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CrazyCarl
May 25, 2012, 10:38 AM
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Hello,
My name is Carl and I first started rock climbing about 7 months ago. Until recently I was pretty casual, going to the rock climbing gym once every week or two weeks. Now I"ve gotten alot more serious and am going every other day(I'd go everyday if my schedule would allow it) and I'm loving it. I'm at the moment a bouldering purist.
So I've decided to sink some hard cash into this and I was wanting to get some advice on shoes.
Specifically:
1. Which are the best brands?
2. What size should I get?
I wear a street shoe size of 8.5. I've heard two schools of thought. One school says it should be as tight as humanly possible to give you more control. The other says that when you're a beginner you should wear shoes that are tight but comfortable as you're not good enough yet for the really aggressive shoes to make a difference in your climbing. You just need shoes that will get the job done and allow you to climb as much as possible.
Does anyone have any suggestion?
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pspnevo3
May 25, 2012, 2:07 PM
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You know what to do -
CrazyCarl wrote: ...when you're a beginner you should wear shoes that are tight but comfortable as you're not good enough yet for the really aggressive shoes to make a difference in your climbing. You just need shoes that will get the job done and allow you to climb as much as possible.
I cant tell you which brand/size perfectly, but a couple things that will help:
1 LaSportiva are good for narrow feet (I love mine)
2 You need to try shoes on before you buy
3 Get shoes with a thick stiffer sole. You don't need downturned slippers
Walk around the store for 5 minutes and try standing on hold or the edges of steps to get a feel for how they will feel to climb in. Your toes should touch the end, but they do need to be comfortable enough to wear for a while. If you're only thinking about how much your feet hurt while climbing, you're not going to have any fun.
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jp_sucks
May 25, 2012, 3:03 PM
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Definitely don't get a super tight shoe, you won't find any extra performance at your stage and you'll be really uncomfortable.
Foot shape will play a big part. As mentioned above, La Sportiva is narrow, 5.10 shoes are pretty wide (I think most Evolv shoes are wide too).
Go to a store and try a bunch of models on. Then buy the lowest priced pair out of the ones that fit well. May as well save some money and put it towards your next pair when you have more of an idea what suits your climbing style best.
A good example of what to look for is a shoe like the Evolv Defy which has a thick rand and does everything well at a lower price: http://www.backcountry.com/evolv-defy-climbing-shoe (if it fits!!)
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wmshub
May 25, 2012, 3:59 PM
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jp_sucks wrote: Definitely don't get a super tight shoe, you won't find any extra performance at your stage and you'll be really uncomfortable.
So I'd recommend that even beginners buy shoes that are as small as you can stand it. It's worth it and you'll climb better in them. I won't dispute that a high performance, downturned shoe isn't needed though.
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jp_sucks
May 25, 2012, 4:03 PM
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Sounds like you bought a pair that were way too big for you the first time. I'm not recommending that anyone buy loose shoes, but that they don't go to far the other way either.
I've seen too many beginners buy shoes way too tight and be incredibly uncomfortable for the life of the shoe. It's really important to find something in between and NOT get something too tight.
Just my two cents (after working as a guide and instructor for many years and teaching hundreds of beginners how to climb).
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bearbreeder
May 25, 2012, 4:47 PM
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if yr feet r in pain youll have a hard time focusing on footwork
snug, not painfully tight ...
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shockabuku
May 25, 2012, 5:33 PM
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wmshub wrote: jp_sucks wrote: Definitely don't get a super tight shoe, you won't find any extra performance at your stage and you'll be really uncomfortable. I'd disagree with this. I'm pretty much a beginner too (started in February, climb once or twice a week). I first bought a pair of shoes that fit just a little bit tighter than a street shoe (they were Mad Rock Phoenixes). Within a month I realized that they were too loose, I couldn't trust my weight on small footholds because my foot was sliding around inside the shoe. I switched to a pair of Sportiva Mythos that were much smaller than my street shoes. They were so small that I could barely force my feet in. It was amazing how much easier many of the climbs became, it was worth the discomfort. And the Mythos have stretched since I bought them, so they are pretty comfortable to wear now. So I'd recommend that even beginners buy shoes that are as small as you can stand it. It's worth it and you'll climb better in them. I won't dispute that a high performance, downturned shoe isn't needed though.
