What have you climbed in approach shoes?

What grade / route have you climbed in your approach shoes?
What was the shoe? Did it feel solid or sketch?
I'm trying to decide on an approach shoe for low to mid
5th with an occasional 5.7-ish move.

Thanks

Taylor Brooks wrote: What grade / route have you climbed in your approach shoes?
What was the shoe? Did it feel solid or sketch?
I'm trying to decide on an approach shoe for low to mid
5th with an occasional 5.7-ish move.

Thanks

5.10a in those Evolv canvas things. It all depends on what grade you climb normally and how much you've climbed in stuff other than rock shoes previously.

Have tried leading up to 9+ in approach shoes  

Climbed a dead vertical 5.10b with small crystal feet in my 5.10 Tennies the other day. Love those shoes. I got them before Adidas bought them, so i don't know if the newer ones are any good.

I did cookie monster (5.12a in the valley) in sportiva boulder x mid’s awhile back, because you know, spray and stuff

Brandon Fields wrote: Climbed a dead vertical 5.10b with small crystal feet in my 5.10 Tennies the other day. Love those shoes. I got them before Adidas bought them, so i don't know if the newer ones are any good.

Wow, 5.10b...nice! Are  the Five Ten Tennies heavy? 

There was one comment in a review about them being "bricks".

Even so they are probably my first choice bc they look so solid.

evolve cruzer psyches are the best climbing approach shoe. scarpa geckos also climb really well, and are more padded which is great on longer days, but they're pricey and don't last as long.

get some and go climb in the gym with them. feeling solid in approach shoes is something you learn. 

Taylor Brooks wrote:

Wow, 5.10b...nice! Are  the Five Ten Tennies heavy? 

There was one comment in a review about them being "bricks".

Even so they are probably my first choice bc they look so solid.

Admittedly, they are heavy, but it's never bothered me. I prefer them because they are total shitkickers, quite comfy for hiking in for many miles and i can climb and scramble really well in them. I got to Moab once and forgot to bring them so i bought a second pair at Pagan. No regrets!

Parker Kempf wrote: I did cookie monster (5.12a in the valley) in sportiva boulder x mid’s awhile back, because you know, spray and stuff

I'd spray that if i were you.. No shame!

Parker Kempf wrote: I did cookie monster (5.12a in the valley) in sportiva boulder x mid’s awhile back, because you know, spray and stuff

HUH?! Wow, Inspired!

In the late 90’s, when I worked as a climbing guide in the Gunks, there was a two year period where I swore off proper climbing shoes and solely wore approach shoes for all climbing. I was consistently guiding as hard as 5.10 and climbing with friends up to 5.12. It became my norm. I usually wore Spotiva Boulderers or 5.10 Guide Tennies. Around this time I discovered that Tony Puppo in Bishop (The Rubber Room) would modify any sneaker I brought him, into excellent climbing shoes. He made my Sportiva Boulderers or 5.10 Guide Tennies way better with modifications and a resole. One time I found an abandoned pair of shitty Pumas in a crag parking lot and gave them to Puppo for modification. After he was through with them, I was leading the Beaver in them consistently after guiding days in Josh.

5.10 guide tennies, the old kind that I loved, and they no longer make.

I’ve climbed a v2 in Hueco;a random 5.9 crack (it was perfectly sized for approach shoes, would have been harder in climbing shoes, IMO);And a random 5.8 sport route.
I generally don’t see a point in climbing somethng in approach shoes just because, so all of these have been special case/forgotten shoes, etc. 

As others have said, shoes matter very little when you climb well below your limit. I’m sure Someone out there can climb the grade I barely redpoint in best-fitting shoes, while wearing flip flops. 

Taylor Brooks wrote: What grade / route have you climbed in your approach shoes?
What was the shoe? Did it feel solid or sketch?
I'm trying to decide on an approach shoe for low to mid
5th with an occasional 5.7-ish move.

Thanks

I have lead 10s and TR'd 11s at Tahquitz in Evolv Cruzers. There's a couple different versions of the shoe so get the ones that are slim and tight. Found some recently on Sierra Trading post for $10!

