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Help with boots?

Original Post
Sean Sullivan · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2013 · Points: 0

Hello everybody! New to the forum here. To get started, I've got a decision I need some help with. I am in need of a pair of boots to start hiking/climbing. I've been looking at both the Scarpa Cyclone and Kailash. I will not only be climbing with these but also traik running. Which boot would be better suited to the task? I need something with an aggressive tread.

Also, if anyone knows of any sizing quirks on these boots, I wear 9.5 D shoes which I THINK is 43.5 Euro sizing. Thanks in advance!

DaveJD · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 5

Climbing, hiking and trail running eh?

Jon H · · PC, UT · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 118

DaveJD, thanks for the useful contribution.

Sean - Neither of those will be particularly good to "climb" or trail run in, however they're both excellent hikers. Running in high top boots won't be fun. Your best bet is to purchase a pair of proper rock climbing shoes and a separate pair of trail runners. The trail runners will be good for hiking at any speed (walking, sprinting, or anything in between) and the rock shoes are for... well, rock climbing.

Jon Powell · · LAWRENCEVILLE GEORGIA · Joined Jan 2012 · Points: 110

I agree with Jon H. Do not try and climb in hiking boots. There is a reason we jam or feet in a tiny pair of climbing shoes. They are made specifically for climbing. Reminds me of a something I saw once. 2 guys showed up to climb a few routes down from us. They set up a top rope, put on their harness, helmet and clipped enough alpine draws to supply a party of 3 and the guy starts to climb with cowboy boots. Ill let you guess the outcome. La Sportiva makes a decent cheaper shoe and If I'm right the cheaper ones are in the same size as your regular shoe but you might buy a little smaller.

fx101 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2013 · Points: 0

Nothing will replace a dedicated rock climbing shoe. Period.

That said... you have some options for your other shoe (carry the rock climbing shoes in your pack).

If you don't plan on doing a lot of hiking but more mountaineering/scrambling then you'll probably want something like the La Sportiva Trango S. They have awful durability but they're plenty light and will get you up easy fifth class terrain. Also they have more flex than a dedicated mountaineering boot.

Some backpacking boots are designed to work very well on steep terrain. I own a pair of Zamberlan Steep GT boots and they will get me through any approach imaginable while leaving me feet in supreme comfort. That said, they're not stiff mountaineering shoes so you'll be able to do at most 5.7 face climbing on these (not if you're a 5.7 climber haha).

Then there are approach shoes... they're meant to be a hybrid of a rock climbing shoe and a trail runner. I personally hate them. They're thin and uncomfortable for any kind of serious hiking, fall apart very easily, and don't climb very well. However, if you're doing an approach that's almost all scrambling with very little walking then they excel.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Beginning Climbers
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