You disagree because you bought a pair of Mythos. They stretch more than probably any other shoe on the market.
If you had bought a pair of synthetic shoes that didn't stretch at all you might think differently. A reasonable degree of comfort is necessary if you only own one pair of shoes.
You apparently got your first pair too loose. Street shoe size is irrelevant; trying new shoes on and judging what fits well and what doesn't is crucial. Unfortunately that judgement usually takes a few pairs of shoes to develop.
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Kartessa
May 25, 2012, 6:12 PM
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wmshub wrote: jp_sucks wrote: Definitely don't get a super tight shoe, you won't find any extra performance at your stage and you'll be really uncomfortable. I'd disagree with this. I'm pretty much a beginner too (started in February, climb once or twice a week). I first bought a pair of shoes that fit just a little bit tighter than a street shoe (they were Mad Rock Phoenixes). Within a month I realized that they were too loose, I couldn't trust my weight on small footholds because my foot was sliding around inside the shoe. I switched to a pair of Sportiva Mythos that were much smaller than my street shoes. They were so small that I could barely force my feet in. It was amazing how much easier many of the climbs became, it was worth the discomfort. And the Mythos have stretched since I bought them, so they are pretty comfortable to wear now. So I'd recommend that even beginners buy shoes that are as small as you can stand it. It's worth it and you'll climb better in them. I won't dispute that a high performance, downturned shoe isn't needed though.
Gee golly.. My first chance to say:
STFU N00B
Shoes shouldn't hurt when you're starting. Period.
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CrazyCarl
May 25, 2012, 8:23 PM
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Yup, I recently bought the very aggressive Scarpa Vapor V size 7 at REI and tried it. It was agonizing just to walk around and I was taking the shoes off after every climb to massage out the insane cramps I was getting. Then I went to a size 7 & 2/3. That felt too loose so I've ordered a 7.5 Vapor V and I think that will work.
But I hear the name LaSportiva thrown around alot and I haven't heard much of Scarpa. The shoe seems to be of great quality and it fits my foot well. But everyone seems to like LaSportiva, think I should return the Vapor V and try LaSportiva or just stick with what I got?
(This post was edited by CrazyCarl on May 25, 2012, 8:26 PM)
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wmshub
May 25, 2012, 8:32 PM
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Kartessa wrote: Gee golly.. My first chance to say: STFU N00B Shoes shouldn't hurt when you're starting. Period.
(This post was edited by wmshub on May 25, 2012, 8:56 PM)
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pspnevo3
May 25, 2012, 8:46 PM
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I think now that you've honed in on what size you really need, no. Don't switch to La Sportiva just cause you hear the name a lot. I even say that, being someone who has only bought sportiva. The reason I have stuck with Sportiva is because I have the ability to try them on locally and do not have that ability with Scarpa. I actually really like the look of the Scarpa Boostic. They look like good shoes
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curt
May 25, 2012, 9:24 PM
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wmshub wrote: Kartessa wrote: Gee golly.. My first chance to say: STFU N00B Shoes shouldn't hurt when you're starting. Period. Well I'm glad I gave you a chance to get that out of your system. But I gave my experiences, it is what happened to me, for me the supertight shoes were the right thing...
Really tight climbing shoes can sometimes help you compensate for lack of good technique--but that's about it. Once you develop good footwork, the need for painfully tight shoes will most likely go away.
Curt
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unsunken
May 25, 2012, 10:34 PM
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I would just get whatever fits comfortably and hurts your wallet least.
