Climbing Shoes?

I%26#039;ve been indoor climbing a few times since the new year, and I%26#039;ll probably continue to do so enough to warrent buying my own gear.





I thought I%26#039;d start with shoes, I might do a few outdoor climbs and maybe some bouldering this summer, but I%26#039;d be using them primirely for indoor.





Recommendations? What are you preferences, brand, style, comfort?





I understand that climbing shoes are highly specialized, and what works for someone won%26#039;t work for everyone, but I%26#039;m just looking to get pointed in the right direction.





Thanks!

Climbing Shoes?
First of all, you need a good fit. Don%26#039;t take anyone%26#039;s recommendation unless the shoe really feels comfortable. For the record, any shoe is a trade-off between grip and durability. If you get ultra-sticky rubber, the shoe grips really well because it can mold around the rock, but it wears out quick because it%26#039;s soft. But if you get stiff rubber, you don%26#039;t get the kind of grip.





Evolv is a great manufacturer of climbing shoes. Their rubber is a good compromise- it%26#039;s definitely not the stickiest, (but it%26#039;s up there,) but it%26#039;s durable as hell. They are known for comfort too. My Athenas have held up for 2+ years of gym climbing, and a dozen outdoor weekends, and aren%26#039;t starting to wear through in the toe yet. Evolvs are also less expensive than the other quality manufacturers, and the company resoles them for cheap. I ultimately vote for Evolv for a beginner, because you really don%26#039;t want the grippiest rubber when you start out. Your footwork is imprecise and you%26#039;ll be putting a lot more wear on them than advanced climbers, who can really benefit from ultra-grippy.





Five Ten is the best shoe manufacturer, arguably... They%26#039;re just in my opinion the best because of public perception. Sure, the rubber is outstanding, but in being so grippy, it tends to wear out soon.





Mad Rock is selling a lot because they%26#039;re cheap, but you get what you pay for. Everyone raves about the rubber%26#039;s stickyness, but you get the same problem as with 5.10- if you want the type of rubber that really attacks what it grips, you%26#039;re going to compromise durability.





One more word of advice: Don%26#039;t get %26quot;beginner%26quot; shoes unless you really aren%26#039;t going to climb much. It doesn%26#039;t take long for your skills to improve, and then you%26#039;ll be climbing hard, but you might be stuck with lousy shoes. Beginner shoes can hold you back. To put it this way: how long do you want to be a beginner? So get something with an asymmetrical toe and something that will accommodate you once you%26#039;re climbing aggressively.
Reply:Nike


They have awesome performance shoes. Go to Acadamy. Good luck!
Reply:ccooll
Reply:Blacks is always good for climbing shoes
Reply:Hey- First off welcome to the great sport of climbing! I use Five Ten Anasazis (the ones with Onyx rubber) for both indoor and outdoor. I would deffinetly reccomend these for your first pair if you have a wider foot. The Galileos are almost identical except they run a little slimmer and have a narrower heal. Make sure to size them VERY tight (I wear 11 US street and 8s in Anasazis) because they stretch like no other. Dont go with Evolvs because the rubber is like Class 10 so it wont really mold to plastic great (but they are great outdoors).
Reply:http://search.backcountry.com/?aid=16150...
Reply:with this you can take part in many competitions and you can win also
Reply:I have used Boreals (I can%26#039;t remember the brand name...it%26#039;s been a long time) and 5.10 rock shoes (Coyotes). I have found the 5.10s to be more comfortable.





The type of shoe you want will have a lot to do with the type of climbing you do (trad, sport, bouldering, etc.) and on what type of rock you climb on. I do trad (traditional) climbing on sandstone and granite, so I have a general purpose shoe that good for smearing and edging. I also have a pair of 5.10s that are actually approach shoes (Camp 4s), but have some rock climbing features and the sticky rubber soles so I can actually use those for some climbing as well.
Reply:hmm yh
Reply:kk
Reply:NIke


nikie has all kinds of sportie shoes and so they should surely have some for your climbing needs
Reply:I too have 5.10 shoes. I use them almost entirely on trad routes, but they do well on the few climbing walls I%26#039;ve had them on.





It hasn%26#039;t been that long since I stopped selling climbing shoes. I always suggested La Sportiva and 5.10 over Mad Rock to my customers. I think they call it %26quot;Mad Rubber%26quot; because the guy who designed it must have been insane. I also go mad whenever I tried to fit the shoes...maybe that%26#039;s why they are %26quot;Mad Rock%26quot;?





I prefer lace-up shoes over velcro closures. You can get a much better fit with lace-ups, but if you are going to be in a gym and like to take them off and on in between routes, then maybe a velcro shoe should be the way for you to go.





Have Fun....Happy Shopping!



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