Let's talk about shoes, baby

[rydra_wong]

Because we had to have this topic sooner or later:

Climbing shoes. What've you got, what've you had in the past, what are you eyeing up for the future?

To get the ball rolling: I've been pretty lucky with my shoes so far apart from that pair of Vipers which I got cheap in a sale but which turned out to be that half-cm too small to wear without actually breaking a toe.

I started with a pair of Evolv Elektras (purple!) which suit my foot shape, are soft and sensitive and unusually comfortable by climbing-shoe standards.

(Everything you've heard about the Evolv stink problem is true, but it can be mitigated by regular washes with soap and water, and putting those cedar shoe inserts in them between uses.)

When they started wearing through, I decided I was ready for something a bit more technical and found the La Sportiva Barracudas, which turn out to be my Platonic ideal of climbing shoes: perfectly balanced between soft/smeary and sharp/edgy, downturned but not too downturned, and lace-up so that heelhooks don't pull them off my weird narrow heels.

Then I found out they'd just been discontinued (I didn't even manage to snag a second pair as back-ups!).

When they wear through, I'm going to try getting them re-soled, but I know that doesn't always work out.

But the Barracudas were made on a modified Katana last, and I've just heard that these are going to be on the market round about April ...

Comments

[miss_s_b]

I am currently using a set of Mad Rock Mugens, having tried some red chili and Evolv ones before and founbd them not suited to my feet and/or climbing style.

I love the Mugens to bits. Almost literally. They are almost at the end of their natural life. I can't afford new shoes at the minute - woe - but when I can I think it will be a pair of these.

[rydra_wong]

How do you find the ridged heel on the Mad Rocks? I've always wondered if it's helpful on heel-hooks.

[miss_s_b]

It is fabulous for heel hooks! It's grippy without being bulky, and the ridges catch well on flakes etc. It's one of the things I really love about the shoes, along with the way they construct the toe area to have semi-rigid edging bits in a horseshoe shape around soft and grippy smearing rubber across the ball of the foot.

I suspect, though, that if the shoes were a less than perfect fit it would be less useful because the shoes would slip off your heel. Luckily, the men's mad rock last is a perfect fit for my feet. I have found that their ladies shoes are not right for me, even though I am girly. As always, with climbing shoes, best to try before you buy.

[juliet]

I have a pair of Red Chillis which I like very much. Possibly *very slightly* too tight, but I don't notice it when I'm actually climbing so I figure it's about right. I like the velcro, because it means that I can take them off more easily when not actually climbing. I wasn't actually intending to spend that much on my first pair of shoes, but after trying on everything else cheaper, they were *so* much more comfortable that it was worth it.

[rydra_wong]

Possibly *very slightly* too tight, but I don't notice it when I'm actually climbing so I figure it's about right.

That sounds like a very good rule of thumb.

(I've found that if the first time I try climbing in new shoes I'm completely convinced that I've got them a half-size too small, they'll turn out to be perfectly sized.)