Butora Altura v TC Pros

I currently use TC pro and have used them for 3 months. They are a great traditional climbing shoe that is basically an all-in-one. They are great for crack climbing, edging, all day comfort, etc. I do a lot of crack climbing, so that's why I purchased them.

I owned my first pair for about 3 months and all of the rubber on the sides has come off. As a result, I've burned a hole in the side of the shoe as the rubber has come off. After using them for some time, I still think they are great, but not durable. Has anyone else had this experience?

Can anyone who has used TC pros in the past, and has tried/ is currently using the Altura's comment on the difference between both shoes? I'm just looking for a shoe that has TC pro capability but more durable in offwidth/cracks.

Thanks

I completely concur about the TC's lack of durability, the rubber on the sides peels off rather quickly. Because of that, the narrower last of the TC's and the aggressive heel tension; I just picked up a pair of Altura's (the green, wider ones) but only have one gym day in them so I am in no position to add anything useful about their durability or crack performance. The Altura's do fit my 5.10 Anasazi foot much better than the TC's. 

barge cement for longevity

Where can you buy barge cement and do you just apply it along the sides where the rubber is?

https://www.amazon.com/Barge-All-Purpose-Cement-Rubber-leather/dp/B00B5XDPLC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1500915517&sr=8-2&keywords=shoe+barge+cement

So just apply it to the sides where the rubber is?

IF one fits your foot well, the other may not.  The TC's are narrow for me, despite being from a maker of generally wide shoes.  
The Wide Altura's fit me better and actually perform pretty well (I did a test drive) even in the gym or on a slab.  But they are less sensitive, IMO.

I would certainly prefer the Altura for crack climbing, as the TC's are uncomforttably narrow in cracks for me, and I can't figure as if they are going to hold up to cracks on the side anyway.

That doesn't answer all of your questions, I realize, but I hope it gives you a few thoughts to consider.

I use the Alturas all the time for cracks and slab think they're great. TCs is that they're a bit narrow for my foot, and just a hair shorter than I'd like (I have tragically large feet), so I may not be the best for the side-by-side comparison. I can, however, say that the Altura is a great shoe- mine have been at least as durable as any other shoe I've used in the past few years, and they're extremely competent in the crack/slab realm. Tony is right: they are very stiff past the mid-sole and consequently aren't terribly sensitive. I have found them to be quite precise, but you have to see what you're aiming for. 

Ultimately, as always, fit is king. I don't think there's much to be said for one being hands down better than the other; they're both such good shoes that if you have a problem with one (fit, durability, etc.) it's definitely worth a look at the other. 

Joe Trabucco wrote:

So just apply it to the sides where the rubber is?

Nailed it.

Thank you. 

The Altura's don't have the P3 platform. They may be just as stiff without the trademark, but it's a consideration.

+1 rubber cement (barge cement), found at any local hardware shop or Walmart for $5. It mitigates the delamination to some extent. I climb a lot of Wingate and granite and my TC's last an acceptable amount of time with a couple resoles.

Having barge cement be the solution to the ubiquitous Sportiva delams reminds me of covering Guide Tennies in shoe goo (which was common when Guide Tennies were basically the only decent approach shoe made). Both are beloved products but they both have major short comings in the quality department. 

Agreed.  I just think tc pros are great but quality just isn't up to par, especially for someone who crack climbs a lot.  I think they are designed more for white collar climbing as opposed to blue collar. 

Joe Trabucco wrote:

I'm just looking for a shoe that has TC pro capability but more durable in offwidth/cracks.

Two suggestions

1) I tend to use older pairs of TC pros  when doing pure offwidths/cracks. Save your good pair for other climbing. You don't need a precise edging shoe to climb ow/cracks... 

2) use barge cement (or barge cement mixed with powdered stealth rubber) to protect the high-wear surfaces. I can usually get 3 resoles out of a pair of tc pros if i do that

A few posters have mentioned liking the Altura in the wide size. My feet are long and narrow (TC Pros are wide for me). Has anyone with narrow feet tried the regular size Altura? If so, how do you find the fit?

I have a problem in wide-hands to fist size cracks. My shoes often get stuck. As my feet have gotten longer but not wider over the years, even fairly narrow shoes get stuck (maybe there’s a technique issue, but I have found less sticking with narrower shoes). Reading the reviews, I have some hope that the stiff Altura in the narrower size might help in fist size cracks. Any thoughts on this? 

Rob.calm

amockalypsenow wrote:

I have green alturas and freaking love them. Only sad part is that size 14 is NLA from Butora (anybody have some to sell?)

How are they compared to tc pros?

I've used both. From my experience the Altura has much better construction than the TC Pro. They don't start delaminating after 3 days of climbing and need the cement. $180 shoes shouldn't fall apart that fast. I used the Altura this season for mainly climbing at Vedauwoo, the desert and wide cracks. There are stiffer and do very well there on hand size and wider. Because they are not as narrow as the TC they do seem to get stuck more often in wide cracks. However, the beefy construction means more durability and also less painful in cracks. They do great for heel/toe, inversions, etc. I would recommend trying a few pairs on because the sizing is a little different. 

I have noticed they don't edge and smear as well as the TC Pro so would not recommend them for a lot of face climbing, thin cracks, etc. Overall, I think the TC climbs better across the spectrum (slabs, cracks, face) but for wide cracks the Altura shine and are able to take a significantly more amount of abuse. Ultimately either will be fine it is just whatever fits your feet the best. 

Cool.  So butora for blue collar days and tc pros for white collar days. 

How can the TC pros lack quality if they were the shoe that climbed the dawn wall??

Also, you can use shoe goo/barge cement to cover seams in the upper parts of your shoes to protect against tearing seams. A lot of skateboarders cover the edges of their shoes in shoe goo to protect against the abrasive grip tape on skate boards.

How can ford lack quality if it was the first commercially built vehicle?

amockalypsenow wrote:

They don't make TC pros in my size so I can't compare. I can compare them to techno x's, vapor v's, mythos, mockasyms, arrowheads, Mega's, and so on and I can say they climb well and are comfortable, and the ankle protection is key for wide climbing.

how do they compare to the techno x's?