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clustiere
Gym climber
running springs, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 25, 2005 - 02:50pm PT
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If you could only have one shoe from now on --
Venom eeeerrrrr mythos eeerrrr Venom -Well I could never make the decision
Venom no Mythos damn it aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I need them all of them they all serve a vital role in my climbing I know it Ill never leave any of you exept the Mojo and the Aero. Mu haha
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spidey
Trad climber
Sonora
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Feb 25, 2005 - 02:57pm PT
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Dang - and I thought I had a shoe fetish. some of you guys and (crimper)girls have me way beat.
I seem to have a 5.10 foot, although I've had a bunch of pairs of mythos and used to swear by them (they pretty much mold to your feet anyway).
my current favorites are:
5.10 Mocasym (2 pairs, tight for sport/gym, and a tad looser for cracks)
Sportiva Mythos - great all day and all-around shoe. picked up my latest pair for $45 at the north face outlet last year.
5.10 Ascent - also a great all day, all-around shoe. not as precise as the mythos/mocassym, but more comfy and great for long routes.
Sportiva Kaukulators (old blue ones) - great shoe for walls and offwidth, or extended crack climbing. Not so great for face climbing, or thin cracks. they do ok on moderate friction though.
5.10 Anasazi velcro - great gym/sport shoe. mine are too big and I can still climb reasonably hard in them, even after they wore out. now they are trashed and smell awful, and I should throw them out. expensive.
Scarpa Marathon - supposed to be a great all day shoe, but they don't fit me very well. anybody want to buy a pair in size 11?
My first shoes were Boreal Aces, they are a great all around shoe and very durable, but they hurt my feet (wrong shape) so I didn't buy another pair.
Did not like:
Miuras - had a pair for a while, but never liked the way they felt - I defiinitely climbed better in mythos and mocasyms. sold 'em.
5.10 Hueco - boxy, no sensitivity, poor performance. comfy though. sold 'em.
5.10 Spire - ditto but without the lining. gave these to my little brother.
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Ca
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Feb 25, 2005 - 05:39pm PT
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We called the Wild X shoes CB's - for chink boots. Dave Hauser did all sorts of nasties wearing those.
First shoes were the old Blue Royal Robbins - whatever they were called, with lugs on the soles and steel shanks imbedded. When Fire's hit it was a revolution.
Now I mostly wear Mugens (fat, fat foot) or I have a pair of very stretched out Focuses for them dime edge routes.
Wouldn't wear 5-Tennies for any amount of money if only to piss Charles off.
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maculated
Trad climber
San Luis Obispo, CA
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Feb 25, 2005 - 08:35pm PT
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I have quite a shoe rack at the moment, and my arsenal consist mostly of happy 5.10 shoes.
5.10 anasazis (womens) fit great for those sporty routes with lots of precision required, though I find they are crap for friction climbing.
5.10 Ascents are my go-to shoe so long as I know I don't have to do anything heel-oriented - great for climbing granite domes, as all that walking afterwards is not a problem, great for bouldering landings . . . probably my favorite shoe.
Evolve Rockstars (womens) are great all-rounders. I usually use these for screwing around in the gym, harder trad multipitch and trad cragging.
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Permanent Tiller
Trad climber
Burbank
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Feb 25, 2005 - 09:27pm PT
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Asolo Chouinard Canyons
Boreal Fires
La Sportiva Tao's (my favorite shoe)
Currently wearing Five Ten Asscents
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rick
Social climber
california
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Feb 25, 2005 - 09:35pm PT
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anyone out there with fat feet, like 2E? the only shoes I can get to fit comfortably are 5.10 spires and though they are fine, I'd like to try something else out at some point in my life but, not a single climbing shoe company makes shoes in widths...I'll have to quit climbing if they ever take spires off of the market
r
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WBraun
climber
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Feb 26, 2005 - 01:17am PT
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My first climbing shoes where Sears construction work boots. They were my favorite. I picked the ones with the best soles. When I went to use them I cleaned the soles real well to make them stickier. Next I bought those blue boots that Royal had Galibier make for him. Then the renaissance started with the EB. They sold them in the Valley mountain shop retail for $13. The mountain shop in those days was in a few drawers in the Lodge gift shop.
Ha ha, what happened after that the world discovered climbing.
Currently using 5-10 exclusively, love those Anasazi Velcro.
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bulgingpuke
Trad climber
cayucos california
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Feb 26, 2005 - 02:16am PT
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I only use 5.10 shoes: Cause now i be gettin em for free.....oops
Original Zlippers- 3 pr- (the zipper always breaks)
Anasazi Velcro- 4 pr- No better shoe on earth!
Dragons- 1 pr- Meh.. nothing all that great
T-rocks- current pair- These suck ass! sorry but they really hurt.
~TY~
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clustiere
Gym climber
running springs, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 26, 2005 - 03:32am PT
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Has anyone else tried and climbed in the venom..
Just climbed in my time of dimes in em-ol Darel Hensel slab boulder prob @ Roubidoux
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yes
Trad climber
the inside
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Feb 26, 2005 - 12:29pm PT
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I can't believe Mega's have only been mentioned once!
