VIVA POTRERO CHICO!!

My feet hurt like a b...itch....I don't know but I've been told, your feet are supposed to hurt for a month or so!!

Evolv's don't stretch at all. At all. Not even a tiny bit.

Boadman wrote:

Boadman, I'm curious, what type of material(s) are the Evolvs made of that they don't stretch? I'm not up on the whole gamut of rock shoe making so I was wondering if you could enlighten me.

Thanks, Handtraverse

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You don't have to kick over the bee hive to take out the honey - Dale Carnegie

Boadman wrote:

Boadman, I'm curious, what type of material(s) are the Evolvs made of that they don't stretch? I'm not up on the whole gamut of rock shoe making so I was wondering if you could enlighten me.

Thanks, Handtraverse

____________________________________

You don't have to kick over the bee hive to take out the honey - Dale Carnegie

Hey, I use to sell Evolvs and loved them. The reason why Evolvs will not stretch at all is because they are a purely synthetic shoe. Most shoes are made out of leather, and that is the part that gives you the stretch. Leather shoes will give you about a quater of a size in streatch, but not all shoes. Some will give you less, and others more. My advice, ask the sales men. They should be able to answer this question for you very easily. If they dont know, ask for somebody who dose know, or go somewhere else. Carlitos, you got screwed. I'm sure that the salesmen told you that those shoes will stretch, and they won't, not even after a month. I would go back, and complain that you where sold a pair of shoes that dont fit you, and ask for in-store credit towards another pair of shoes.
I recomend most styles of Evolvs, as well as Mad Rock Phoenix and Flash for beginners. Reasons why. Evolvs are great for people who climb inside because the rubber is reasonably grippy, but more importantly, will last a long time. Dont buy Mad Rocks if you are just going to be climbing inside, you will get a toe blow in no time, rubber is to sticky. Also, Evolvs are really comfertable shoes, if they are sized right. If you are climbing inside, get lace ups. They are going to give you more support than slip ons or velcro, which you need if you are a beginner. Don't buy slip ons, you need a shoe with a stiffer sole to support your feet. Like your upper body, your feet are going to need time to develop weird muscles, and a thicker sole will help give you better support while your body is building these muscles. If your climbing outside, then go with something more convienet like the Flash, by Mad Rock. I would really recommend these shoes for any beginner who dose outdoor sport. They have supper sticky rubber, which makes smearing easy, and they come off and back on again quick, which is needed at a local crag, because as you can tell now, climbing shoes are not comfy, and sandals are a great thing to wear while belaying. Also, your not going to want to be wearing your shoes while your walking around on the ground, because packing dirt into your nice rubber is going to wear your shoes out, and make them less sticky. Wipe off your shoes before every time before you start climbing. Also, every month or so, take a wire brush and gently scrub the bottom of your shoes to get a new layer or rubber, dont do this to often though, only when needed.
Another great shoe is the Phoenix, thats what I put my girlfriend in when I started to teach her to climb. Good support, thick sole, sticky rubber. Only draw back is laces, which are a great thing for trad or all day shoes, but bad for outdoor sport, which is mostly what we stick to.
The most important thing when buying shoes for beginners is comfort. Once youve been climging for a while, go tighter, and you will get more performance, but for now, go comfort. Pain is not going to help you climb better, it will only take away your focus. I climb 5.11, wear a 9.5 street shoe, and wear a 10.5 in rock shoes. All feet are different. Best advice I can give you is try on alot of pairs, like 8, climb on them on anything you can find in the store, dont wear socks, and go with whater fits your foot the best.