Breaking in TC Pros?

Wow, a lot of great input here. I have only worn my TC Pros on half a dozen climbs so it sounds like they will still need time to break in. I like the idea of sandpaper and wearing them around more.

Seems like quite a few people can commiserate with the feeling of insecurity in new shoes...and I thought I might be the only one! I climb every pair of my solutions until you can see my toe sticking out (seriously) so the lack of sensitivity was especially noticeable to me.

Yeah. The thinner the rubber, the more sensitive the shoe. A part of the problem is that smearing relies more on the ball of the foot, which we don't use as much and therefore is not going to be as worn.

Muscrat wrote:I find the katana's don't work for me. I like the miurra, futura, genius. BUT the KATANA LACE are awesome. I climb lot of thin granite and pocketed volcanic. I size the TC pro and the Katana lace comfortably, same as my street shoe. I do not understand people who take the P3 platform and try and downsize as in an aggressive shoe? I can wear either the TC or the K. lace for 15 pitches with little or no problem. Try em, you'll love em! Especially if you have 'clown feet' (size 46). ADD: I think of the K laces as the TC pro with a miurra toe.

I second what muscrat said on the katana lace in terms of fit and performance. I have them a half size down from street and find they work excellent for granite trad multi pitch. The toe is very precise and they are a bit more sensitive than the TC pro. The only time I miss TC pros is for wide cracks, that stiff ass sole kills it for offwidths.

I never did feel that the TC pros smeared well at all, but I also had them sized tight for edging so YMMV. Either shoe takes a bit of a break in before smearing comes on.

My Katanas are(were) great for 1-2 pitches, but then I would need to take them off. Granted, they're much easier to get on and off, but I can leave my TC Pros on all day (sized .5 size higher, granted). After the second resole, my Katanas have gotten SUPER soft, though.

Ted Pinson wrote:My Katanas are(were) great for 1-2 pitches, but then I would need to take them off. Granted, they're much easier to get on and off, but I can leave my TC Pros on all day (sized .5 size higher, granted). After the second resole, my Katanas have gotten SUPER soft, though.

Katana or Katana Lace? And yes, TC pro for the #3 BD cam sized crack and up. Have to say when i am doing a very varied multi, think Sierra East side, slab to wide, i go with the TC's.

Katana lace. Toebox is flat now, lol. Still edge decently if you crank the laces but not like they used to. Smear and jam much better, though.

Those of you that have had TC's for awhile, do they stretch at all in length? I've had mine for about 6 months now, climbing regularly, and they are still pretty painful on my larger (by half size) foot. Thanks.

I bought my TC Pros a half size small for a snug fit but they never stretched, even after a full season of use. After a resole the toe box got slightly smaller resulting in more pain. I finally bought the next size up, and just lace them a little tighter.

Ian Machen wrote:Those of you that have had TC's for awhile, do they stretch at all in length? I've had mine for about 6 months now, climbing regularly, and they are still pretty painful on my larger (by half size) foot. Thanks.

Buy street shoe size. The shoe is designed to function comfortably.
:)

LS, please don't be scared to sell TCs in at least 46.5 and 47. You will sell them, I promise.

Wow, you guys have very different experiences than me, but I don't have LS feet. I bought 46 which is technically either 0.5 or 1 size down from my street shoe size (US 13). LS gets weird with sizing, as they have a 46 (12.5) and 46.5 (12.5+), so a 13 is actually 47. Either way, I couldn't go any looser (they actually shrank somehow to conform to my feet but the heel occasionally slips) and street shoe size would be ridiculously sloppy.

Norse Force wrote:LS, please don't be scared to sell TCs in at least 46.5 and 47. You will sell them, I promise.

+1! I found out something very sad. As we get to a certain age our tendons begin to fail. Great for climbers, NOT.
One of the many things that happen is ones feet spread, in width and length. I went from 45 to 46+ in one short season; praying it does not continue, or i will have to remove first knuckles on my feet to fit LS shoes.
BTW, just scored and climbed in a pair of Genius, another awesome shoe from LS.

I had the same thing happen to my feet, widen in oldish age. I found that buying a wider width shoe and stretching it with one of those wooden shoe stretchers helps a lot.

Oh yeah, i find shoe trees at the thrift store, most of my shoes live with them.

I made two piece "shoe stretchers" from 2 x 4s. You can drive shims between the 2 pieces and wedge them pretty hard if you have to. I sanded down the front part in the shape of my foot.