Would you buy this product? Walk Offs - protect your rock shoes

If you ever get these to market and if anyone ever buys them and actually uses them, some n00b's foot is going to slip out of these and they're gonna bounce down some descent slabs and your startup climbing gear company is gonna be lawsuit fodder!

Just thinking this through--a little too far.

But it's a bad idea. Come up with something else.

You could always make up some test pairs and try them out on potential customers on the cliff. I´d buy some of these sears.com/peak-men-s-rubber…;blockNo=25&blockType=G25 for $20 and a craft knife and do some subtle modification.
Then off to someone like DongGuang Shijin Industrial who will knock them out for $3.50 a pair.
I still can´t believe anyone leaves their rock boots on a second longer than they need too.

Where are John Langston's paper approach shoes that you can burn??? I want to see those marketed and sold.

I won't buy any, but I'd still like to see them.

Gonna lay it on you straight. This is a bad idea.

I can't imagine anyone actually carrying this and walking off a climb still wearing their climbing shoes. If you are going to have to carry something, flip flops or real shoes will be better in all scenarios. No one is going to want to walk around in their climbing shoes pretty much ever.

The only use for an overshoe I can think of would be for waiting around for runs on climbs, perhaps between burns of a boulder problem. In that case, you want something you can slip on and off easily. This doesn't fit that bill, and I can't imagine you could design anything that would be a significant improvement on existing products (like crocs).

In summary, you have designed a product that is bad at what you designed it for, and then also bad at the one thing you should have designed it for.

Hello Enasser, this is where I would and wouldn't wear this product:

Would wear:

• For walking to the cliff from my stuff or belay. I do not put on my shoes at the exact base of the route, usually I unpack and put my shoes on 10-20 feet away from the route. If my soles are muddy, I wipe off on my pant leg before I climb. These would prevent the mud from getting on my soles in the first place.
• For crag belays - I typically do not take off my laced shoes when belaying my partner. This would prevent the mud problem.
• For walking along the same cliff to a different route - sometimes I walk in my climbing shoes a few routes down, so I don't have to untie my shoes, put other shoes on, and retie into them. I'm a slow packer so not having to mess with my shoes would be good. I wouldn't use them for long hilly approaches but for short walks down the wall or around the corner, it would be nice.

Would not wear:

• Muli-pitch - so much stuff to carry already, don't want to carry anything else. On the summit, my foot is getting uncomfortable. Therefore I carry a pr of lightweight keen to rappel, which I often walked to the route to. Unless you made these more adjustable to fit feet without shoes, these would be too big to wear by themselves.
• As Approach/ Descent shoes - I want my shoes off! And not enough traction for my typical uphill approach.

In sum, I think they are a good idea so I don't have dirty soles while I am getting to the route, while I am belaying, and for being speedier between routes so people aren't always waiting on me. I don't mind "twigs or stones" - that is not a problem- because most of my sole wear comes from rock, so whoever said you were competing with the resole market is not correct for me. However, mud and squished plants are bad for friction so if I could prevent them, would be best.

One more thing, I'm not a dirtbag climber, I buy a ton of stuff, so I'm not sure how the market would be other than me. However, I'd of course pay as little as I had to. I'd defn pay $30. When you produce these, don't forget to make one for small feet, I wear a size 34.5.

Caprinae monkey wrote: Would wear: *For walking to the cliff from my stuff or belay. I do not put on my shoes at the exact base of the route, usually I unpack and put my shoes on 10-20 feet away from the route.

You would wear them to walk 10 feet to the cliff? Here is an idea, move your shit ten feet closer to the wall and start there. lol

Leave it to you to resurrect a thread from 3 months ago that was pointless then...

BSheriden wrote: You would wear them to walk 10 feet to the cliff? Here is an idea, move your shit ten feet closer to the wall and start there. lol Leave it to you to resurrect a thread from 3 months ago that was pointless then...

I was starting to worry when you didn't post something angry today!

I would buy a real light small shoe to wear on descents. First thing I want to do is take my shoes off at the top. Some sort of slipper that is reasonable on trails would be nice. Usually just carry tennis shoes, which is economical but bulking.

Caprinae monkey wrote: I was starting to worry when you didn't post something angry today!

Im not angry, just easily amused by your posts.

Erik W wrote:I wouldn't buy them. Main walkoff issue isn't wear on climbing shoes, it's discomfort in climbing shoes (paired with weight of approach shoes during the climb). Bought a pair of the Evolve Cruzer shoes this year... perfect for the application. Merrell barefoot shoes would be perfect too. Both quite pricey, but no more so than entry level climbing shoes. Keep up the innovation though.

My thoughts are exactly the same as Erik W's. I usually do multipitch trad. For me, as well, it's not about damage to my shoe - it's about discomfort doing a descent in climbing shoes. I always use the Evolv Cruzer shoe for my descents. Worth every penny.

I also would not bring the slips for protection when belaying on multipitch routes. There isn't enough wear/tear, and I'm already carrying plenty of weight. I like to stay light.

If I was doing the easiest short walk off ever, it would make sense, but then again, if it was a short walk off, it wouldn't justify the expense.

When I'm waiting around to climb, I want to be comfortable. It's not a hassle to put my cruzer shoes on.

I appreciate your idea, so kudos for trying to be creative, but I just don't see a place for it in my gear closet.

Poor rc.com. I should go be more active on that site, they have some good reviews. They just need to update their layout.

Neither I nor anyone I know would buy this.

But! You still might make money because people buy all sorts of useless crap to go climbing. You share the same target audience as for:

-pre-tied prussic slings
-the PAS
-those rubber crack gloves
-the Alpine Equalizer
-hexes
-the Kong Frog
-the ATC Sport
-Those shorts with the built-in harness
-La Sportiva Mythos
-The little rubber protectors for your ice axe's pointy parts

So keep your costs low, market well, and good luck!

nkane wrote:Neither I nor anyone I know would buy this. But! You still might make money because people buy all sorts of useless crap to go climbing. You share the same target audience as for: -pre-tied prussic slings -the PAS -those rubber crack gloves -the Alpine Equalizer -hexes -the Kong Frog -the ATC Sport -Those shorts with the built-in harness -La Sportiva Mythos -The little rubber protectors for your ice axe's pointy parts So keep your costs low, market well, and good luck!

You are insinuating these items are worthless. Tons of people have La Sportiva Mythos. I have hexes and love them, I like their light camming action in horizontals, and like their two very different orientations as giant stoppers. I have rubber crack gloves from I think the Czech republic - much better than the ones sold here. They fit great and aren't as time consuming as tape. PAS are also safer than daisy chains.

Those shorts with attached harness do mystify me though. I guess you are prepared at all times!