Your climbing equipment will be made up of all those integral parts to ensure that your expedition is safe and as comfortable as possible. There’s a lot of kit to remember when climbing; from equipment such as your harness, ropes, karabinars to your safety helmet and bags, each part is essential.
What about shoes? The temptation to wear standard trainers or hiking boots is great – these are fine for climbing, right? Wrong!
When climbing, there are two very important factors to consider, such as flexibility and friction. In some ways, your climbing shoes should act as a second skin, able to work with you. Walking boots and trainers don’t share this flexibility, and the ability to ‘feel’ the rock is all important when climbing.
Aside from this flexibility, it’s important to point out that it’s the friction that makes the difference. The soles of rock climbing shoes are made from vulcanised rubber. Normally used for tyres, vulcanised rubber has the benefit of providing friction, but quality support for feet when climbing.
The vulcanised rubber soles of mountain climbing shoes really are far better than other boots. It does this thanks to the aforementioned flexibility; the friction between your foot and the rock makes the rubber expand. This makes your foot… well, stickier!
The perfect fit
So that’s the basics of how climbing shoes work, but what about getting the right kind of shoes? There are a few things we need to look at to find what makes the right shoe for you. Of course, the first thing to think about is how it fits. There is a theory that your climbing shoe should be smaller than your normal shoe size, but that’s not as true anymore.
As a guideline, if your toes do move around too freely within the shoe, then this is a problem. The shoe should fit snugly around the toes, moving with your feet for optimum purchase on the rock. You shouldn’t be in pain or too constricted – if you’re struggling at the beginning of your climb you can really be in a lot of pain when you really get going.
Another area to look at is the flexibility of the sole. There are two main types of climbing shoe: ‘board-lasted’ and ‘slip-lasted’. With board-lasted shoes, the last (the part that decides how the show will fit) is placed on a stiffened insole. Afterwards, the upper is built around these components. Because of this, the shoe has a tougher construction, supporting climbers who are new to the sport.
Slip-lasted shoes have a separately constructed upper, which is slipped over the last like a sock. This creates more flexibility for experienced climbers. There are other variations to these designs, and you might find the perfect shoe outside of these styles.
When shopping for climbing shoes, always get as much help as you can from your retailer! This is just an outline of what to expect when looking for climbing shoes, but always seek professional advice.
Trekitt provides excellent climbing equipment including climbing shoes, ropes, harnesses bags and accessories. They’re also on hand to offer expert advice.
