best shoes for long multipitch?

hey all, i'm looking to buy a good pair of multipitch shoes and i'm wondering what people have found that has worked out for them. comfort takes precedence over performance (my feet get tender after a long day on the rock) though if i can get comfort AND performance that would be friggin sweet. money isn't an issue (no i'm not rich, i have a decent job but i still live like i'm in college) so i'd love to hear all suggestions!

Comfortable and stylish! Plus you will fit right in with the Tombstone locals.

heh hehehe
haha hah! hahaha
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HA HAH! HAHAHAH! HAHAHAHAHAH

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AHAHAHAHHAAHHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111ONEONEONEONEONE

ok so it wasn't quite that extreme, but i did laugh pretty hard when i saw that.

I would buy the $180 shoes at least four sizes too small (preferably synthetic) with a 45* downturned toe in the color gunmetal.

Anyhoo........ If you really need to ask this question, I'm sure you could have done a search first-- if not here, then over on rc.com where there are five billion shoe threads already in existence (not to mention gear reviews), some of which I'm sure were started sometime in the last six months by dudes we could group into your same anthropometric/socioeconomic/ethnocentric/politicalistic/Rorschach inkblot-interpreting categories....thus saving you needless time doing it yourself, since I can clearly tell by your posts that time is precious to you.

Comfortable ars tip loose shoes Jim!!!

wow! I read some of these cats replies to your posts. the cowboy boots...funny.Eyes of green, what up with your posts? the guy asks a valid question. have you looked through a gear guide lately the are so politically correct that you can't go off of what they say. the mags never rate shoes bad because they want to keep those advertising dollars rolling in.
Jon
if you see eyes of green out climbing make sure to steer clear of her elitist tude. by looking at her climbing resume I can tell she has a reason for the hostility.
shoes to look at mythos from sportiva. good shoe does everything well. also the nago by sportiva. has a similar last.

Jon - I second the Mythos recommendation; they're popular for a good reason and will let you climb hard all day, or you can loosen the laces a bit and just cruise. The most versatile shoe I've ever climbed in, and the workmanship is top notch. Have fun - I sure miss springtime in the west.

Hey Jon
Read my review of thes shoes... they really are the best all around shoe I have worn yet. One nice thing is that they can be bought slightly bigger than traditional mocs... if you have ever worn those.
Sam
mountainproject.com/v/climb…

Agree on Mythos: BUT, do not downsize Mythos. You should fit Mythos for just comfortable snugness in the toe box. Start with your street shoe size and then maybe look at a half size down from that if you are feeling a bit sloppy. But if they hurt in the store, then they will become total slop on the rock.

If your feet are tender because you need more padding and reinforcement, then I'd second the Tradmasters. You will lose sensitivity, but for all around multi-pitch trad, you will find them a great balance between precision and padding/support. Great for crack climbs with significant foot and toe camming.

kevin fox wrote:Eyes of green, what up with your posts? the guy asks a valid question. have you looked through a gear guide lately the are so politically correct that you can't go off of what they say. the mags never rate shoes bad because they want to keep those advertising dollars rolling in. Jon if you see eyes of green out climbing make sure to steer clear of her elitist tude. by looking at her climbing resume I can tell she has a reason for the hostility.

meh, she's probably just PO'd about something and decided to take it out on somebody on the interwebs.

thanks for all your comments guys! i'll start looking into your suggestions.

kevin fox wrote:have you looked through a gear guide lately the are so politically correct that you can't go off of what they say. the mags never rate shoes bad because they want to keep those advertising dollars rolling in.

I wasn't trying to be mean; just silly. :)

But I was serious in that this identical thread exists millions of times over and a simple search would expedite such information for him easily. Also, I was referring to gear reviews by climbers on the climbing sites, not mags.

Eyes Of Green wrote:But I was serious in that this identical thread exists millions of times over and a simple search would expedite such information for him easily. Also, I was referring to gear reviews by climbers on the climbing sites, not mags.

Ahhh Eyes... but perhaps he simply wants the "best opinions" and so looks with great pride & trust to his fellow companions & comrads here on mp.com :)

dan, I got me some of those boots and I tell ya they work GREAT for Crack Climbing..! Yee-haw ~

I have a pair of 5.10 Altias - the tongue is super comfortable on top of the foot arch + hi tops are nice cushion for your ankle (also stealth-rubber-babee). As any shoe, I'm breaking them (gently) but plan to keep them only for mp-routes. Seems they have been disq for Spring (Fall 07 only) a few pairs still available online. Good luck in finding the perfect shoe..!

