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beaulanier
Nov 28, 2014, 8:19 AM
Post #1 of 1
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Registered: Aug 31, 2014
Posts: 4
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Firstly, within one month of wearing the Futura it has saved my climbing and upped my redpoint from two 7a in a year to two 7b+ in one month. La Sportiva fits my foot. I settled on and have resole-cycled my two pairs of Testarossa to great affect. BUT, they and all climbing shoes of all brands including LaSpo hurt my big toe; facia inflammation of the top of both Big Toe knuckles. I could bore you with details of why, but essentially when a shoe is stiff the flex and load of climbing cannot be shared by the whole foot and then the big toe takes all the pressure on its topside as it's forced into the shoe. Thus with every step my toes feel like a blow torch is focused upon them with excruciating pain; talk about not trusting your feet ! I've met quite a few other climbers with this same problem who seem prone to it like I am. It's stopped their climbing too no matter what shoe they wear. Exasperated, I tried next both a stiffer and softer shoe than my Testarossa (already had tried Instincts, Shaman, Five-Ten, Miura, Solution): Boostic Futura Boostic edge was solid and hooked up on micro edges well, but I could not feel a thing as I bludgeoned the rock blindly searching, and my toes hurt more than ever! But, I could not put down the Futura. Trusted my feet like never before. Slipped off FAR LESS holds than ever before. This was in Finale Ligure and now Geyikbayiri. Why? All the arguments about No Edge aside, I think the pivotal issue is softness, flexibility, sensitivity; BAREFOOT style. This is a debate raging in running and hiking too. I found through experimentation that stiff shoes or boots of any kind for any activity aggravate small places in my knees and feet and that closer to barefoot lets my body work as a seemless team and pains disappear whilst performance increases. I started with Five-Fingers and they changed my game but were too thin. Found Merrell and Go-Lite barefoot designs to be a better balance. So when I ball up my Futuras in my hands and compare not only the soles but sides and top (whole shoe) to my Testarossa or Solution, both worn in, the difference is huge: Futura are softer, more malleable, pliable, and flexible ALL OVER THE SHOE. This lets the whole foot do its job and my fasciitis and pain DISAPPEARED. Many who are "closer to barefoot" enthusiasts say the same regarding the arguments for and against "support and durability" in footwear. Do you feel your perfectly designed foot should be free to do the work it's designed to do, or do you believe the foot is poorly designed and needs help from a shoe? So I think it's the same with "No Edge" shoes. I think the "edge or not to edge" idea is sort of moot; it's the thinness and flexibility, sensitivity, malleability of the whole slipper which allows the enormously complicated puppeteer-structure of the foot to work and so it's job if the "user" knows how. Native Americans used to say "white man's shoes blind the eyes in the feet". So, are you able to take advantage of the beautiful functionality of your own foot or still believe such a perfect evolutionary masterpiece that comes on your own body at birth as standard equipment somehow needs improvement via man made "support". That said, as a secondarily important aspect, "No Edge", I agree with La Sportiva that it works. Now, for the dark side: Firstly, my Futuras have holes in both toes after ONE MONTH. That sucks. So, shall I be immature and blame LaSpo for something obvious? Thinner, more flexible shoes wear out faster; physics people. Secondly, shall I blame LaSpo for marketing and trying to make money? That's absurd too. They work or they don't, period. You bear the cost for your sport for what works or you don't, period. For me, I just cannot afford to buy 150 dollar shoes once per month no matter how much I love climbing. Blaming LaSpo is irrelevant. But i sure hope they do something about either cost or resole-ability. For me, they are perfect compliments to my own foot and my climbing has improved and pain diminished. La Sportiva! : THIS is the issue that needs fixing if you want NoEdge to survive, and for my climbing future, I hope you do!
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