Tony Sartin wrote: In the late 90’s, when I worked as a climbing guide in the Gunks, there was a two year period where I swore off proper climbing shoes and solely wore approach shoes for all climbing. I was consistently guiding as hard as 5.10 and climbing with friends up to 5.12. It became my norm. I usually wore Spotiva Boulderers or 5.10 Guide Tennies. Around this time I discovered that Tony Puppo in Bishop (The Rubber Room) would modify any sneaker I brought him, into excellent climbing shoes. He made my Sportiva Boulderers or 5.10 Guide Tennies way better with modifications and a resole. One time I found an abandoned pair of shitty Pumas in a crag parking lot and gave them to Puppo for modification. After he was through with them, I was leading the Beaver in them consistently after guiding days in Josh.

I agree getting sticky rubber on normal shoes is the best. Turns comfy sit by the fire shoes into great approach shoes.  I got sticky rubber put on my sanuks and did a lot of 5.5-5.7s

If you are a climber of average ability, any approach shoe should be fine for up to 5.7 face/slab/crack.  The older I get, the more I've been erring on the side of comfort over performance; I've been buying trail running shoes with sticky rubber much more than true low-profile approach shoes for my last few pairs.  I think I'm on my third pair of Sportiva Raptors and I love them.  Oh, and for grades climbed, I've done Apollo Reed in them, a super steep, soft 5.13a, but I've also got that route pretty dialed in all sorts of footwear.

Off-Widths like Big Baby or Big Guy are usually pretty fun to climb in Five Tennies, as the extra bulk of the shoe can help with......slippage.

Cpt. E wrote: Off-Widths like Big Baby or Big Guy are usually pretty fun to climb in Five Tennies, as the extra bulk of the shoe can help with......slippage.

Yeah I went a whole season trying to climb everything at the Creek that was golds or bigger in approach shoes.  Until I realized that it really affected their durability. 

How do you guys size your approach shoes for climbing in them?

I've climbed up to hard 10's or easy 11's in 5.10 guide tennies plenty of times.  Typically happens when I just can't handle cramming my feet into my climbing shoes for another pitch but I want to get in some more mileage.

i led reppy's crack 5.8 on cannon in tennies. Dappled mare 5.8 in Jtree led p1+2, and followed the traverse while simulclimbing in them. i've done a few 5.9s in softer areas in them on lead. They really shine in the right size crack.

I wear 42.5 scarpa climbing shoes and 8.5 guide tennies (old and new). they cram the shit out of my toes at the end of the day if the approach is too long, but it's worth not having to change shoes as often, or at all on some routes.

I think the nature of the climb matters more than the difficulty.  Are we talking Crack?  I've done 5.11c OW Roof (Orangahang) in hiking boots with no sticky Rubber if that's the case.
hand cracks?  I did Lightning Bolt Crack (Six Shooters) in my partner's approach shoes after realizing we EACH brought one pair of her climbing shoes to the cliff and none of mine.  That's 5.11- as well.  The 10a traverse section was the crux that day, owing to lack of sticky rubber.

Are we talking slab?  Well, then the sticky rubber is key for sure, and a tighter fit matters?  I do about 5.6 or sometimes 5.7 slab in my approach shoes (Flatirons, on a regular basis), not much matter as to the brands I've used, but prefer a flat bottom to something with too much tread. Most of us who "scramble" don't use climbing shoes up there at all, but the 5.8's would be pretty scary like that.

What about pocket-pulling?  Can't say I've ever tried approach shoes on that, as I'd prefer a lower profile toe. No thanks!
But if we are talking jug hauls, well, then 5.11- (Fuzzy Undercling) in a pair of tevas.

The point here is that it matters if or not the shoe matters on that sort of climbing or that particular climb.
In my general approach shoes (Sportiva TX 3's or my old 5.tenie guides - the soft hightops) I'd have said a lot of 5.6 or a bit more slabs.
In my old, stiffer, leather-topped Boreal Flyers from the mid 1990's (think bowling shoes with stiff leather uppers and smooth rubber on bottom, not tread, and a stiff, low profile toe-cap...) well, I routinely did 5.8-5.9''s in them.  As in, I'd go climbing casual routes for a day in them, but not anything very hard.  IE I remember doing Pear Buttress and Endless Crack (5.8's at Lumpy Ridge) in approach shoes, specifically the Boreal Flyers.

Hope that helps.