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wrestler
Nov 5, 2002, 2:27 PM
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I'm a beginner climber wanting to get into the sport. I have a harness that I am wanting to buy but I am not sure of the kind of shoes that I need. What is the difference between $80 and $200 shoes? Does any one have a certain brand that they recommend?
[ This Message was edited by: wrestler on 2002-11-05 06:28 ]
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mark_e_wallace
Nov 5, 2002, 5:52 PM
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For whatever it's worth...this beginner (me) chose a pair of Bufo Sharks after reading several positive reviews on the web. (Google search on Bufo, Shark, review). I try them for the first time tomorrow, so I can't say yet that I recommend them. However, their price tag ($85) and the good reviews made them worth a shot.
I'll defer to others as to what makes the diff between $80 and $200 shoes. I'm new to this myself.
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geoteck
Nov 5, 2002, 5:57 PM
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Best advice I ever recieved was to get what fits well.
That said - they should fit very tight. I got my first shoes 'tight' and had to replace them in ~4 months because they stretched too much and they became too big!
Slippers stretch the most (but a little soft for a beginner; they will wear faster and hurt the feet more with bad technique - it depends on how much you've climbed)
Lace ups are good because you can tighten them more and more as they get bigger.
As a point - I just got slippers and they are 3.5 sizes smaller than street shoes - while this seems more than most people, it gives you an idea of how tight they need to be at the beginning. They should hurt to start so they fit tight once they've stretched.
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josher
Nov 5, 2002, 6:21 PM
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You are going to get lots of different answers on this one. Fit is important.
My fav's are 5.10 www.fiveten.com
* They fit my big ass feet
* Rubber is super sticky
* More to style to choose from
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estwing
Nov 5, 2002, 6:38 PM
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As was said go with what is most comfortable. But remember that you have yet ot develop tons of foot strength so those super thin slippers will not give you enough support.
Another thing to consider is that you will likely wear out your first pair of shoes pretty quickly because of unintentional sloppy footwork. Go with whats cheap and comfortable.
Have a nice day,
Sam
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tjclem
Nov 5, 2002, 6:39 PM
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Hi,
I'm been climbing for about 1/2 a year and i found that getting a shoe that is really comfortable is key, if you can't climb in them there no good!!.
That said they do need to be tight, but as your'e a beginner you won't need a tight shoe for smearing etc for a while. Plus buy something cheap, unless you climb outdoors alot there fine.
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vegastradguy
Nov 5, 2002, 6:39 PM
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go with comfort. they should be snug, but not painful. As a beginner, you can't use your feet as well as someone with more experience, so you should start with an all around shoe and then after you climb for a while and decide on what kind of climbing you prefer.
that being said, i would recommend for a beginner:
5.10 Spires (way comfy!)
Boreal Equinox (my 1st pair)
5.10 Huecos (comfy, but more for outside climbing than gym climbing. Definitely a good shoe for trad climbing).
Okay, there you go!
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petsfed
Nov 5, 2002, 6:43 PM
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If your local mountain shop rents shoes, try a few out before you buy. That way you won't end up blowing $200 for a pair of boots designed for crack climbing and micro edging (that's what most $200 shoes are designed for after all) if all you want to do is sport and boulder. I'd recommend going with a low end board lasted shoe like the Boreal Equinox (or some equivalent, that thing is $150). The 5.10 Spire (or cliff, I can never remember) seems to fit the most people. It stretches a bunch though.
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high
Nov 6, 2002, 8:05 AM
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another vote for comfort -screw the sportos standin' there in their foot baths shrink wrappin' their feet in leather and vinegar -my feet are fat and flat so i generally buy my rock shoes the same size as my street shoe, none of this "pain is good" stuff for me. i'll shop around until i find something that i can actually walk around the store in comfortably, and yet still feel snug and technical in the toe end..after all, i want to climb in them all day
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duskerhu
Nov 6, 2002, 9:27 AM
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Eric, Do NOT get your first pair of rock shoes anywhere NEAR 3 sizes too small as geoteck suggests. His explanation of "what fits well" is not good for a begginer!
Think Snug Comfort!
Try on as many different pairs of shoes you can find and what feels the best on your feet, that's your shoe!
Live Free!
Play Hard!
Climb On!
duskerhu
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monkeyarm
Nov 6, 2002, 9:38 AM
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you want your shoes as tight as yo can get them where you don't just want to rip them of your feet. Comfort is everything, five-ten does have the best rubber, which is why they are on my boreal's after i had them resoled. As a beginner you don't need the best rubber, but a good fit can last you 4x's as long with resoling.
Also don't listen to the poeple in the store wherever you buy them, all they are interested in (more times then not) is selling soem shoe that they are over stocked in.
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djmicro
Nov 6, 2002, 2:06 PM
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I was also told to buy my shoes 2 sizes to small. I couldn't even get my feet in.
I know and climb with a lot of people who do wear to small shoes, but my 0.5 size smaller shoes work perfectly for me.
Try climbing once or twice in in a certain size before you buy your shoes.
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geoteck
Nov 6, 2002, 3:52 PM
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I must a ppoligize for misleading anyone.
I'm not saying that everyone should get shoes that much smaller - I'm just trying to indicate how much shoes can stretch.
I wish I had know that when I bought my first shoes - because I had to go out and buy another pair just 4 months later.