I bought my first pair of shoes when I didn't know anything (disclaimer: I still don't know much), just because they were $30. I now have the same exact pair of 5.10s in my street size, 1.5 sizes smaller. I can climb just as well (albeit not as confidently) in the bigger ones save for slab and some teeny footholds. Some people take to pain better than others, but the marginal benefit at my beginner/intermediate level is just not worth it to me.
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shockabuku
May 26, 2012, 2:52 AM
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Though I have bought many more pair of LaSportiva shoes than Scarpa, I'd say they are of comparative quality. Buy the ones that fit you best.
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CrazyCarl
May 26, 2012, 3:48 AM
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Yeah, fortunately there's a REI right down the road from me. Thanks for the advice, and thanks everybody for the help and quick replies; rockclimbing.com has a great community.
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theextremist04
May 26, 2012, 6:28 AM
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wmshub wrote: jp_sucks wrote: Definitely don't get a super tight shoe, you won't find any extra performance at your stage and you'll be really uncomfortable. I'd disagree with this. I'm pretty much a beginner too (started in February, climb once or twice a week). I first bought a pair of shoes that fit just a little bit tighter than a street shoe (they were Mad Rock Phoenixes). Within a month I realized that they were too loose, I couldn't trust my weight on small footholds because my foot was sliding around inside the shoe. I switched to a pair of Sportiva Mythos that were much smaller than my street shoes. They were so small that I could barely force my feet in. It was amazing how much easier many of the climbs became, it was worth the discomfort. And the Mythos have stretched since I bought them, so they are pretty comfortable to wear now. So I'd recommend that even beginners buy shoes that are as small as you can stand it. It's worth it and you'll climb better in them. I won't dispute that a high performance, downturned shoe isn't needed though.
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guangzhou
May 28, 2012, 2:45 AM
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jae8908 wrote: CrazyCarl wrote: Yeah, fortunately there's a REI right down the road from me. Thanks for the advice, and thanks everybody for the help and quick replies; rockclimbing.com has a great community.The first time I've ever seen this! 
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guangzhou
May 28, 2012, 2:50 AM
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I personally have avoid shoes that were so small they hurt. If my feet hurt, I won't use them when I am climbing.
I buy my just tight, but not painful. Shoes stretch, some more than others. Mythos come to mind as more.
They are other factors:
Where do you climb?
Slab, face, crack?
I love my 5,10 Macasyms and use them for everything, including crack climbing. When I was learning to crack climb, I used a stiffer shoe for sure. (Boreal Fire, the tan one)
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jae8908
May 28, 2012, 8:36 PM
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guangzhou wrote: jae8908 wrote: CrazyCarl wrote: Yeah, fortunately there's a REI right down the road from me. Thanks for the advice, and thanks everybody for the help and quick replies; rockclimbing.com has a great community.The first time I've ever seen this! Must be new here.
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outsidethelines
May 29, 2012, 1:13 AM
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CrazyCarl wrote: Yup, I recently bought the very aggressive Scarpa Vapor V size 7 at REI and tried it. It was agonizing just to walk around and I was taking the shoes off after every climb to massage out the insane cramps I was getting. Then I went to a size 7 & 2/3. That felt too loose so I've ordered a 7.5 Vapor V and I think that will work. But I hear the name LaSportiva thrown around alot and I haven't heard much of Scarpa. The shoe seems to be of great quality and it fits my foot well. But everyone seems to like LaSportiva, think I should return the Vapor V and try LaSportiva or just stick with what I got?
I started out with a pair of Evolvs which worked fine for as long as I climbed in them. I bought a pair of Scarpas when I was starting to get a bit better with my footwork and had every intention of climbing in the Evolvs at the gym and when I was doing warmups. One week into using the Scarpas, I tossed my Evolvs to the back of the closet and exclusively climb in my Scarpas because they are perfect for me. Don't return them because of the brand, Scarpas are great shoes!
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CrazyCarl
May 30, 2012, 6:15 AM
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Yup, just got my new pair in the mail today. They look and feel great!
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Motumoyo
Jun 26, 2012, 5:04 AM
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You will not find any additional performance and the stage, you are really uncomfortable.
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