (though not as much support as the Anasazis) and
smearing is excellent, even with the slight downturn on the toe;
I haven't tried any crack climbing with them, though I suspect
these might not be the most comfortable.
Because the top is elastic mesh, not split like the Anasazis,
they are a bit more of a pain to get on. I wonder how durable
the elastic mesh will be in the long run, too. The opposite
velcro laces work fine, nothing profound. The toe shape is a bit
sharper than the Anasazis for me, but not painfully so (I've got
those "big toe is shorter than the second toe" feet).
Weather hasn't exactly been cooperative so I don't have much to
say about how they are on real rock, sorry.
Overall, a good shoe for a good price. If I could own only one pair,
I'd probably lean more towards the Anasazi velcros, but since I
also own a good pair of La Sportiva laceups I went with the Zealots
for my second pair (gym shoes). I'm happy with them. $99 from REI.
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oudinardin
Feb 27, 2004, 1:34 PM
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Anyone remember One Sport? They made a good sturdy leather boot for light mountaineering. Put my left toe through them climbing WI4. :D In the mid-90's, Montrail bought them out. In my opinion, Montrail blows, but maybe they could make a rock shoe. How "beefy" are we talkin? I would spend the extra cash on a well known "climbing company" for shoes. Just my .02.
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alvchen
Feb 28, 2004, 7:38 PM
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I got to try on the Zealots at REI. The first thing I noticed was how sticky the rubber was out of the box. The toe box was a nice fit also.
BUT, the one huge problem I have with these shoes is the heel. The heel on these shoes is baggier than the Ansazi Velcros.
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rock_raptor
Feb 28, 2004, 9:30 PM
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In reply to: In my opinion, Montrail blows, but maybe they could make a rock shoe.
uh...my montrail D7's have been the only shoes as of late to keep up with me, and the most comfortable. lots of companies sucked when they first came out, like mountain hardware. one of my friends had their first tent and it fell apart in one trip. but now where are they? one of the top outdoor gear manufacturers in the world? oh yeah. your one experience with a pair of ice boots that weren't even made by montrail doesn't really tell me much about montrail.
montrail is a large company built on providing lasting gear for adventure sports. from what I've read and heard, they're just out to get into the climbing shoe market so they're not priced to match comparable competitors. i checked out the zealots when i was on the east-side last week and they seemed pretty damn nice to me. the velcro straps use a rubberized material instead of leather so it seems like they may hold up better than the anasazis. but i guess we'll have to wait and see.
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d.ben
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Apr 6, 2004, 8:29 PM
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I'm thinking of getting a pair of the Zealots. I have a hard time finding rock shoes that fit well and these fit the best of all I tried. I'm wondering about the synthetic material upper though. Has any one who's owned a pair for a month a fews weeks noticed if streches the same as leather? or more, or less? I just don't want to buy them too tight because they don't stretch as much as I'm used to.
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jetman_jake
May 17, 2004, 2:38 AM
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I've got the Zealots and I like them a lot, but I'd just like to put in a word about Montrail's customer service. I lost one of my shoes somehow (don't ask) so I emailed them about trying to buy just one shoe from them. I got an email back the next day urging me to call, and after I did they told me they couldn't just send me one shoe, but they could send me a pair at half price. These are good people (oh, and I like the shoes thus far as well).
~jake
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duru
Nov 9, 2004, 4:20 AM
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so where did you get Zealots, I want to buy a pair of these, too. Is that the address you have http://www.zappos.com/welcome.zhtml?1108
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