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Shoes shoes shoes!

Original Post
Moof · · Portland, OR · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 25

Any new favorites for decent approach shoes that don't completly suck for busting out free now and then? Anyone with skinny feet have favorites that can actually cinch down enough?

My old leather Camp 4's are a bit too sloppy, but pretty darn comfy for aid.

Matt Kuehl · · Las Vegas · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 1,712

Check out the La Sportive Xplorer. They climb pretty well, although after 3 days on El Cap they still got pretty beat up.

Kevin Mokracek · · Burbank · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 342

Something cheap. Buy a few pair of Five Ten Guide Tenneies on sale, I see them go for $39-49 every so often. They are great for easy free moves but not super for standing in all day in aiders. Obviously something comfortable. For me the Guide Tennie works great but that's just me.

Rob WardenSpaceLizard · · las Vegans, the cosmic void · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 130

The Ganda guide is my wall shoe of choice. I got it ar a consignment shop, and I paint the toes with plastidip.

caribouman1052 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 5

I own Sportiva Explorers, Sportiva Boulder X, Scarpa Crux. I have very high volume feet, narrow heel, wide forefoot; the Scarpas are a bit narrow in the toes. I would rank them:

- Sportiva Explorer best fit, and bit more smear capable than the Boulder X
- Scarpa 2nd best, narrowest overall, least stiff, least squishy heel cushion for approach hikes, reasonably sticky, best for cracks
-Boulder X, comfortable approach shoe, spacing between eyelets is too big if you have high volume feet, and the stiffest of the three. It would be the best aid shoe, but the leather didn't turn out to be durable. Blew out the leather just above the rand in two pitches.

My suggestion? Start with the Sportiva Explorer, then the Scarpa Crux, then maybe a Salewa Firetail. Or Garmont's latest approach shoe. I've had very good luck with Garmonts, although I would rank my old Sticky Weekends as a durable version of the Boulder X - better for aid & free moves than hiking.

djh860 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2014 · Points: 110

I hate guide tennis no arch support = tired feet
The la sportiva Boulder x approach are good for narrow feet

that guy named seb · · Britland · Joined Oct 2015 · Points: 236

The new guide tennies are absolute shit, i have a pair of la sportiva hypermid GTX and they are pretty sweet cant comment for big walling though, Andy Kirkpatrick loves the lasportiva ganda shoes and they would probably be my choice for aid.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Big Wall and Aid Climbing
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