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jensk
Nov 5, 2011, 4:52 PM
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Does anyone have tips on slowing down rock shoe rubber oxidation or tips on getting that oxidized rubber off?
I climb a lot of different styles and thus have many pairs of shoes. I notice that after three weeks of non-use after a resole, the rubber is already starting to oxidize. I also mostly just ice climb and gym climb in the winter so many of the specialty shoes (slab shoes, edging shoes) don't get much use.
I put them in ziploc bags occasionally and I also freshen the rubber with sandpaper. My sanding jobs never come out very well. Any sanding tips? I've tried gluing sandpaper to dowels and square boards, and I've tried belt sanders. The jobs never come out well though.
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shockabuku
Nov 5, 2011, 8:33 PM
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People used to brush them with wire brushes.
I suppose if you really were concerned about it you could store them in a nitrogen environment. Not sure how you'd do it. I guess you'd have to have some kind of evacuated bag or container to put them in and then repressurize with nitrogen. Maybe build some kind of oxygen getter into it as well. Sounds like a lot of work and investment unless you have that kind of stuff already. They are filling tires with nitrogen to extend their life and help maintain tire pressure so it should be reasonably easy to get.
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sbaclimber
Nov 5, 2011, 9:07 PM
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Dump some acetone in the ziploc bags along with your shoes, it will keep the rubber soft.
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6pacfershur
Nov 6, 2011, 4:57 PM
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sbaclimber wrote: Dump some acetone in the ziploc bags along with your shoes, it will keep the rubber soft.
seriously?
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Bowman_15
Nov 6, 2011, 5:21 PM
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6pacfershur wrote: sbaclimber wrote: Dump some acetone in the ziploc bags along with your shoes, it will keep the rubber soft. seriously? 
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JimTitt
Nov 6, 2011, 6:10 PM
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The acetone in a bag is a good tip, to really soften them up just before use set the bag on fire.
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sbaclimber
Nov 6, 2011, 7:32 PM
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6pacfershur wrote: sbaclimber wrote: Dump some acetone in the ziploc bags along with your shoes, it will keep the rubber soft. seriously? 
Look up rubber cement + solvent and you will see what I am getting at.
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Bowman_15
Nov 6, 2011, 9:29 PM
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Still having a hard time understanding what you are implying with this. Are you talking about the solvent would protect the rubber from forming an oxidated layer of rubber on the shoes?
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sbaclimber
Nov 6, 2011, 11:53 PM
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Bowman_15 wrote: Still having a hard time understanding what you are implying with this. Are you talking about the solvent would protect the rubber from forming an oxidated layer of rubber on the shoes?
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dynosore
Nov 7, 2011, 12:28 AM
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Acetone is a great solvent for many hydrocarbon polymers and would not be good for your shoes. It was a joke.
Your shoes are not oxidizing like you think. If shoe rubber oxidized that easily your shoes would fall apart in months. Get a brass wire brush and touch them up if you're that concerned.
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lena_chita
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Nov 7, 2011, 3:09 PM
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What sorts of problems do you experience due to rubber oxidation? You realize that the "brand-new" shoes that you have just bought from a climbing store or online have likely been sitting around for weeks before you put them on. Have you noticed a problem?
I admit that I am having a hard time picturing any sort of significant effect in 3 weeks of non-use. Plenty of my friends have different shoes for different uses, and none of them seem to have a complaint-- or use a wire brush to freshen up their shoes on a regular basis.
I have a pair of shoes that I keep for outdoor climbing, and an older pair that I use indoors, so outside shoes might go for 2 weeks without being used, and sometimes for a month in winter. I have never noticed a significant difference.
The only time I did notice something being "off" was with a pair of shoes that I bought in January, because I had an opportunity to do so cheaply, and the shoes were then sitting in the box for about 10 months before I started using them, because I had other shoes until that point. The rubber felt slicker than the new shoe rubber should feel. But after two climbs on sandstone it was not an issue anymore.
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sandstone
Nov 7, 2011, 4:27 PM
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jensk wrote: ... or tips on getting that oxidized rubber off?
If you can get access to a shop that has a stationary disc sander (preferably with a dust collection attachment), that's what I've had the best luck with. If you go slow and use a light touch, it works well.
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dagibbs
Nov 7, 2011, 7:09 PM
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Do a warm-up climb or two, before you get on anything serious? That will wear the (very thin, if any) layer of slightly hardened rubber off your shoes -- and it will be a fun way to do it, too.
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spikeddem
Nov 10, 2011, 2:12 AM
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lena_chita wrote: What sorts of problems do you experience due to rubber oxidation? You realize that the "brand-new" shoes that you have just bought from a climbing store or online have likely been sitting around for weeks before you put them on. Have you noticed a problem? I admit that I am having a hard time picturing any sort of significant effect in 3 weeks of non-use. Plenty of my friends have different shoes for different uses, and none of them seem to have a complaint-- or use a wire brush to freshen up their shoes on a regular basis. I have a pair of shoes that I keep for outdoor climbing, and an older pair that I use indoors, so outside shoes might go for 2 weeks without being used, and sometimes for a month in winter. I have never noticed a significant difference. The only time I did notice something being "off" was with a pair of shoes that I bought in January, because I had an opportunity to do so cheaply, and the shoes were then sitting in the box for about 10 months before I started using them, because I had other shoes until that point. The rubber felt slicker than the new shoe rubber should feel. But after two climbs on sandstone it was not an issue anymore.
Hey, if you have another idea for why I didn't send today, I'll be glad to hear it. Until then, don't hate on the current ideas!
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shockabuku
Nov 10, 2011, 3:46 AM
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spikeddem wrote: lena_chita wrote: What sorts of problems do you experience due to rubber oxidation? You realize that the "brand-new" shoes that you have just bought from a climbing store or online have likely been sitting around for weeks before you put them on. Have you noticed a problem? I admit that I am having a hard time picturing any sort of significant effect in 3 weeks of non-use. Plenty of my friends have different shoes for different uses, and none of them seem to have a complaint-- or use a wire brush to freshen up their shoes on a regular basis. I have a pair of shoes that I keep for outdoor climbing, and an older pair that I use indoors, so outside shoes might go for 2 weeks without being used, and sometimes for a month in winter. I have never noticed a significant difference. The only time I did notice something being "off" was with a pair of shoes that I bought in January, because I had an opportunity to do so cheaply, and the shoes were then sitting in the box for about 10 months before I started using them, because I had other shoes until that point. The rubber felt slicker than the new shoe rubber should feel. But after two climbs on sandstone it was not an issue anymore. Hey, if you have another idea for why I didn't send today, I'll be glad to hear it. Until then, don't hate on the current ideas!
I'd go with inner ear problem throwing your balance off. Hard to refute.
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