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I am not sure about the being able to feel more, but the most important reason I don't use socks is to avoid the rock boot sliding on my foot. If you are on a marginal grip using just the edge of your sole, you don't want the boot to move at all. This is also one of the reasons that rock boots for more experienced climbers are much more rigid than those ...

I've been bouldering outdoors for a couple years now and let me ask you this question in return: Why wear socks in your climbing shoes? What is the possible benefit to wearing socks? Try it. Your shoes will still stink, I guarantee. Your feet run the risk of slipping around in your climbing shoes. And if you buy tight, aggressive shoes, the fit will go all ...

The best ways I found to improve foot work are the following: Climb routes which are less than vertical (slabs are great) I know this sounds obvious, but seriously, just climb slabs and low angle for a few weeks (or months). Focus on your feet, don't use your hands if possible. Practice stepping up only, don't pull on holds Play a game with your ...

Every layer between your feet and the ground (or hill or whatever you are climbing) adds some distance resulting in: - less balance - less 'feel' with the type of material you are climbing - you feel ditches/gaps/small stones better (depends on how thick your shoes are) Also you might be able to have smaller (less wide) shoes making it easier to place a ...

Generally speaking, the main differences between bouldering and top roping (unless you are an expert) is that you are likely to find yourself trying more extreme positions when bouldering. Huge generalisation, I know, but when top roping you usually look to conserve energy, assess the pitch, and make vertical gains. As a boulderer, you will be crabbing, ...

It doesn't really go away with time. At least not for me - when I'm on a hard gym route I tend to ignore any holds that are "off" for that route, and every now and then I'll hit one with an elbow or knee. Also outside, while you want to emphasize using your feet, ever now and then you'll find yourself needing to place a knee on a hold. Working on ...

Holding on to crimpers is what causes pain in my finger-joints. This is from the Metolius website where they give instructions for hang-board training: "Avoid using crimp or cling grips. A very important aspect concerning any hold is how you hold on to it. It is extremely important that you do not use any kind of cling technique regularly." I have ...

Generally, a more controlled and precise technique should reduce undesired knee scraping and banging... But I find that the ability to achieve this precision is, at least to some degree, dependent on your strength reserves, and decreases during a session. Often, several hours into a climbing session I find myself making bigger and less precise moves, and ...

Good footwork is the foundation to good climbing. Most climbers think their footwork is better than it actually is, and could be better climbers simply by improving their footwork. Here are some drills and tips to improve it: Quiet feet: By far the best drill you can do is called quiet feet. It involves climbing while focusing your attention on your ...

I believe it is mostly a matter of taste. Many people claim that going barefoot inside the climbing shoes allows you to feel a bit more of the surface than with socks. Granted, you can't feel much through the thick rubber of the shoes to begin with, but I can see how that would be true. Others counter claim that socks make your shoes less stinky after a ...

Rest? Sometimes this kind of pain can be a sign of overtraining. In the question, the poster doesn't say how frequently he climbs, or how long he's been climbing, so its hard to formulate an exact recommendation. If you're just feeling a tremendous amount of lower-grade soreness, try reducing the numbers of days a week you climb. I have friends that ...