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Approach Shoe for 5.easy Climbing
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njrox


Jul 13, 2012, 7:06 PM
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Approach Shoe for 5.easy Climbing
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Hi, looking for a comfy approach shoe for cold weather climbing on 5.easy northeast (NJ/NY/PA) rock. Something I can wear with warm socks, something comfortable to stand in at a belay ledge, something good enough to climb >5.8-9. Thanks!

Opinions on any of these. (or something >$120)

LA SPORTIVA BOULDER X
PATAGONIA CRAGMASTER
FIVE TEN GUIDE TENNIE CANVAS *leaning to this one


ninepointeight


Jul 16, 2012, 11:33 AM
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Re: [njrox] Approach Shoe for 5.easy Climbing [In reply to]
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You mixed up your > with <. Wink


lena_chita
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Jul 16, 2012, 2:33 PM
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Re: [njrox] Approach Shoe for 5.easy Climbing [In reply to]
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njrox wrote:
Hi, looking for a comfy approach shoe for cold weather climbing on 5.easy northeast (NJ/NY/PA) rock. Something I can wear with warm socks, something comfortable to stand in at a belay ledge, something good enough to climb >5.8-9. Thanks!

Opinions on any of these. (or something >$120)

LA SPORTIVA BOULDER X
PATAGONIA CRAGMASTER
FIVE TEN GUIDE TENNIE CANVAS *leaning to this one

I have climbed 5.9 in Five Ten Tennies (the leather ones, which they, unfortunately, don't make anymore. I still can't figure out why... IMO< way better than canvas!). But it was a wide crack that happened to be the perfect width for the shoes. I believe that it would have been actually harder to do in climbing shoes.

I have both the Five Ten Tennies and the La Sportiva BoulderX, and I much prefer the Tennies as the approach shoe. Lighter-weight, more comfortable on my foot. YMMW, of course, because your foot may be shaped differently.

However, even though I said I have climbed in the tennies, I would not use either shoes for climbing anything >5.8-5.9 on a regular basis. I climbed in them because I left my shoes and my pack elsewhere, and didn't feel like going back at the time.

Maybe if you were to climb 5.13+ comfortably, climbing 5.9+ in approach shoes would be no big deal. But otherwise... not a good idea.


njrox


Jul 16, 2012, 5:34 PM
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Re: [lena_chita] Approach Shoe for 5.easy Climbing [In reply to]
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The story with the shoes is earlier this year I was standing on a small belay ledge, freezing, in a pair of rock shoes and no socks. Hoping not to repeat that again, I was looking for a more comfortable and warmer/thicker shoe to wear while on a multi-pitch. If I'm single-pitch climbing, I can jump in and out of fuzzy bunny slippers. But if I'm going up for an hour-plus, carrying a rack, I'm not bringing up another an extra pair of shoes too.

I climb mucho easy on multi-pitch. 5.9 is about my skill limit so my leads/follows are going to be less than 5.5.


iknowfear


Jul 16, 2012, 6:16 PM
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Re: [njrox] Approach Shoe for 5.easy Climbing [In reply to]
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njrox wrote:
Hi, looking for a comfy approach shoe for cold weather climbing on 5.easy northeast (NJ/NY/PA) rock. Something I can wear with warm socks, something comfortable to stand in at a belay ledge, something good enough to climb >5.8-9. Thanks!

Opinions on any of these. (or something >$120)

LA SPORTIVA BOULDER X
PATAGONIA CRAGMASTER
FIVE TEN GUIDE TENNIE CANVAS *leaning to this one

depending on the climb you could just go for mountaineering boots... they would be better suited for climbing than approach shoes.


acorneau


Jul 18, 2012, 2:01 AM
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Re: [njrox] Approach Shoe for 5.easy Climbing [In reply to]
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Here ya go...




lena_chita
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Jul 18, 2012, 3:11 PM
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Re: [acorneau] Approach Shoe for 5.easy Climbing [In reply to]
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acorneau wrote:
Here ya go...



You beat me to it!


mr_rogers


Jul 18, 2012, 3:52 PM
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Re: [njrox] Approach Shoe for 5.easy Climbing [In reply to]
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njrox wrote:
The story with the shoes is earlier this year I was standing on a small belay ledge, freezing, in a pair of rock shoes and no socks. Hoping not to repeat that again, I was looking for a more comfortable and warmer/thicker shoe to wear while on a multi-pitch.

Cold-weather, multi-pitch in the NE? Just get a pair of Mythos or similar laced shoe sized a bit too big and wear them with warm socks. Either walk down in the climbing shoes or suck it up and carry an extra pair of shoes to walk-off in.

If 5.9 is your limit, you might find even easier terrain to be sketchier than you'd like in approach shoes. I've climbed up to around 5.8 in a pair of guide-tennies, and while it worked, it did not "feel" like 5.8.

Edit: I've also climbed up to about 5.7 in mountaineering boots (Nepal Evos), I would have preferred approach shoes.


(This post was edited by mr_rogers on Jul 18, 2012, 3:55 PM)


arineod


Jul 18, 2012, 4:01 PM
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Re: [njrox] Approach Shoe for 5.easy Climbing [In reply to]
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Like iknowfear stated... a mountaineering boot might be a good idea. If not, I wear the La Sportiva Boulder X and they seem to always perform well for me and they keep my feet plenty warm with a good pair of socks. I haven't tried many approach shoes and can't compare the boulder x to any other shoe but the boulder x shoe does what I need it to do and gets me up 5.9's easy. They have good sticky soles


njrox


Jul 18, 2012, 5:25 PM
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Re: [arineod] Approach Shoe for 5.easy Climbing [In reply to]
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lol @ the sleeping bag boots. Sly

I have a pair of Scarpa Inverno mountaineering boots. They're great with crampons attached to them, but as far as boot-on-rock I can't imagine them smearing, resting on edges, or fitting into thin cracks.

I took another look at the Boulder X shoes on Amazon and noticed that on the bottom of the shoe up around the toe there's about an inch of rubber which I imagine would work well for toe-smearing. They look a little beefy, but I'm reading reviews on the web where they've been used on easier rock climbs.

Still looking guys. Suggestions appreciated.


acorneau


Jul 18, 2012, 6:02 PM
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Re: [njrox] Approach Shoe for 5.easy Climbing [In reply to]
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njrox wrote:
Still looking guys. Suggestions appreciated.


Maybe a pair of LS Ganda's sized to wear with thick socks.


billcoe_


Jul 18, 2012, 10:26 PM
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Re: [acorneau] Approach Shoe for 5.easy Climbing [In reply to]
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5.10 Guide Tennies.

I've tried about 7 others, those are #1.

that is all.


lena_chita
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Jul 23, 2012, 1:51 PM
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Re: [njrox] Approach Shoe for 5.easy Climbing [In reply to]
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njrox wrote:
lol @ the sleeping bag boots. Sly

I have a pair of Scarpa Inverno mountaineering boots. They're great with crampons attached to them, but as far as boot-on-rock I can't imagine them smearing, resting on edges, or fitting into thin cracks.

I took another look at the Boulder X shoes on Amazon and noticed that on the bottom of the shoe up around the toe there's about an inch of rubber which I imagine would work well for toe-smearing. They look a little beefy, but I'm reading reviews on the web where they've been used on easier rock climbs.

Still looking guys. Suggestions appreciated.


I don't know why you are laughing at the down booties. Really...


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