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Which shoes for me?


skink

29-Mar-2007
11:53:30 AM

I am on my 2nd pair of Mad Rocks as is my climbing partner and we are both happy. I have had in the past 5.10s, La Sportivas, Boreals - the Mad Rocks do the biz just fine for me, but I guess I am only climbing what many consider bumbly grades (21 trad, 24 sport - redpointing)

PS And before you suggest it, the shoes aren't limiting me, it is my head... (wish Black Diamond would bring out a product to deal to that)

PPS my climbing partner onsights 25 and redpoints 27 in his mad rocks (basic velcro flash model) - its not the tools, its the tradesman...

bare_feet

30-Mar-2007
7:27:40 PM

Repeating what others have said, fit is everything. My most beloved technical climbing shoes are a now-discontinued model that are just the right shape for me. Nobody but me seemed to have anything good to say about them, but I climb much better in them, despite the near-polished rubber and occasional hole, than a brand-spanky new pair that are slightly too wide.

With a good fit, no air space anywhere in the shoe, you can also go a size smaller without creating the points of blistery agony you get from a shoe that's a little wrong in the heel/too narrow/whatever.

rod

30-Mar-2007
10:25:48 PM

Here's my experience given my characteristics: asymmetric suited foot shape, less asymmetric leads to agony, like 'em tight but finding I need less of this as technique improves, 77 to 81kg season dependant (winter = weight, my version of HIT).

Best shoes by front shape of foot: La Sportiva Venom, Mammut Goblin and Shogun.
Best shoes by heel shape: Boldrini, La Sportiva Venom.

Rating by usage: for bouldering it’s the Venom hands down (I have 2 pairs a half size apart); for climbing sport/trad the Mammut's due to their being more rigid, single pitch its the Shogun, multi it’s the Goblins (one size bigger). If I could substitute the heels on the Mammut's for those on the Venom I'd have MY perfect shoe (though the Boldrini heel is a perfect fit its difficult to get on (2 loops any designer's out there)).

Sizing: Venom's stretch in and seem to be sized slightly big vs the rest of the La Sportiva range (I'm in 41.5/42), Mammut's don't stretch much and I'm in the same number as street shoe sizes (I'm in 43/44).

What else have I gone through in the quest that is still on the market? some Boldrini's that got one wear and then tossed (great heel but not asym enough), La Sportiva Miura (great shoe but a shade less asymmetric than the Mammuts, better heel than the Mammut's), Katana (I’ve tried a few times in differing sizes, don't work for me and would take the Miura's any day), Mythos (these get a run occasionally on crack climbs and are amazingly comfy), 5.10 T-Rock (really powerful but rarely get a run due to comfort issues), 5.10 Anazasi (despite the rep, don't work for me on comfort grounds). Speculative: Scarpa could make a comeback this season or next (Mariacher working with them?)...just look what happened to Mammut (ex-MadRock people?).

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