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Biffbarf
February, 2025

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Climbers of NS, I got a question.

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TOAST.
Posts: 7647 - Karma: 38,396
Looking into getting into climbing more and was looking for a good pair of beginners shoes to start. I will mostly be doing indoor climbing/bouldering and a little bit of outdoor bouldering. What is a good beginner shoe for a relatively cheap price.

So far I have looked at
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___89271
and
http://www.usoutdoor.com/climb-x/climb-x-redpoint-climbing-shoe/?avad=2721_a2df2475

are either of those good? I would like something that would last me a decent amount of time.
Jun 9 2012 9:39PM
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Backyard.Skier
Posts: 5397 - Karma: 1,498
you will probably want this bag as well.



thanks lolo!
Jun 9 2012 9:40PM
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Flying~Squirrel
Posts: 6494 - Karma: 190
madrock flashes. a lot of people hate on madrock, but i love them. i got them 5 years ago ( resoled 3 times i think) and have tried to replace them with more expensive, higher quality shoes 4 times. everything else has gotten sent back.
Jun 9 2012 9:43PM
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J_Christoph
Posts: 2519 - Karma: 8,755
scarpa and five ten have worked for me, but it looks like you don't want that pricey of a shoe
Jun 9 2012 9:44PM
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twsnow22
Posts: 1285 - Karma: 488
evolv rubber seems to wear out really fast and i'm not sure about the other brand you linked.. I've been the most pleased with my la sportivas..solid build and good rubber.. I've found my most recent sportivas on craigslist new for 50$.. tons of people by shoes that don't fit online and throw them up for really cheap.. so if you're looking for something cheap that's a great wway to find high end shoes for cheaper..
Jun 9 2012 11:09PM
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iFlip
Posts: 4544 - Karma: 19,145
There are many good ways to save money in life. Purchasing climbing shoes online is not one of them. Climbing shoes need to be sized perfectly. One brand may fit very differently from another brand. The two biggest brands are 5.10 and La Sportiva. People tend to have either a "5.10 foot" or a "La Sportiva foot." For example, I only wear 5.10 shoes. La Sportivas simply do not fit my foot. The opposite is true for many people. I do wear La Sportiva Nepal boots for ice climbing, but boots are an entirely different story.

You might need a size 9.5 5.10 Anasazi, but a size 10.5 La Sportiva Mythos. The only way to know is by trying them on. Keep in mind that some shoes tend to stretch, and this should be factored into your decision. As a general rule, leather tends to stretch a lot more than synthetics.

Go to a climbing store and try on a great many shoes. Go to a real climbing shop, not REI. An employee should be able to recommend a good beginner shoe to fit your needs. There are of course super aggressive shoes with very downturned toes, meant for climbing the hardest routes. These will hurt you greatly if worn for any amount of time, and should be avoided at this stage in your climbing career. Background for informed opinion: I climb 100+ days of rock and ice each year, all outside, all over North America.
Jun 9 2012 11:50PM
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TOAST.
Posts: 7647 - Karma: 38,396
ok thanks for the advice. I figured it was probably the same as ski boots and wanting them to fit correctly, but the closest climbing store that I know of is 2 hours away, unfortunately the climbing gym doesnt have a retail store attached. Im going to look around a little. The evolves that I rented from there were 13 which is my shoe size, but were painful on my big toe, especially when dropping down while bouldering.
Jun 10 2012 5:33PM
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chicken
Posts: 6844 - Karma: 2,122
join the outdoor forum, see my sig.
Jun 10 2012 5:36PM
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Brown_Bag
Posts: 279 - Karma: 769
that was wonderful
Jun 10 2012 5:39PM
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Bertrand
Posts: 423 - Karma: 457
What the actual fuck did I just watch?

Jun 10 2012 6:20PM
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aquinn
Posts: 824 - Karma: 217
i have la sportiva nagos and i like em. I can wear them for a while and not have it suck. They are by no means aggressive though
Jun 10 2012 6:23PM
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michelle
Posts: 6290 - Karma: 428
do not buy shoes online, go into a store and try them on then decide on which shoes to buy based on your price range

also, less aggressive shoes are going to be cheaper anyways so you're set
Jun 10 2012 6:26PM
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