so... shoes

[truelove]

Actually, more, lack thereof?

How actually batshit would it be, to climb barefoot at an indoor gym? I basically prefer to do everything barefoot whenever possible -- especially anything that requires precision balance. (Legacy of my primary athletic background being gymnastics, followed up by a smattering of martial arts as an adult. I've always *been* barefoot when doing athletics.)

I mean, I'm not particularly worried about hygiene, considering my bare hands are going on those same holds and frankly my own feet are probably cleaner than most people's shoe soles, just... wondering if there are compelling reasons why it's a terrible idea?

Comments

[cofax7]

My gym expressly forbids barefoot climbing. Probably for the possibility that a barefoot climber might have athlete's foot or some other type of problem that could be conveyed to other climbers who are using their hands.

And, frankly, the bare foot unsupported by a climbing shoe has a much more difficult time with the little holds one finds on a gym wall.

[truelove]

A quick trip to the googles in fact showed me that, heavens, some people have some strong opinions about the cleanliness of the notion.

I find it baffling and a chunk of it misguided or misinformed, but probably not worth the time and energy to argue over.

[astridv]

Yeah, my gym doesn't allow it either for hygiene reasons. I've tried it a few times at outdoor climbing spots and found it much too hard anyway. I'm a barefoot freak myself, but when you're climbing the bare foot just can't get the kind of stability (and pointy tip) you need for small footholds. Plus, it rather hurt.

[emperor]

My climbing wall forbids barefoot climbing.

[rydra_wong]

Well, you're generally going to climb a lot worse barefoot than you will in trainers, even.

You need the relative stiffness of a climbing shoe to let you transfer your body weight through the very tip or edge of your foot -- basically, it's much the same reason why it's not very feasible to dance ballet en pointe barefoot.

And "sticky" rubber helps enormously with grip.

I've seen people trying to climb indoors in Vibram Fivefingers, and having a rather difficult time. There might be a few routes (maybe all-smearing slabs? and I've heard that outdoors it can work on very pocket-y limestone) where it'd work. And if your gym permits, barefoot climbing could be interesting to try a few times as an experiment.

But generally, it's not going to be optimal for climbing.

I feel your pain because I greatly prefer being barefoot, too; if I'm not indoors and actually barefoot, I wear "barefoot" minimalist shoes, and they've done wonders for my comfort levels (and helped ward off some nasty knee problems).

But for climbing, climbing shoes.

[truelove]

I had had the vague thought the rubber/grip thing might be an issue, and the difference between going on toe and actually en pointe, yeah -- that makes a lot of sense. The parallels between climbing and ballet are really fascinating!

Vibram fivefingers sound like a terrible idea for me, anyway; while I love tabi sacks, I can't stand toe-socks. The forced separation of my smaller toes is incredibly uncomfortable (but the separation of big toe and the rest is actually really good). But I might try the experiment, if my gym will permit it, to see what it *is* like.

(The hygiene issues really do strike me as moot if people are being at all sensible -- but that's a bit of a caveat, that, so I can see why a gym owner might prefer to err on the side prevention. But my view is informed by a lifetime of running around barefoot whenever possible, and a good few years of working as a massage therapist! If you're being at all sensible about hygiene, it really shouldn't be an issue; I certainly never picked up anything from a client, and I can tell you not everyone had the cleanest of feet. *wry*)

Anyway, thank you, this was really helpful! :)

[rydra_wong]

Vibram fivefingers sound like a terrible idea for me, anyway; while I love tabi sacks, I can't stand toe-socks.

Likewise; I don't like having things round the individual toes. Which is why I've never been tempted by the Fivefingers, and mostly wear things like the Vivo Barefoot shoes (which are shaped like regular shoes, but with a very very thin and soft sole).

But I might try the experiment, if my gym will permit it, to see what it *is* like.

Could definitely be interesting. I've climbed a few times in approach shoes (trainers with sticky rubber on the soles), and it does make you very aware of footwork and exactly what climbing shoes make possible.

Another thought -- I'm not sure if you already have climbing shoes of your own, or if you're new to climbing? If the latter, you might find that you're more comfortable with relatively soft, "smeary" shoes; ones that spring to mind are the Evolv Defy/Elektra or the Five Ten Moccasyms. They don't have as much edging power as a stiffer shoe, but you do get more sensitivity and ability to feel exactly where your feet are on the holds.