I have three diff. sizes of the same shoe (lasportiva Katanas.) Smallest for bouldering, a half size up for cragging, and a full size up from that for splitters and long routes.

I would look at what you allready have and like and get a larger size of the same shoe.

I think Not So Famous is trying to sandbag you. Size the Mythos as small as you can possibly fit your foot into otherwise you will be wearing double socks smearing like Goofy in a couple months.

Mythos rock for all day comfort as long as you are just freeclimbing. Been wearing them for years...wish I could afford to buy a pair.

Another vote for the Mythos -- on long multi-pitch, they're the shoes I can stand to be in all day. My Katanas are a good alternative to the Mythos, especially if I know I'll have some opportunities to take them off once in a while (in other words, belays on ledges rather than hanging belays).

As far as sizing of the Mythos, I keep hearing people talk about getting them small because of stretch, but that hasn't been my experience at all. I bought mine in a comfortable size and haven't seen any significant stretch that can't be compensated for by just lacing them tighter.

JL

Agree with NSFOD and Saxfiend. Mythos, street size.

Jonas D'Andrea wrote:Agree with NSFOD and Saxfiend. Mythos, street size.

Mythos stretch to about 1 1/2 to 2 sizes once broken in. If you do not mind a more sloppy fit in 6months then go for the street size. Otherwise size down 2 maybe 2.5 sizes depending on your foot specs and they will break in and stretch to be a cozy pair of house slippers.

Sax,
They are most likely not stretching becuase there is not enough force to stretch them. If they are a loose fit to start there is nothing to really stretch the shoe you know?
In some cases the not sizing down can really hurt people once the shoe does break in. It is a very soft and stretchable leather. Some people may end up tugging the laces as tight as they can pull and still not have a tight fit. THis is the logic behind the down size as well. Having the flexibility of lacing and adjusting the fit around your foot.
cheers

SAL

I'd recommend the TradMaster. This shoe does feel nice and comfortable right out of the box and I've used them on long (18 pitch) climbs in The Black Canyon and had happy feet at the end of the day.

The Mythos is for sure my favorite shoe and I down size about 2-3 sizes 'cause my feet are EEE wide and stretch the heck out of the fit but what I've found over time is that what little torsional rigidity the Mythos has disappears quickly and the shoe becomes fatiguing to wear on routes longer than 6-8 pitches. The Tradmaster seems to hold up better in this regard and so is more comfortable. The TM works better on small edges as well.....Keep in mind the Tradmaster will stretch at least 1/2 a size or more immediately upon using them. You don't have to get them super tight but getting a very snug fit right away is a good thing.

Stretching sure is an issue with these leather shoes, but if your willing to invest in a couple pairs, here's what worked for me: buy a pair that's snug, maybe half a size down, see how much they stretch, and then buy your next pair accordingly. The looser pair make great alpine rock shoes (with socks) or for those long, moderate days, or climbing wide cracks in the desert, while you can use your more dialed pair for the harder/narrower stuff.

SAL wrote:Sax, They are most likely not stretching becuase there is not enough force to stretch them. If they are a loose fit to start there is nothing to really stretch the shoe you know?

I said comfortable, not loose. The shoes are plenty snug, just not undersized.

SAL wrote:In some cases the not sizing down can really hurt people once the shoe does break in. It is a very soft and stretchable leather. Some people may end up tugging the laces as tight as they can pull and still not have a tight fit. THis is the logic behind the down size as well. Having the flexibility of lacing and adjusting the fit around your foot. cheers SAL

That's all well and good and I'm not arguing with anyone; it's just not the experience I've had with the Mythos. And based on other comments here, it looks like not everyone has the stretch issues you describe.

JL

saxfiend wrote: I said comfortable, not loose. The shoes are plenty snug, just not undersized. That's all well and good and I'm not arguing with anyone; it's just not the experience I've had with the Mythos. And based on other comments here, it looks like not everyone has the stretch issues you describe. JL

its all good. I just wanted to share my knowledge of the mythos and add to the thread. Everything is different for everyone.
cheers