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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 ...

Overshoes When the boots' warmth is not enough, you can use overshoes. Basically, it's nothing more than a sack made of cloth , which you put over your boot and fasten somehow: This helps you in two ways: It creates an air pocket around your boot, reducing heat loss. The snow now melts not on your boot, but on the overshoe, drastically increasing the ...

I use 2 sided foam tape and hardly notice them at all. The good thing is that it keeps the insoles put yet is pretty easy to remove when the insoles need changing. They leave some traces, but not enough to cause me to look for alternatives!

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 ...

I have used both the Pro version of YakTrax as well as the normal version that lacks the velcro strap across the forefoot. They are amazingly well engineered, durable and perform as advertised. On ice, hard snow and frozen trails, they provide excellent footing. Of course - if you are walking on a dry smooth surface like marble or stone, the grip isn't as ...

I recently purchased a pair of Kahtoola Microspikes and they are great. I went with the Microspikes over the Yaktracks because all of the reviews I read online said the Yatracks break pretty easily. But I'm very happy with my Microspikes. I got them for hiking mixed terrain where it's part snow, part ice, part rock, and they fit the bill perfectly. They ...

First, prevention is going to give you the best bang for your buck. Make sure your shoes dry properly between uses by hanging them out, and not keeping them in a bag/trunk/confined space. During your climbing session, it's a good idea to take your shoes off between climbs, or at least once in a while to let them dry out some. For odor control, I find that ...

For snowier conditions, it is common in the ultra community to take an old pair of shoes and screw in a number of metal hex screws into the sole from the bottom leaving enough of the screw proud to stick into the snow. I've never had to try it myself but I'm reliably informed it works a treat.

Aggressive Climbing shoes are often also referred to as Cambered. The Arch of the foot and/or the toe point downward. Non-aggressive shoes have a flat bottom. Images compliments of rei.com. Some people will use the term aggressive to mean tighter as well, but I have seen that to be less common. You want your shoes to be crazy tight, regardless of their ...

What you describe sounds like the early symptoms of blisters, a few things you could try are: Are your shoes laced too tightly? If they are too tight over the instep, movement in your foot as you walk will increase friction at the heal. Are your shoes laced too loosely? They should be tight enough so your feet do not slip up and cause friction as you walk ...

Too much toe room is only a problem if you have too much movement in the shoe due to the size. That can cause blisters. If you have to have a bigger toe box, then a larger shoe could be a good solution along with something like a heel lock lace to help prevent excess movement of your foot in the shoe.

I got the yaktracks a couple of years ago and they have performed really well - through two sub -15 degree winters. They have enough flexibility that I still managed to run in them for a couple of hours at a time, and very easy to remove when entering a building. This takes about 20 seconds for each one. Where there is a layer of ice or snow on a pavement ...

I had a pair of Yaktracks for a couple of winters, and they turned out not to be what I really wanted. They do work very well on packed snow and you can walk inside most places without having to take them off. However, they work poorly on hard ice, which make them less than ideal for walking around town in the winter. The hard metal coil spring doesn't ...

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 ...

As stated by Graham in his comment, I would recommend using ice traction device like this one or this one. It will provide you with the missing grip in winter. You should definitely keep using your running shoes because they are still better suited for running even in winter conditions.

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, ...

I wear and love Keen's. My wife and I discovered them last year. Before that, we were pretty big into Merrell's. I grew up in the back woods of Northern Ontario and pretty much spent my time outdoors hiking, camping, canoeing, backpacking, swimming, etc. Given that is the terrain you are talking about (think boreal), I would totally go with Keen's. When ...

I am a big fan of the low ankle water resistant Salomon fell-running shoes. The Gore-Tex allows moisture and sweat to escape rapidly, and when worn with wicking socks they actually work well to keep your feet dry and sweat-free. I do most of my hiking in Scotland, which is on a par with New Zealand for precipitation - I would definitely recommend water ...

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 ...

I hiked all of the Pacific Crest Trail (~4000km) and the Continental Divide Trail (~4200km) wearing shoes 1.5 sizes too large and 2-4 widths too wide (i.e. normally size 11.5D but wore 12.5EEEE). The main advantage was no blisters. I sometimes slipped around a bit on weird terrain, but overall did not notice any downside major to this setup.

I think it depends on how rigid your soles are. If you're wearing flexible soles, and you need to edge your toes on a ledge, then that gap at the front of your shoe can cause the sole to bend and you would slip. A rigid sole wouldn't have the same problem. You shouldn't really be moving around all that much in the shoe if it is tightly laced - so if a ...

As well as the other answers, I notice you said they were new shoes you were hiking in - it isn't uncommon for these to be more likely to rub and potentially cause blisters until they're properly broken in. Follow the other advice (especially about socks) with blisters because that can hugely help - but in addition to this you may also want to try wearing ...

I tried using regular shoes (hiking or running) but unfortunately those shoes are not that good in conserving your foot warm and they contain little or no insulation. I do not recommend at all, using regular shoes in winter because of the risk of getting a frost bite. Skiing: I do not think that you can use the same shoe for skiing and snow ...

Think about whether it really matters if your feet stay dry. Will this be in warm enough weather when trenchfoot and frostbite are not problems? If so, the simplest answer may be to let the feet get wet. Wet or damp feet by themselves is not really a problem. I do most of my hiking in New England where it can rain any time on short notice, and soggy ...

I avoid water-resistant shoes for hiking since they trap moisture (your sweat) in as well as out. Kinda depends on hiking style, too - if you're ultralighting then you'd probably want trail-running shoes that breath and dry quickly as you walk. See Ray J.'s advice. They're light enough that people often carry a second pair. Another factor is weather - a ...

When hiking for multiple days you will likely encounter scenarios that you will get wet feet regardless of the footwear you are using. My experience with Goretex footwear is the same as most fellow hikers I know: Goretex footwear can delay your feet getting wet but it cannot prevent it altogether. The important question is: What is your strategy once your ...

What sort of snow conditions are you running in? For dry, powdery snow, the best option is a pair running shoes that have aggressive tread (search for "trail running shoes"), but in wet, icy snow, metal screws or spikes will give you the extra grip you're looking for. I can't think of anything that will help more than it will hurt on icy pavement other than ...

Keep them dry; if your feet perspire a lot, have a dry set of socks to change into. Never cotton socks 2 layers of socks is very good; a light inner layer of something that wicks moisture very well (Coolmax, Smartwool, etc), and then a heavier sock (I like some of the LL Bean fleece socks). Goretex, plastic bags, etc can trap a lot of moisture, which can ...

My criteria for winter shoes/boots are pretty simple: 3/4 or higher cuff to reduce the chance of snow getting in Goretex to keep water out A Vibram sole to keep traction on ice A thicker sole than usual to avoid the cold ground When I try the shoes on at the store I wear thick wool socks (if you wear a sock liner then bring that too). I usually go ...