Mountain Project Logo

Favorite Shoe Rubber for Devils Lake

Original Post
Sean Peter · · IL · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 105

It's resole time on my Miura's - Blindly slanting towards replacing the xs edge with stealth c4 - But may go with either chewing gum or the stuff window clings are made of- that seems to stick to glass well.
But seriously- any favorites? Would you lean more towards a rubber that holds it's shape better, or go for the most friction possible on that fabulous purple quartzite?

Donovan Allen · · Soft Lake City · Joined May 2012 · Points: 356

MI6

Don Ferris III · · Boulder, CO · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 186

I had miuras resoles with c4 and I kinda ruined the shoes. Not sure if it was purely just the change in rubber or the resolers bad job but they lost their shape and edged way worse. Like shocking worse. Ended up buying a new pair. It was the shoes 4th resole so maybe that was it.

Josh Olson · · Durango, CO · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 255

IMO it doesn't matter how sticky your shoes are, that quartzite is slick as shit. I've been happier with xs edge than most, seems to grab the little edges pretty well. Leading up to .10 and bouldering v4, for what it's worth.

Sean Peter · · IL · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 105

Thanks for the replies!

Yeah- the Stealth Mi6 is rather intriguing. Not sure if it's avail for resoles or not… may be worth picking up a pair of those Team VXi's though just to try it out. If it really does stick to glass (as it was designed for in Mission Impossible) then just maybe smearing is far more possible at DL. They do say it bends on dime edges though - and that could be a terrible trade off at the lake.

Don- I heard a similar issue from a friend of mine. Not sure if it was cause he went with 5mm instead of a 4mm, the rubber itself, or a bad resole job. But that's two reports of the same….

Josh- yeah. That's probably my honest guess as well. I just hear so much rave about C4 from everyone - and when it comes to anything climbing I think it's always best to blindly trust the opinions of people on the internet instead of one's own experience and opinion ;)

Rob Gordon · · Hollywood, CA · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 115

I don't climb at Devil's Lake, but I do have an opinion on this topic. I have climbed a lot with both C4 and Onyx. And while C4 is great for smearing on rock with absolutely no features, I prefer Onyx when there are any sorts of edges or crystals to use as well. C4 just won't hold my weight (~200 lbs) on sharp, small features.

Also, there are times when I feel like C4 just slips for no reason. Like total failure slipping that can cause a fall. I don't have that problem with Onyx.

They also seem to preform differently in different temperatures so that might be worth considering, but I don't have enough evidence to say which rubber performs better for which temperature.

Donovan Allen · · Soft Lake City · Joined May 2012 · Points: 356

Come on Tom cruise used MI6 rubber to climb glass!! That's some risky business.. Seriously though this seems a bit subjective. I've found alternating shoes for temps helps. Rob G. makes a great point about climber weight and rubber density.... On that note climbing DL, rifle, ISO or any other place where you're climbing polished glass I get best results out of evolve trax rubber.

Donovan Allen · · Soft Lake City · Joined May 2012 · Points: 356

has anyone climbed in DL and isolation canyon ( pine az) ? I couldn't help but thinking ISO felt a lot like DL, very water polished weather dependent quartzite.

Mike Robinson · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 251

5.10 Anasazi VCS seems to be a popular shoe, but i know they have changed rubber a few times...

Michael Sullivan · · Boulder, CO · Joined Aug 2011 · Points: 745

I definitely prefer FiveTen rubber at the lake. The various iterations of the Anasazi are great. The Stealth HF rubber on some of FiveTen's more aggressive shoes (Blackwing, Dragons, etc.) has made the difference between success and failure on a few boulders for me.

That being said, there is no substitute for good technique, strength, and tactics. I've seen some hard climbs go down in some of the shittiest shoes with the worst rubber available.

Joel Allen · · La Crosse, WI · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 265

Go with something that was let you stand on the smallest of edges. You'll being doing that much more then smearing. In my experience there you don't even smear that much on hard routes, harder than 5.10. :)

Matt G · · Chicago, IL · Joined Jan 2008 · Points: 130
Dylan B. wrote:^ +1 Edges matter at DL. You'll never find rubber sticky enough to help you smear on Baraboo Quartzite.
+2! I've used all different brand shoes, and don't see any difference.
Double J · · Sandy, UT · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 3,931

+3. Learn to edge as best as possible. You can never really smear there unless you have something 3D to smear against like a small dish or something.

That at least goes for my experience on routes, not problems. Maybe that is a different game all together.

Mike Robinson · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 251

Does blindy thrashing/flailing at edges count as smearing?

Austin Eddy · · Chattanooga, TN · Joined Apr 2013 · Points: 11
Mike Robinson wrote:Does blindy thrashing/flailing at edges count as smearing?
That is what we like to call "smedging" and it is a favorite of people with way too loose of shoes. I've been impressed with what some people can pull off while smedging.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Midwest
Post a Reply to "Favorite Shoe Rubber for Devils Lake"

Log In to Reply

Join the Community

Create your FREE account today!
Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started.