I used them till they abosultely disintegrated....
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jclimb
Trad climber
Durango, Co
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Feb 26, 2005 - 01:15pm PT
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i'm a 5.10 fan also - stickiest rubber.
5.10 huecos - first shoe, learned to climb in these at looking glass, nc.
5.10 anasazi velcros - best shoe ever, own 3 pairs in various states of broken-in-ness, from brand new for performance to a pair with 4 resoles for all day comfort.
5.10 anasazi lace-ups - i think these shoes were made for smith rock style technical edging.
5.10 moccasyms - best indian creek (or valley) thin crack shoe ever!
5.10 ascents - perfect for all day, high sierra style routes.
tried sportiva mythos for awhile - good shoe, but wasn't it originally advertised as a sport/gym shoe? i can't edge for crap in those.
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landcruiserbob
Trad climber
the ville, colorado
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Feb 26, 2005 - 01:37pm PT
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Mocasyms only!!!!They rock!!!
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AndyG
climber
San Diego, CA
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Feb 26, 2005 - 05:01pm PT
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First pair I owned were La Sportivas, I don't remember the model name. They kind of looked like the Focus, except they were turquoise, I held on to those for a long time.
Syncros - loved these, especially after 1st resole with 5.10 rubber. These finally wore out after 4-5 resoles. I wish they still made them.
Focus - bought a pair on sale a couple years ago. But I've had very little chance to wear them since I hurt my shoulder. So verdict is still out. I was hoping they would replace the syncros as all-day trad route shoes. I kind of doubt it tho. They seem too blocky and stiff.
5.10
I've owned at least 4 prs moccasyms. I love these. When new they are for sport and bouldering. Then resole once and shift to the gym.
Anasazi lace ups - Great shoes. Good for anything.
Anasazi velcros - Love these too. Great for sport.
Boreal and Scarpa don't fit me at all. I've never owned any.
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Rhodo-Router
Trad climber
Otto, NC
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Feb 27, 2005 - 02:30pm PT
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Once upon a time I dressed so fine in the Mariachers. My first shoes, I refused to betray them with new ones for the longest time, reasoning that if I could climb it in these klunkers, I'd be a footwork genius eventually.
How times have changed! I don't have 18 pairs, like the Imelda Marcos of St Louis, but I'm a shoe junkie nonetheless.
My first climbing hero wore the LaSportiva Tao, a hideous thing if ever there was one, so of course I had to have a pair. You may recall the stretch-proof black plastic syn-leather-- not the ideal choice for a Southern climber! Little edging fiends, but utterly useless for any sort of friction-based movement. You can perhaps imagine the agony of multi-pitch slab routes on Looking Glass on a hot day--feet swelling in the sweaty black plastic, no hope of smearing, toes cramped up in the box up front. Ugh.
I then discovererd one of my two favorite shoes ever, the Scarpa Brio-- 3/4 top,green, rather narrow to fit my apparently Italian-style feet. Wore out 3 pairs of these, the last several years after they were discontinued. I scored these from one of those posers who works in the gear shop, talks a great game about all the climbing he was going to get around to after he finished stroking his nut-duster in the store. I still use these for guiding, all-day stuff, and routes where I'd rather have socks than precision or control.
Then I attended a shoe demo at Deadman's Summit and put the fabled Mythos, which everyone seemed to love, up against the crimpers in a head-to-head with the slightly darker purple Dominators. No contest! The Dommies had the supple, glove-like fit of the Mythos, but edged circles around them. I was in love. The perfect fit for thin cracks, edging, and smearing. Just about made with Eldo in mind.
Naturally, word of this affair leaked back to Scarpa and the model was terminated. What is it with those people? Why must they labor so long to produce the perfect shoe, only to discontinue it in a year or two? I could give a f*ck about sexy new models! Just gimme something that fits and works and I can replace every couple years.
I bought my last pair of the beloved Dommies direct from BD. The guy on the phone told me to buy all three remaining pairs in my size, and how I wish I'd listened. Imagine the horror when one year I ordered up the new model, and opened up the box to find not the luscious purple send-meisters of yore, but a hideously redesigned grey-and-orange thing with a radical camber, completely different from the old model yet inexplicably bearing the Dominator name. Screw that! Back to the post office with these monstrosities.
Ever since, I've been at sea in a purgatory of mediocre relationships. A brief but happy affair with the Synchro ended with their utter decrepitude and inevitable discontinuation. You can see these shoes in Harrison Shull's coffee table book on Southeastern climbing, T-Wall section-- ragged, ventilated, shredded uppers, yet the soles and rands still cranked. Perfect for hot southern climbing, really. A happy, easygoing arrangement with a pair of Scarpa Minimas followed, but again, the affair was discovered and my little partner was discontinued, leaving me saddened, if not heartbroken, and with much stronger feet.
