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metoliusmunchkin
Mar 23, 2002, 2:22 AM
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I've heard many differing opinions from many differing personalities of climbers as to how many pairs of rock shoes a climber should own.
Some say that one should own a pair of shoes for each particular form of climbing you pursue (a nice slipper/velcro shoe for the gym, and tight lace up for steep sport climbing, a nice easy lace up for multi-pitch trad routes, etc.), others say you should own a particular amount (2, 3, 4, 5, etc.).
I am really caught in the middle at the moment, considering how many pairs of shoes a climber really needs. I feel that it is important to respect your own needs (climbing gear wise), and not waste money on any unnecessary equipment.
Presently I own only one pair of climbing shoes (these would be the Anasazi Velcro's - I use these mainly for gym climbing, seeing as I'm considering not going outdoors with them, and buying a whole new shoe all together for outdoor use).
I wish to purchase secondly another pair of shoes - preferably a nice tight lace-up strictly for outdoor rock climbing use. This would be in hopes of saving the condition of my Anasazi-Velcros, by keeping them solely for the gym.
What I am really driving at here, is asking you some questions. How many shoes you have? Based on your own personal opinions, how many shoes do you actually need?
Thanks.
Edit: Due to many misinterpretations of the general subject of this forum, I was forced to change the name of this forum from 'How many pairs of shoes do you own?' to How many pairs of shoes does a climber need?'
[ This Message was edited by: metoliusmunchkin on 2002-03-23 12:30 ]
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rrrADAM
Mar 23, 2002, 2:29 AM
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I have 3 pairs, but more because I can afford to buy "toys".
I have a pair for performance, comfort, and a pair for Gym and bouldering (easy on, easy off).
But, for the most part, unless you are a 5.14 mutant, the shoes don't make the climber, the climber makes the climber.
rrrADAM
[ This Message was edited by: rrradam on 2002-03-22 18:30 ]
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jt512
Mar 23, 2002, 4:01 AM
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Metolius, if you're going to want to climb cracks outdoors, you're not going to be too happy with those Velcros. They're painful in cracks.
-Jay
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crackaddict
Mar 23, 2002, 4:31 AM
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Like rrradam I have 3 pairs and the money for toys. I have boreal zens for sport, scarpa infernos for long trad routes and slippers for the gym. Theres no way I could wear the zens on a long climb. The scarpas are more comfortable for that. I like the zens for edging and the scarpas for cracks.
Thats just my opinion.
[ This Message was edited by: crackaddict on 2002-03-22 20:44 ]
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gravitymaster
Mar 23, 2002, 4:34 AM
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I have two pairs... but I use mainly my 5.10 Newton. For great angle pitch, i sometime use my Boreal Vector. I agree with rrrADAM, but shoes are the only piece of equipement that can improve your performance... the rest is for safety (Seem that safety IS more important than performance )
Climb on
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graniteboy
Mar 23, 2002, 4:58 AM
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I have about 15 pairs or so, mostly in various states of worn out rubber.
But I really only NEED a couple of pairs; a pair of synchros for crack climbing, and a pair of lazers for sport and bouldering.
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rock_diva
Mar 23, 2002, 5:08 AM
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I got a second pair of shoes thinking I would use both ... but I love my Muiras and don't want to wear the others. Except for multi-pitch climbs, I'll wear my well-broken in, comfortable Mythos.
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apollodorus
Mar 23, 2002, 5:11 AM
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I have one pair of Chouinard Asolo rock boots. I bought them tight, then the leather stretched out a bit. I can wear them all day and never have to take them off. I'm looking to get some Scarpa Freney boots for the Excalibur, so I can try to free some of the offwidths. Nothing beats rigid boots with rubber rands for 6"-9" overhanging offwidth hell.
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gilthanass
Mar 23, 2002, 5:12 AM
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I have 2, VE and spires. Spires are comfortable, VE are NOT but great for short stuff.
Steve
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clipngo
Mar 23, 2002, 5:52 AM
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I have 3 pair, but mainly use my scarpa dominators. Now that they are broken in, I can wear them relatively comfortably but they are still tight as hell. I like them.
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orestes1724
Mar 23, 2002, 1:13 PM
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i have 2 pairs. i have 5-10 mojave that i use mostly in the gym when im doing laps or if my sister is using my other shoes. and i have one sport hooks, i like them better because they are good if thier ising much for your feet.
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metoliusmunchkin
Mar 23, 2002, 5:22 PM
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Yes... I see...
But how many pairs do you figure a climber really needs if he/she would wish to persue more than one aspect of the sport?
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maculated
Mar 23, 2002, 6:07 PM
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You need one pair. I've been using a pair of gym-grade shoes for the last six months for trad, sport, and bouldering, and I only stopped using them because the rubber started coming off. Now I've got the Newtons, but I use the gym ones (not worth resoling) for stuff that's really going to punish my other shoes and has a lower grade.
