barefoot shoes for climbing?
- Thread starter Friedrich
- Start date
- Location
- Chardon, OH
I've seen Kevin Bingham rec climb completely bare foot several times !
flushcut
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Delavan, WI
I’d probably stub my pinky toe on a twig.
treebing
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Detroit, Mi.
I have the vivo barefoot. They were popular at the itcc with the majority of the Masters challenger climbers wearing them. I love them. Make sure you get the stitched on soles vs the glued on.
Barc Buster
Branched out member
- Location
- The land shaped like a hand
I rec climb in xero brand water shoes a lot and really like it.
Matias
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Butte County
I just started wearing some zero drop shoes after my wife tried a few different ones from different brands and said that the pain in her arches finally stopped. She'd been complaining of it as long as I have known her, and I got her to try custom orthotics, but they wouldn't fit in almost any shoes because of how high the arch was. I am pretty stoked on the whole concept; been a huge revelation. Gonna have to give this a go this next spring.
Treemuel
Branched out member
- Location
- Hancock, ME
I picked up a pair of the vivo barefoot trackers and really like them for climbing. I’m generally barefoot or in zero drop/minimalist footwear for everything else in life except wearing boots for spur climbing.
Matias
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Butte County
I would like to be able to smear better....
flushcut
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Delavan, WI
You would have to get the size right. Most rock shoes should be worn a size or three smaller than your normal shoe size. I wear a 10.5 wide and have a pair of baby Ninja’s that are a 8. I don’t think I could stuff my foot in them now but back in the day they were my bouldering shoe, almost like going barefoot.
dspacio
Branched out member
- Location
- Narragansett Bay
Vivos shoes are great. I have two pairs. I feel like I'd destroy them climbing for work purposes, but the first pair i've got is going on two years and still holding up good..
southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
A board-lasted shoe that is fit for socks might be the ticket.
Shoes that small are for 1 minute or less bouldering wear.
flushcut
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Delavan, WI
Hour and half gym sessions was the routine Tuesdays and Thursdays. After about fifteen minutes your feet got so numb it made the rest tolerable. Lol ah the good old days!
southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
I always took my slippers of between bouldering problems and lace- ups between roped climbs.
southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
I was feeling pretty good at 5.10 sport and 5.9 trad on lead. Top roping 5.11's some. A 5.11a short sport route lead, maybe 2.
After my several dedicated years of climbing in college, my wilderness therapy work schedule didn't allow consistent training. After that, conservation work was hard on my body, so I was climbing longer, easier trad routes in Tahoe, Yosemite/ Tuolumne. Since moving to WA, rock climbing has been minimal. Recently, top-roped what was supposedly 5.11a at the gym (padded grading, IMO).
I don't care for bouldering so much, as every fall is a ground fall.
After my several dedicated years of climbing in college, my wilderness therapy work schedule didn't allow consistent training. After that, conservation work was hard on my body, so I was climbing longer, easier trad routes in Tahoe, Yosemite/ Tuolumne. Since moving to WA, rock climbing has been minimal. Recently, top-roped what was supposedly 5.11a at the gym (padded grading, IMO).
I don't care for bouldering so much, as every fall is a ground fall.
flushcut
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Delavan, WI
5.10a was my hardest Red River Gorge Picket Wall before the area burned. I mostly climbed at Devils Lake WI. 5.8 5.7 quartzite is some greasy rock to climb almost impossible whet wet. 0 friction.
Matias
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Butte County
I haven't done much rock climbing in over 10 years, but I never had any gear, nor did I know anyone who was into it, so I would go free soloing. At around 26 or so, I went out bouldering for about 10 hours, high on acid, and all the jumping down to get off these big boulders was too much for my knees, and vowed that I would come back to it when I could afford gear. Ah, to be young and dumb again.....
southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
My first rock climbing was at Devil's Lake, WI in 1991, senior year in HS.
Had a teacher who was a trad climber who taught and took us in a weekend trip.
Climber there a little more.
Really cut my teeth on Southern Illinois sandstone while living in Carbondale for about 5 years, making trips from North Carolina's Looking Glass Mountain and West Virginia' Seneca Rocks and New River Gorge, T-wall and KY's Red River Gorge to Colorado, WY, NV, and CA.
Done a little up here in Wetshington since moving from 3 years in Lake Tahoe.
Had a teacher who was a trad climber who taught and took us in a weekend trip.
Climber there a little more.
Really cut my teeth on Southern Illinois sandstone while living in Carbondale for about 5 years, making trips from North Carolina's Looking Glass Mountain and West Virginia' Seneca Rocks and New River Gorge, T-wall and KY's Red River Gorge to Colorado, WY, NV, and CA.
Done a little up here in Wetshington since moving from 3 years in Lake Tahoe.
so i bought a pair vivo etc forest and used them yesterday for pruning, i like it alot!
the ascender strap‘s are more noticeable but so is the tree. i‘m not too worried about shredding them as they appear well build and cost the same as a pair of lasportivas (@Matias) also i enjoy walking around in them and my guilt towards my slight bunion is lessened
the ascender strap‘s are more noticeable but so is the tree. i‘m not too worried about shredding them as they appear well build and cost the same as a pair of lasportivas (@Matias) also i enjoy walking around in them and my guilt towards my slight bunion is lessened
