Socks and Climbing Shoes Your missing Out

I use to believe in not wearing socks and climbing shoes, but boy was I missing out. I changed and have never gone back. Keeps them smelling a little bit better, yes I can feel the rock under my toes, and my shoes are comfier. What's not to love. Just make sure you're not wearing a thick sock otherwise it might not work; however wool socks and TC Pros are a game-changing cold weather climbing combo. Who else is a sock and shoe fan out there?

1% of climbers climb at a level where the difference between socks and no socks matters. 99% of climbers climb without socks. 100% of these statistics were made up. 

Love socks for all the reasons you mentioned. So comfy on long routes too. I'm learning to embrace to old guy look.

If you want to stick to dime edges ditch the socks and make sure the shoes are tight, so tight you can't wear socks with them.

Tradiban wrote: If you want to stick to dime edges ditch the socks and make sure the shoes are tight, so tight you can't wear socks with them.

It's like you're barely even trying. We deserve better than a phoned in troll post. 

Been climbing now for 25 years, and MOST of that time I've worn socks in my climbing shoes--no matter what shoe I'm wearing.  I find the tightness is still there, as long as it's a thin sock (like Icebreaker).  No more fungus issues, no stink, no stickiness.  TC Pros and thin socks: year round for me

Socks are aid.

B Jolley wrote: Socks are aid.

Shoes are aid. Socks adding additional levels of aid don't matter because you can't over dry, you can't over aid. 

Tradiban wrote: If you want to stick to dime edges ditch the socks and make sure the shoes are tight, so tight you can't wear socks with them.

Oh please.  I've stuck to plenty of dime edges and less and I've always worn socks.  My climbing socks are about 1.5 mm thick, uncompressed.  Your experience is obviously different.

 “Hayden wore socks, Nick did not”

If you wanna wear socks, go for it. Doubt at our level it makes a bit of difference

Jake P wrote: https://vimeo.com/117503263 “Hayden wore socks, Nick did not”

If you wanna wear socks, go for it. Doubt at our level it makes a bit of difference

Hayden also climbed 5.13 with  socks on his hands

Jon Frisby wrote:

Hayden also climbed 5.13 with  socks on his hands

Come on you can't just say that and not give us a video!

kevin deweese wrote:

It's like you're barely even trying. We deserve better than a phoned in troll post.

...

phylp wrote:

Oh please.  I've stuck to plenty of dime edges and less and I've always worn socks.  My climbing socks are about 1.5 mm thick, uncompressed.  Your experience is obviously different.

Nvm, I guess we don't. 

One of the premier sock sends in recent years. 

TaylorP wrote:

Come on you can't just say that and not give us a video!

Man I wish I had filmed it. He did most of the arsenal at Rifle in an afternoon

Lets be honest, wearing socks with climbing shoes look ridiculous.

Also in when climbing cracks - socks would be considered AID climbing. 

Yes, Kevin, I got that it was a troll. Not exactly hard to figure out when 99% of his posts are trolls. I will sometimes, when I’m in the mood, respond to trolls seriously just as a protest against the stupidity of the practice. Most of the time, I just ignore them too. 

As a boulderer (also sport climber) I prefer no socks in my shoes. My guess is many people talking about socks in their shoes are climbing trad in cold temps. In that case, def socks. 

phylp wrote: Yes, Kevin, I got that it was a troll. Not exactly hard to figure out when 99% of his posts are trolls. I will sometimes, when I’m in the mood, respond to trolls seriously just as a protest against the stupidity of the practice. Most of the time, I just ignore them too. 

Lol. Having to explain your troll response to a fellow troll-e might be a whole new level winning for me.

However, no troll. If you wear a sock your feet won't grip the inside of the shoe as well and slide a bit, rendering your edging less effective. Sometimes it takes a little chalk on the feet beforehand for the sweaty type in order for this to work.

Here's an idea to save this thread - post up the photo of the hardest route/problem being climbed in socks. Bonus if it's the FA. I'll start - Jeff Gruenberg on Vandals (5.13 the Gunks), then the hardest route east of the Mississippi:

Tradiban wrote: However, no troll. If you wear a sock your feet won't grip the inside of the shoe as well and slide a bit, rendering your edging less effective. Sometimes it takes a little chalk on the feet beforehand for the sweaty type in order for this to work.

I think there's an assumption of wearing socks meaning that there's room for play inside the shoe. Which is true in many cases. 

Some (I say "some" to mean "me") will sometimes (I say "sometimes" to mean "when it's cold" and "when I'm in a masochistic mood and focusing on edging problems because my arms are weak") have a set of shoes where they fit them so that they're comfortable without socks and tight with socks so that there's no play. 

This has worked maybe once when I nailed the fit, but mostly they end up overly tight and constricting and then my coal feet turn to diamonds under the pressure and end up hurting even more against the cold. 

Also I barely ever freeclimb anymore when it's cold and much prefer to aid (I say "I barely ever freeclimb anymore when it's cold and much prefer to aid" to mean "my opinion on this matter is irrelevant and I'm just yapping online because I'm bored")