It's like getting running shoes. You can get trail running, road running, hybrid, ones specifically for cement, for track, whatever - and you can just get one pair.
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dustinap
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Mar 23, 2002, 6:42 PM
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Currently:
Boreal Aces
La Sportiva Mythos
La Sportiva Cobras
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downshift
Mar 23, 2002, 7:14 PM
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I have three pairs
5.10 Spires (soon to be scrapped and replaced by a new lace up)
Boreal Zens
Scarpa Minimas
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rrrADAM
Mar 23, 2002, 9:28 PM
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Pat... You only need one pair. I think Chris Sharma could climb better than me wearing shower shoes.
There's a benifit and con to each type of shoe, but it's the climber's skill that counts the most. Skill will get you the number grade, where shoes will get you a couple letters in that grade.
rrrADAM
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daisuke
Mar 23, 2002, 10:52 PM
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I suppose you really only NEED as many pairs of shoes as the types of climbing you'll be doing. I wouldn't want to wear 5.10 dragons on a multi-pitch route, hell I wouldn't want to wear my current mammut flames on a multi-pitch (I have done this, OUCH). So if you're really trying to excel in each of the areas of climbing (aid, trad, sport, coulder) then you NEED to get a kind of shoe that is best for that particular area. But if you're just interested in climbing and aren't trying to climb 5.14's like RIGHT NOW then you just need the one.
D
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treyr
Mar 24, 2002, 12:01 AM
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I have 2 one for gym and one for comp and real rock!!!!
Trob
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metoliusmunchkin
Mar 24, 2002, 3:12 PM
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Alright, I think now is the perfect time for me to up the ante with my own opinion on this matter.
Personally, I believe that for each type of climbing one wishes to pursue, one must own a pair of climbing shoes that excel at each of those different types of climbing.
Yes, you can only wear one shoe at a time, but how can this particular shoe hold up for all of your other aspired climbing categories?
Take the Anasazi-Velcro for an example (my current pair of shoes). I know that if I were to use this outside at some point the velcro closures will come off, and I might be 'tied up' at the moment, and not be able to re-fasten them. They could easily fall off of my foot. This is alright in the gym, though when you're outdoors it might be pretty hard to climb without it.
Also, if one were to use the Anasazi-Velcro's (sized as tightly as mine are) to do a multi-pitch route, their feet would be dying at the end of the climb!
Bottom line: The numbers of categories of climbing that you wish to pursue, is the number of shoes you should own and use. (If you wish to boulder, gym climb, and sport climb - a nice velcro closured shoe, another nice velcro closured shoe or a slipper, and a nice tightly fitting lace-up shoe).
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rrrADAM
Mar 24, 2002, 3:16 PM
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Why ask a question, then answer it yourself ???
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greyghost
Mar 24, 2002, 3:29 PM
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metoliusmunchkin, if your shoes are so tight that you would not want to wear them on a multi pitch then I doubt they would come off if the velco came undone.
The Anasazi-Velcro is also probably the best selling sport shoe on the market. The Moccasyms are the indoor version.
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radistrad
Mar 24, 2002, 3:40 PM
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I have 2 pair of Mythos, 1 pair of Syncros, 1 pair of slippers.
I do 99% of my climbing in Mythos, 90% of my climbing is in cracks.
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tavs
Mar 25, 2002, 2:15 PM
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Metolius--first, as someone already said, if those anasazi's are that tight, they will not come off with the velcro open!
Now, I think you are taking things way too far...one shoe for each gym, bouldering, and sport??!! That sounds crazy, not to mention expensive. If you're talking about doing super steep bouldering and then heading off to do a bunch of hard cracks, I can see a need for two shoes. At this point, most of my climbing is sport and bouldering, just getting into trad, so it's mostly easy and since I'm on the east coast, there's not as much strictly jamming routes. The shoes I have are fine for that. If I were to get into climbing hard jam cracks, I'd need another shoe. But for sport and bouldering?! First, for not wanting to take your velcros outside, the deal is that shoes WILL wear out, whether you use them exclusively in the gym or outside. Velcros rock on real stuff and plastic, why not use them for both? They're great on steeper stuff and for bouldering, and excel at edging on facey sport routes.
Here's what I have--pair of Anasazi velcros, NOT sized super tight and a pair of Muiras sized rather small. I wear the Muiras occasionally as the whim strikes me, and they do heel hook better, so I usually use them if hooking is anticipated (the velcros would be sufficient for hooking, but since I have the others, I use them). My velcros are great, because of the stiffer sole and the construction, I still get most of the power from them even though they are not agressively tight, and the bonus is that I can wear them all day if needed (did a 7 pitch route in them).