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wv5ten
Nov 7, 2002, 1:29 AM
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I bought my first pair of shoes a few weeks ago (i used to borrow my friends back home because he had so many pairs,but he's not at the same college i'm at ) from a friend. A pair of 5.10s that I love. They are a size smaller than my street shoes. Recently they started to stretch, but yesterday at Cooper's Rock, we got caught in the rain, so I let them airdry last night, and they shrank back to when i first got them. I highly recommend them, but everyone is different.
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alexinmilton
Nov 7, 2002, 2:18 AM
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It largley depends what you'll be using them for. I'll assume that you'll be climbing indoors this winter with some outdoor sport coming up.
All that really matters is that they fit your feet.
You may want to consider a pair with velcro. Assuming you will be doing short sport routs you will want performance out of your shoes. You also won't be able to keep them on for more than 10 minutes. For a first pair of shoes you should probably rule out slippers because you don't know (yet) how you want them to fit. A lot of my friends have lace-ups and they are a pain to untie every 10 minutes.
I really like Boreal's Zens. At shops around here they are about $110 (canadian ) They are quite similar to some of the expensive shoes in shape (the difference is in the rubber).
Alex
SO: Velcro = good all around shoe
Edit: i cn't spel
[ This Message was edited by: alexinmilton on 2002-11-06 18:21 ]
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climber_andy
Nov 7, 2002, 2:31 AM
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Another point to keep in mind that I don't believe anyone pointed out is the difference between lined and unlined leather. The unlined leather shoes (like the 5.10 spire) stretch. A lot. I got them as my first shoes, and they were sized down a bit so they were slightly painful (very slightly, I wasn't going 3-4 sizes down), and after the first couple times my feet got used to them and I could wear them for hours. Eventually they got too loose though, as the leather stretched, and they would slip around my foot when I tried to edge, dumping me off the hold.
My next pair were a drastically different pair of 5.10s, the Anasazi lace ups, which are lined. They're not stretching much at all, which is good for me at this point since I knew what size I liked.
Not that I would suggest that type of shoe to a beginner necessarily, since it's a little more agressive by nature.
Anyways, my point was to take the lined/unlined leather into account, since unlined definitely stretches a bit from what I've experienced.
Cheers!
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bvoborsky
Nov 7, 2002, 2:56 AM
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I would say go with 5.10s or sportiva's. My first pair of shoes were sportiva's and I loved them. My last purchase were boreal acers I have had them for seven months and climbing three times a week they are starting to fall apart, shoe strings brok, seams are splitting, not to mention they are really hard, you don;t get a very good feel. Anyhow that's my opinion hope it helps
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wrestler
Nov 8, 2002, 2:36 PM
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Thanks for all of the info.
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kam_ill_eon
Nov 8, 2002, 3:17 PM
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Start off with something simple and cheap until you get the feel of it. It all depends on the fit. I started with Boreal Diablos that worked perfect for me until I was ready to move up to more technical stuff. Get a nice strong shoe that you can wear on anything just in case you decide to try new things it won't wear out too fast. Diablos are about $110 and the La Sportiva "Cliff" are the same. The 5-10 "Spire" is also a good entry level shoe at about $100. Go try some on and see how they fit. The "Diablo" will stretch, so will the "Spire", not much but they will a little. I'm not sure about the "Cliff" I've never worn them. See if that helps a little.
David
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topher
Nov 11, 2002, 7:07 AM
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OK you cant say that you should go x sizes smaller then your street shoes it doesnt work like that. for example my spires are 2.5 sizs smaller than my street shoes, the spires are 7.5. my friend just go some anaznais lace ups in size 9 and they are smaller than my 7.5 spires, go figure, same company diffrent shoe, and the big thing diffrent last. all rock shoes fite way diffrent from one another. When i go buy new shoes, (i hat this by the way) i go that shoe looks good, bring it out in size 7-9 with all the half sizes. i start with an 8 and then go up or down acording. i will usally try on about 3-4 pairs of dirrfent kinds of shoes, before i find somthing i like.
so dont go into a stor and be like i was told shoe x is good, just go in and try them all for you first time try like a millon diffrent kinds on, this helps. just remeber Make them store workers work for your money.
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freudian
Nov 14, 2002, 3:30 AM
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Pick a size that fits a little snug, but doesn't hurt. Avoid painfull pressure points as they most likely will not 'work out'.
A note about Synthetic leather shoes... they might hold stink and simply stink when wet or warm.
A note about lined shoes... they will do the same smelly thing.
5.10 Newtons are synthetic and lined. They are very comfortable shoes, and they won't stretch very much, but enough to fit your foot shape; however, they stink really bad, even the first few times you wear them.
If you want a good fit the first time, you might wanna get lined synthetic and brave the smell... but i warn you.. the smell is VERY VERY BAD and most of the smell is NOT your foot odor.
My $0.02 American or $0.016 Canadian
[[FREUDIAN]]
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freudian
Nov 14, 2002, 3:36 AM
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I would also like to note that in Canada, the Boreal Diablo's are only 99$ CDN = 65$ USD. I guess we have it good for shoe prices here. I paid 116$ CDN for my 1st pair of Boreal Lasers and 106$ CDN for the 2nd pair... and 124$ CDN for my Boreal Stingers. I paid 150$ CDN for 5.10 Newtons.
Shoes are overpriced in the US.
Freud
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