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japhyr


Dec 28, 2003, 3:36 PM
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barefoot or shoes?
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I'm curious to know if people who've been doing this longer wear shoes or go barefoot. I've been slacking about four months, and I feel much more comfortable barefoot. I can walk a little with shoes, but it's not nearly as smooth, it is not as satisfying, and I always feel like I'm about to twist an ankle when I fall. I feel perfectly safe slacking barefoot. I feel like I'll catch my shoe falling and roll an ankle. I have found that socks are a reasonable compromise, and keep my feet a lot warmer on 35-degree rainy days.


scubasnyder


Dec 28, 2003, 3:39 PM
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id say barefoot for slacklining but for climbing i like the shoes


roadlesstravelled


Dec 28, 2003, 4:24 PM
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Barefoot is the way to go, but I also like to wear my 5.10 mt. masters. They seem to stick good excpet for turning.


flyinghatchet


Dec 29, 2003, 4:40 AM
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Bare feet is definitely the way to go.

http://www.lancasteronline.com/...0205/images/feet.jpg

Graison


dustin


Dec 29, 2003, 5:07 AM
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Yo flyinghatchet,
If you think barefoot is the way to go please explain. Although it looks great for turtle crossings. I am a vans man myself. I can do a lot moves in shoes that I can't barefoot. But for simply walking barefoot is fine.

-dustin


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Dec 29, 2003, 5:15 AM
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I slackline barefoot.


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Dec 29, 2003, 5:26 AM
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Barefoot is better for a slackline. Prehensile toes help when slacking. ;)

And hatchet... yes... yes, barefoot is definately better. :shock: :shock:


dustin


Dec 29, 2003, 5:27 AM
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Hey adam, can you give a reason that you slack barefoot?


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Dec 29, 2003, 5:33 AM
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In reply to:
Hey adam, can you give a reason that you slack barefoot?

Toes can grab the line. That's my reason. ;)


andyw


Jan 20, 2004, 8:29 AM
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Bare feet have to be the best way , you cant quite feel the rope as well as you might want pluss in shoes you could slip in them or you could step or slip coz toes and skin have good grip


areyoumydude


Jan 21, 2004, 1:57 AM
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Are any of you barefoot slackers busting any airs?


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Jan 21, 2004, 2:52 AM
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In reply to:
Are any of you barefoot slackers busting any airs?

Occasionaly, but no where near the air your catching. I'm lucky to hit 6" off the line but I doubt I have my lines as tight as you do. I didn't think that 6" was all that bad on my feet, but I'm sure 2' would be a little different story. I felt being able to catch myself in the contours of my feet helped on small jumps.

I occasionally use shoes, but not that often. While I'm able to pivot and spin much easier I just don't like the missing feedback so I feel less stable. Not saying it is, but I feel traction difference and less feedback from the line.

One thing I noticed when I first started slacking, when it's really tight with normal shoes when you slip off, you usually all of the suddent pop off the line andsnap your thighs or shins hard on the line, if your on your feet you feel it coming much sooner and it's not such and abrupt seperation from your feet and the line. Then again, that was just a casual observation when I didn't really know what it was all about.


wiscoclimbiner


Mar 30, 2004, 3:39 AM
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Are any of you barefoot slackers busting any airs?


yea i slackline barefoot and just learned airs i can get like 1-2 feet off the line usually. barefoot just gives you a good feel on the line, i hve tried it with shoes but it doenst have any feel, during the cold wisconsin winters we use slippers


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Mar 30, 2004, 3:53 AM
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I've been using shoes during the winter here. It's not too bad, but shoeless is definately better for catching the line and grabbing it. With shoes, I have to turn my feet sideways so the line has a groove to follow, so it makes things different.


japhyr


Mar 30, 2004, 9:38 AM
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Barefoot through the winter for me, but our winters rarely get below freezing. Sometimes I bring a little piece of a sleeping pad with me to stand on when I'm resting, or when I need to warm my feet up. It's always wet here in the rainforest, and one day when I had been on the line for a while and then stepped back onto the pad, I noticed it had iced over. No wonder no one else wanted to slackline with me until now! Still, I say barefoot all the way. I'll just be so much better when the warm dry days come, and I'm so happy not to have cold feet!


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Mar 30, 2004, 3:35 PM
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yep definately prefer barefoot

you can just feel the line better...i dunno i guess its just what your used to...every shoe is different...i can slack in shoes but i know that my docs are alot harder then my climbing shoes...they have a lug kinda tread but they have the soft air wair soles so its wierd..

haha anyway...barefoot 4 mee!

rock on!! :mrgreen:


jay_climbingchick


Mar 30, 2004, 6:58 PM
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I would have to agree with barefoot.


mcumbrae


Mar 30, 2004, 7:21 PM
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I donīt get this slacklining thing... is it a means of training for balance when climbing or is it a completely independent activity or is it a way to get funding for climbing trips, is it even a sport or what??... could you guys please explain it to humble lilīolīme??


theturtle


Mar 30, 2004, 7:26 PM
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While barefoot is more sensitive and gives you good control of the line, it seems that most good slackers wear shoes when walking lowlines. Shoes allow the slacker to do more aggressive tricks, such as spins and airs. I found that with the right pair of shoes I could slackline for several more hours per day than I could in barefeet. Perhaps the real question should be :

What kind of shoes are good for slacklining?

I have been slacking for years with shoes, the trick is to find shoes with flat bottoms and a very thin midsole. Old style skate shoes like lace-up Vans work best for me. I have seen people slack super hard in many other syles of shoe including Chaco sandals.


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Mar 30, 2004, 8:37 PM
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In reply to:
What kind of shoes are good for slacklining?

I agree on the flatter soled shoes. Treads grab on the line horribly when turning and it can make spins near impossible. Climbing shoes work ok, but I almost want to say that my Mythos shoes are too firm in the arches for the real sensitivity that I like barefoot and just the fact that they arch upwards reduces contact with the line.

So would the concensus criteria be a flatter soled shoe with small tread and a flexible sole?


japhyr


Mar 30, 2004, 9:29 PM
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My friend has flat feet. Does that count?


a-slacker-in-progress
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Mar 31, 2004, 5:09 AM
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i prefer barefoot always, if i'm on some abrasive surface, like woodchips, ill switch to sandals, but I almost had a bad experience with some new reebok shoes i got. I was doing a running jump onto the line, and my first shoe came done on the line, and landed right on the arch of the shoe, which btw is a hard, smooth arched piece of plastic, kinda looks like it was made for grinding curbs, anyways, and I slid like 4 feet down my slackline before I caught myself with my other foot. Scared the living poop right out of me. Could have been one nasty head cracker. So I always prefer the natural feel, barefoot.


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Mar 31, 2004, 7:51 AM
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So would the concensus criteria be a flatter soled shoe with small tread and a flexible sole?

I may have to try out my mad rock hookers. They fit this description almost perfectly, except that the bottom isn't smooth, so there's a slight bit of tread. They're thin and flat though. Wonder how they'll handle the snow that's still covering my yard. ;)


theturtle


Apr 1, 2004, 12:40 AM
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While most rock shoes have thin flat soles, most climbers fit them as tight as they can to improve their performance on rock. This kind of fit is not really good for slackline.

I do size my slack-shoes down a bit, but not anywhere near the snug fit I get in my Mad Rocks.

:roll:


alvchen


Apr 1, 2004, 12:45 AM
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I slackline with an old pair of Puma's that I skate in also. From skating, the midsoles are worn down pretty well and flat, so I can kind of feel the line. Shoes make spins soooo much easier.

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