Don't buy into the marketing pitches of the companies, telling you that this shoe is for bouldering, this shoe for face, this shoe for steep sport, this shoe for cracks, this shoe for all day, this shoe you have to wear extra-crazy tight and rip it off at the end of every problem. It's mostly just that--MARKETING. And as some have already noted, shoes do not make the climber. While there is likely a difference between climbing in a Boreal Ace and, say, a Muira, there is little difference to your ability to be gotten from switching between a Muira and Anasazi on a sport route.
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bigevilgrape
Mar 25, 2002, 3:48 PM
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trick question, you can never hae enough showes
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spank_spank
Mar 25, 2002, 4:09 PM
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mythos
pyros
cobras
muiras
anasazi velcros
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case22
Mar 25, 2002, 10:09 PM
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I have two pairs.
A slipper pair for the gym, Boreal Quetzal
A pair for outside, La Sportiva Merak
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camhead
Mar 25, 2002, 10:41 PM
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Most of those tight fitting sport/boulder/gym shoes flat out HURT for foot jams in cracks (whether single or multi-pitch). Since I am poor, my one pair of shoes (Boreal Spirits) was bought a little on the large size so that I can go to Indian Creeka and still walk the next day.
I guess that theoretically I would not do too well on ultra edgy sport routes, but I've yet to experience any problems.
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ctrlaltdel
Mar 26, 2002, 12:10 AM
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If your not in need a new shoes for whatever the reason, I say wait. Now when your current one gets to the point of needing a resole then you may consider getting another pair so you can continue to climb while your first pair is being resoled. At that time consider how different style/type of shoe will be more to your climbing needs. I personally keep a pair that's comfortable so I can wear it for hours in the gym. Outside I go for performance since I can take them off between climbs and comfort is secondary. I think if you go from being a beginner to regular climber, two pairs will help you keep climbing as one will need resoling or washing and a backup pair comes in handy.
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passthepitonspete
Mar 26, 2002, 12:40 AM
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Pat,
Chill.
You only really need one pair of shoes. You can use the same shoes in the gym as you do up on the rock in Sudbury.
Question: Why would you want more than one pair of shoes?
Reason: So that you could climb a little bit better in different situations.
Truth: If you are a very experienced climber, this may be true. If you are not all that experienced, it probably ain't gonna make that much of a difference, unless for instance you might be focusing on a very specific type of outdoor climbing, like say you do a lot of slab climbing, or you do some extreme edging on buildings.
But for the most part, your shoes will not make you that much better of a climber.
The only thing that will make you a better climber is you!
Let's look at this another way - let's do a cost-benefit analysis.
Let's say you want to buy a second pair of shoes. What do they cost? A hundred and twenty bucks? Plus a ton of tax, this being Ontario and all, eh?
How many hours would you have to work to earn that much money? What's minimum wage? Seven bucks an hour?
What happens if you invest that same amount of effort at climbing, instead of working? Not only will you end up paying less tax (both income and sales!) but you may well end up becoming a better climber, too.
The benefits of avoiding work can seldom be understated.
These are the sorts of things you need to consider in your Journey Towards Climbing Bum-dom.
Perhaps this is worth more than a new pair of shoes.
Now assuming you actually do choose to work, which even *I* am fortunately obliged to do from time to time, you should consider what economists call the opportunity cost of your money, meaning something along the lines of,
"what could I do with this extra money instead of buying shoes?"
If you choose to become a Real Climber, then you will need more equipment, since Real Climbing is generally recognized as starting at the bottom and climbing upwards - though some around here would disagree. If you agree that the summit is indeed a worthy goal, and you cannot walk up the backside of the mountain to get there, then you may need some stuff to help you get there without dying along the way.
[Note: I have yet to meet anyone except a Real Climber on the summit, though the same cannot be said for the base.]
The same money that you could spend on a second or third pair of shoes could, in the highly biased opinion of Dr. Piton, be much better invested in the purchase of a set of wired stoppers, some hexes, some slings and some carabiners.
I would not buy a second pair of shoes until I had a reasonably complete lead rack.
I'm glad your dad "gets me", or he'd probably ban you from the website.
Yours,
Dr. Piton
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beyond_gravity
Mar 26, 2002, 4:18 AM
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dont forget to leave room for the wool socks
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climber1
Mar 26, 2002, 5:44 AM
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three pair:
Boreal Diablos for cracks
5.10 Moccasyms for face/slab
5.10 Spires for multi-pitch
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bulldog
Mar 26, 2002, 7:07 AM
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Gee, I only have 1 pair - the cheapest I could find at the time - 5.10 Spires.
They seem to work well - although one of my favorite points throughout the climbing day is removal of said shoes and the ensuing sigh that goes along with the action.
But then again, I'm just a weekend warrior.
Bulldog
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