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Climbing Shoes
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Climbing shoes at eXXpozed
What distinguishes a climbing shoe?
Climbing shoes are shoes designed especially for sport climbing. Sport climbing includes rock climbing, indoor climbing, alpine sport climbing and bouldering. When climbing, most of the power comes from the legs, so climbing shoes must have very special properties to provide the best possible support on the rock or in the hall. Climbing shoes therefore have a soft and flexible rubber sole without profile. These soles provide high static friction and thus more grip than conventional sneakers. The soft, flexible sole gives the climber a feel for the rock and his foot technique. Climbing shoes are available as lace-up shoes, with velcro fasteners or as slip-on shoes, each variant again having certain characteristics. Unlike mountain boots, climbing shoes are not suitable for normal walking. Well-known manufacturers of climbing shoes are for example La Sportiva, Scarpa, Five Ten and Ocun.
How are climbing shoes constructed?
- The sole: The sole of a climbing shoe consists of a rubber compound that has a particularly high static friction. Depending on the manufacturer and model, there are harder and softer soles. While climbing shoes with a soft sole can provide a good feel for the rock and a better stance and are therefore ideal for sloping footholds, harder soles require less strength in the foot and can hold better on narrow footholds.
- Preload: There are climbing shoes with preload and without. A preloaded climbing shoe is more "banana shaped" curved downward when viewed from the side, while a nonpreloaded shoe is straight. This particular design stabilizes the foot in the climbing shoe, increasing the force in the toes. This allows greater pressure to be applied to narrow footholds and edges in the rock, improving stable footing. For beginners, however, pre-stressed shoes are rather unsuitable. Here you should rather reach for a comfortable shoe that sits pleasantly on the foot.
- Last: In climbing shoes there are models with symmetrical and asymmetrical lasts. The last is the shape of the foot in the shoe, in other words, with a symmetrical last, the shape of the foot corresponds to that of everyday shoes. In the climbing shoe with an asymmetrical last, the shape of the foot is asymmetrically curved, which allows the climber to increase the force on small footholds. Just like the preload, a climbing shoe with an asymmetrical last is something for the experienced climber, a symmetrical last is ideal for beginners.
Lacing, velcro or slip-on?
Climbing shoes are divided into climbing shoes with lacing, climbing shoes with velcro and slip-ons, depending on the closing technique.
- The slipper or also called slip-on, is a climbing shoe without lacing, into which you simply slip. The fixation on the foot usually takes place through one or two elastics. The advantage of this climbing shoe is that it can be put on and taken off quickly. Ideal for all occasions in which a quick change of shoes is required. The disadvantage of this shoe, however, is that it can quickly widen and thus lose its shape. Since this climbing shoe has no lacing to readjust it should fit perfectly when buying, or even be one size smaller than normal.
- Climbing shoes with lacing system are closed with laces. They have the huge advantage that you can adjust the shoe individually to your own foot, and compensate for any stretching of the material. They are also more suitable for certain climbing techniques such as the heel hook, because the heel can not slip out of the climbing shoe as easily as with other systems. A disadvantage compared to other models, however, is that these climbing shoes can not be put on and taken off so quickly due to the lacing system.
- The Velcros, so climbing shoes with velcro fasteners represent the middle ground between the two upper systems. By fixing the shoe with one or two velcro straps, it can be adjusted to the shape of the foot and compensate for slight material stretching. Due to the velcro system, however, this climbing shoe also allows quick putting on and taking off.
How should a climbing shoe fit?
In general, climbing shoes should fit as tightly as possible. This tight fit is important to ensure good power transmission. Since most climbing shoes will still stretch, most climbing shoes should be bought correspondingly smaller. In particular, this applies to climbing shoes made of leather. As this material stretches quite a bit, such shoes should be bought 1-2 shoe sizes smaller than you usually wear.
What should be considered when buying?
A beginner should choose a comfortable climbing shoe, so that he does not immediately lose interest. The climbing shoe for beginners should fit so tightly that the toes bump against the tip, but this does not cause pain. This tight fit is important to ensure good power transmission. Also, climbing shoes should be chosen without preload, which means that the shoe should not be pre-bent, as this foot position becomes too strenuous for a beginner in the long run. If a climbing shoe with a lacing system is purchased, it can even be worn a little wider in the beginning, and then tightened later. As the level increases, the requirements for climbing shoes become more specialized.
Where can I buy cheap climbing shoes online?
In our outlet for climbing shoes you will find a large selection of our range of climbing shoes at reduced prices. Whether beginner, advanced or professional climber - in our outlet you will find many great offers from the major climbing shoe manufacturers.
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