18
votes
Accepted
Why are climbing shoes usually a slightly tighter than the usual mountaineering shoes?
Climbing shoes need to be extremely tight* because they frequently have to support a lot of weight on extremely tiny footholds, often on the tip of the toes:
Any free space inside the shoe could ...
- 5,143
11
votes
Accepted
What to look for in climbing shoes?
Even though you say cost is not a primary factor, I still think it's good to be aware of this point when buying your first climbing shoes when mainly used in gyms (I wasn't aware at the time :) ):
...
- 21.8k
11
votes
Accepted
Does resoling change a climbing shoe's fit?
I have had several shoes resoled, and each one fit pretty much just as they did before the resoling. No adjustments or breaking in necessary, as all the shoes were well seasoned, and the resoling had ...
- 126
10
votes
Why are climbing shoes usually a slightly tighter than the usual mountaineering shoes?
I'll address the mountaineering viewpoint (as opposed to the other good answers about the climbing viewpoint).
Mountaineering usually involves covering a lot of distance over a bunch of different ...
- 6,879
10
votes
Accepted
How to contain the stench of climbing shoes?
Seal them away (in transit and at work - store them somewhere dry and well ventilated at home).
You could use a dry bag sold for kayaking etc. Small ones are cheap on ebay but I've linked to ...
- 27k
9
votes
Is it ok for my climbing shoes/chalk bag to get wet?
In addition to @Liam's fine answer: The usability of both chalk and shoes will be severely limited while wet, e.g. friction is extremely reduced and you will slip. Chalk will lump.
Your shoes will be ...
- 1,469
9
votes
Accepted
Do climbing shoes wear out from age alone?
Climbing shoes don't wear out from age alone (in any realistic time frame that is).
However, the rubber in the soles do age (probably because it "dries" and oxidizes over time) which affects the ...
- 2,002
8
votes
Accepted
How do I know when it's time to replace my climbing shoes?
Generally speaking, newer shoes are going to be better and more effective and yet as you well know that costs money. So what it really comes down is a cost/benefit analysis that's going to be up to ...
- 69.4k
6
votes
How to get rid of black mould in climbing shoes
The fungi (Trichophyton, Epidermophyton and Microsporum) that cause infection on our feet are not black - they are white/cream with brown sporophytes typically.
This will be one of the "black ...
- 11.3k
6
votes
Do climbing shoes wear out from age alone?
They won't wear out from age alone. It seems like the big sticking point to the author of the article was that the foam loses its padding over time,
As a general rule, he tells customers who are ...
- 69.4k
5
votes
Does resoling change a climbing shoe's fit?
Not unless they did a really bad job.
Shoe size starts with the sole. It would be really hard to even sew in an upper to a wrong sized sole. If you told the cobbler you want less width they could ...
- 7,184
5
votes
Is it ok for my climbing shoes/chalk bag to get wet?
Of course your outdoor equipment has no problems with getting wet. It's not getting any damage if used in rain. While wet the function of your gear may be influenced, e.g. in the case of rubber soles ...
- 12.2k
5
votes
Accepted
Are my climbing shoes worth repairing?
Shoes can be resoled from a worse state.
My current shoes have been resoled from a similiar state three times. The first time they worked even better than new (the rubber was better).
It all ...
- 1,469
5
votes
Are my climbing shoes worth repairing?
These shoes are pretty far gone. At the very least you'll need a new toe rand in addition to the resole, which is going to cost you a significant portion of the price of a new shoe. Your shoes may ...
- 6,879
5
votes
How do I know when it's time to replace my climbing shoes?
Whether a rounded edge is a problem strongly depends on your climbing level. In my experience, for normal people this is not much of an issue as footholds are big enough to step even with a rounded ...
- 7,850
4
votes
How to contain the stench of climbing shoes?
I've used Boot Bananas sourced from my local bouldering gym after complaints by my better half about stenchy climbing shoes. Since using them the complaints have completely dried up. They are still ...
- 210
3
votes
What to look for in climbing shoes?
Imsodin's answer provides a great general overview of things to think about when looking for a first climbing shoe. I'd like to expand a bit further with the fit of a shoe.
The first thing I would ...
- 750
3
votes
How can I clean my newly acquired (used) climbing shoes in order to avoid athlete's foot?
I would just spray them with Lysol disinfectant spray. That should take the care of both the smell and kill the fungus. This is the quick and simple solution.
You are right that most people don't ...
- 69.4k
3
votes
Do climbing shoes wear out from age alone?
Rubber oxidizes. The term (in time) that your rubber oxidizes at cannot be said because of certain conditions, but I can name a few tips to help prevent that from happening.
Avoid heat, UV exposure, ...
- 534
3
votes
Climbing barefoot/in toe-shoes?
Barefoot climbing is awesome. You learn to to climb more intuitive and natural. To a barefoot climber haveing shoes on is like climbing with no feeling in your legs. You have no idea what is going on ...
3
votes
Shoe sizes for bouldering
Climbing shoes should be as snug as possible. Not tight to the point that you can't walk (unless you know they will break in) but also not too loose that your toes aren't touching the end of the shoe. ...
- 31
3
votes
Why go without socks with climbing shoes?
I think this is highly dependent on your feet. Maybe with more experience, this will change for me - but I have bony, clammy, wide but low volume paddle feet. So unless I can't get a shoe highly ...
- 131
2
votes
Are used climbing shoes safe?
All of the answers above are great but I would like to add about the rubber wear. If you do commit to buying used climbing shoes, take note of the rubber wear. If the toes are worn unevenly or you can ...
- 534
2
votes
Accepted
What is causing climbing shoe toe blowouts?
Those look like tears to me. Something is causing a weak spot, perhaps a sharp point you stand on on of your regular climbs, then failure along stress lines to the toe.
It's possible that the resole ...
- 8,097
2
votes
How to contain the stench of climbing shoes?
The root cause of the problem is the moisture. If you can get them to dry somewhat then the smell will be much easier to manage. The short term solution is to use some sort of desiccant right after ...
- 21
1
vote
How to get rid of black mould in climbing shoes
the battle of the moldy climbing shoes! Here’s the secret sauce: brush off visible spores, then disinfect with rubbing alcohol. Next, give 'em a gentle wipe-down with mild detergent. Let those babies ...
- 31
1
vote
How to contain the stench of climbing shoes?
Put fabric softeners inside the shoe to keep the scent down or at least smell better and use Fabreze. Those two options have done wonders for me. Also, take your shoes of in between climbs to help ...
- 534
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