I heard that the new Focus was to be a more evolved successor to the Synchro, but my pair just seem clunky and imprecise. No love there. In a fit of nostalgia at the local consignment shop, I bought a half-price pair of the new pseudo-Dominators, which climb pretty damn well on steep edges at the local clip-up crags, but ache like little foot-sized (not quite) iron maidens on anything over half a ropelength. These were completely unwearable until I spent a week soaking them in hot water and mincing about the house in them. We have a serviceable relationship, but you wouldn't call it passionate. I'm really only interested in one thing, and that part is great, but I can't see climbing my whole life with them.
After an unhappy spell of ankle-barking on a 200' #5 Camalot crack, I picked up a (discontinued!) bargain pair of Sportiva Megas, which have all the subtle feel of a suit of armor, but seem like a decent addition to the quiver. I have yet to actually wear them outside, but first I think they'll require the same treatment as the pseudo-Dommies.
So here I am in limbo, surrounded with half-satisfying options. I can't find the old Dommies to save my life-- they've been out of production for at least 4 years now. The Foci are okay for long routes and stiff duty, but they're hardly ideal. I can't find those slippers anymore, the Minimas, though I'd be pretty happy in them for everything but wide cracks and precision edging. lots of people make slippers, though-- I'm not worried about that. I just need to put the time in to find the right pair. No, what's missing are the all-rounders. The fit and performance of the Dommies, or even the well-worn comfort and acceptable function of the Brios. I've got lots of options for dating. I'm just not in love.
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Eric Chisholm
Trad climber
Sebastopol, CA
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Feb 28, 2005 - 01:16am PT
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Best Shoes:
Hand-me-downs from my father! A pair of EB's from 1960 somthing. The rubber sucks, their stiff as a 2x4,the heel is to big, toe to tight, but damn you can jam all day!
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Rhodo-Router
Trad climber
Otto, NC
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Feb 28, 2005 - 06:51am PT
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I tried someone's old EB's once. I've had better traction on ice rinks! Remarkable that people climbed hard face in those things.
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mark miller
Social climber
Reno
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Feb 28, 2005 - 06:25pm PT
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Back in the late seventies I started out with a pair of Kinneys Waffle stompers, Then got a pair of shoenards and quickly wore them out, resoling with green dot rubber, not bad, if you didn't know anybetter. As soon as boreal fires came out everyone starter climbing like a grade and a half better and the fit was no longer a masochistic event. I probably went thru at least four pairs of fires (with multiple resoles) and the fire bigwall boot ( still use with 5.10 resole). By the time the late eightes rolled around many good shoe optoins existed but have usally gravitated towards a stiffer shoe( waffle stomper beginnings) resoled with 5.10. I've bought at least 2 pairs of shoes every year for the last 10 years. So I've tried most of them. whats working for me now is a pair of boreal dominator? (blue green with silver stripes) but getting them resoled with 5.10 is a must. I have some new stiff mad rocks but haven't had the oppurtunity to try them yet. The old blue kalkulator was good for moderate routes but at my size( 200 lbs; size 13) climbing in them 3 days a week ,I 'd blow them out in about 6 weeks, stiches, holes in leather, lace eyelets torn out, etc. liked them so much I did it twice.
Although those dru's look like they might be the ticket for winter moderates at the Leap. One constant through all the years, when I felt hungry and was leading at my limit I had 5.10 rubber on my side, maybe not there shoes but definitely there soles.
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DavisGunkie
Trad climber
Davis, CA
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Feb 28, 2005 - 06:35pm PT
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lets see. i had the old new style heucos up until last year.. those things were great for all day stuff and i used them for everything.they were nice to walk off in to since they had the eva heel. i was sad when i watched them disentegrte on me while climbing fear of flying at phantom spires..
i then tried the anasazi mesas.. they were nice for the gunks but the were too small for me so i hardly ever wear them.. been meaning to try and bring them to the shoe place to see if he can stretch em out a half size.
anasazi velcro... my main gym shoe for a while and some bouldering. pretty good..i didn't like them as much as
my katanas
loved this things.. had one resole ..wondering if it would hold up to another. use these for gym bouldering sport.. great for edging and smearing but weren't the best for jamming. i need a replacement for these shoes.
for non-sport stuff i have the anasazi velcros. i love these things.. haven't climbed uch in them since i just got them. but they are becoming my new favorite shoe.
i was thinking of pckin gup a pair of venoms to replace my katanas...for those of y'all who tried both, how do their sizes relate?
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atchafalaya
Trad climber
California
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Feb 28, 2005 - 07:39pm PT
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all my favorite shoes have been discontinued...
started with a pair of Boreal boots,
eventually, the sportive megas took over (blue and pink) became the rage,
favorites of all time were the UFO (pink and black) and 5.10 Razor (green with slingshot heel rand). I was living and climbing in SLC then, and those shoes loved limestone and quartzite (anything overhanging).
Did a number of years and models of aces (green half heel), but now I like the new model of the mega for crack days, and moccasyms for everything else...
Most uncomfortable shoe was a Sportiva Kendo type model, with a really stiff and thick undersole.. the futuro?
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clustiere
Trad climber
running springs, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 2, 2005 - 02:44pm PT
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The Ascents worked really well once I sanded down the 90 degree edges. one of the most comfy shoes I have work right off the bat, second only to the Mythos.I wonder how much they will stretch however . Now to test the Coyotes
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