shoes

[niqaeli]

I have some questions about shoes. I'm pretty sure if I go digging through the community, I can get find recommendations on an affordable initial pair of shoes because rentals are, um, disgusting and not conducive to me wanting to go climbing -- but if anyone cares to rec their favourite shoes that would be awesome.

Relatedly, though, how long do you expect an initial pair of shoes to last? I mean obviously that's going to be affected by how often you're going climbing, but ballpark estimates? Are you more likely to wear through them before needing a new pair for other reasons (ie, needing a more technical shoe, or having gone down in size)? If you're climbing outdoors rather than at a gym does that tend to make a difference in the wear? If climbing outdoors, does the type of rock you tend to climb make a difference in the wear?

These questions are brought to you by the letter M, the number 4, general curiousity, and also fic research. :P

Comments

[emperor]

I have some 5.10 Spires (they were also my first shoe, but I got another pair recently); mostly they're the only pair I've found that suit my oddly-shaped feet. Most important advice? Go into a shop a try a load of pairs on (without socks) - you want a pair that are snug (though they will stretch a little) but not painful.

IME outdoor climbing is much harder on shoes than indoor - my first pair never really went outside, and lasted several years, where this pair have seen quite a bit of trad action and are now looking a bit worn.

[niqaeli]

Yeah, I figured trying them on was gonna be non-optional, really. My feet are kind of weird, anyway, and it seemed like climbing shoes since they need to fit tightly and comfortably both, would be even more a case of 'try them on' than usual.

Thank you! <3

[emperor]

In that case, you probably want lace-ups even though they're slower to put on (and some people think they are less cool) - I found they were easier to get to fit than velcro ones.