Basic Knowledge Of Rock Climbing Shoes

Now let's talk about how rock climbing shoes are made and how different structures determine the comfort and performance of shoes.

Lace up (Lace-up), glued (Velcro) and slipper type (Slipper)

Lace up shoes can be finely adjusted, especially "wrap feet".

By adjusting the tightness of the shoelace, you can also get different shoes supporting performance, while the shoelace is loose, the shoes are lengthened softer; otherwise, they provide some rigid support.

Such shoes can be used in a relatively wide range.

The glued shoes are convenient to wear, fast and flexible, and the movement of the feet is more comfortable. But it also means that the fixing force and supporting force are relatively insufficient. Especially after a long climb, the feet will feel "roll (skid)" in the shoes.

For the general competitive route or boulder puzzle, the whole process of a line is only a few minutes, which is not obvious; however, this is a problem that must be considered in the long distance multi scale climbing.

When using the "plug foot" or other movements that require the foot to twist, the clasp may accidentally open.

In addition, you can also see slipper climbing shoes, with elastic elastic rubber bands and some zippers.

The shoes of this kind of structure are the simplest and the general price is cheaper. Slippers shoes are soft and sensitive because of their lack of shoelaces or sticky buttons, but the fixing force and supporting force are insufficient. They will be deformed when they are stressed (the degree of deformation is usually determined by the feet).

General slipper climbing shoes are made of thin shoes with no lining, so that you can feel the lightest ups and downs. They are especially reliable and have good toe to hook movements.

The use of slippers must be made in very small sizes, otherwise the technique of hooks with hooks will almost certainly fail.

It is usually suitable for indoor rock training, boulders or athletic routes.

In addition, because the thickness of shoelaces and buckles is omitted, the overall height of the shoes is smaller, which is especially suitable for climbing with fine cracks. In this case, a slightly larger size should be used so that toes can be levelled in the shoes.

Leather and synthetic materials

Leather shoes are good stretchable, breathable and comfortable to wear. New shoes will become more fit after a period of running in.

When choosing shoes, you should choose a smaller one, because with the increase of the time of use, shoes will be stretched, that is, a larger deformation range. In order to overcome this problem, some leather shoes are lined up to limit the deformation range of shoes, so that shoes can be slightly larger.

The shoes made of synthetic materials are lighter, softer and less stretched.

The air permeability of synthetic materials is generally not as good as that of leather shoes. The problem of sweating for a long time is more serious. Fortunately, synthetic materials are not afraid of water, they can often be scrubbed, and the cortex should not be frequently scrubbed.

There is a special deodorant for shoes on the market. You can try it. There is also a folk prescription. It can be sprayed with white spirit into shoes, and it can also play a certain role in sterilization and deodorization.

Last type (Last)

The last shape refers to the shape of the shoe.

The shape of the shoe determines whether the shoe is appropriate and how it performs.

The last shape is a three-dimensional mold, and the whole shoe is wrapped and processed on the outside of the last type.

The shape of shoe last is divided into ordinary and arch type, basically determined by the shape of the sole (mainly the arch of the foot).

The soles are divided into Board Lasted and Slip Lasted.

The shape of a flat bottom is like the shape of a relaxed sole. The shape and size of each part (toe, heel, arch, etc.) are different.

For the shoe of the last type, the part on the foot and the sole are sewn together, so from the shoe, it is the sole of the foot.

The arched sole is completely different. Basically, the whole shoe is made of a whole piece of fabric. The sole of the shoe is cut through a three-dimensional cut, and a seam is seen from the shoe, rather than a closed sole shape.

The flat bottom is usually flat or even slightly upturned, while the arched sole causes the sole to bend downward and toward the big toe (the whole shape is a bit like a banana).

This distortion (or "asymmetric" structure) makes the body weight of the climber concentrate on the big toe, and the strength concentrates on the competitive or boulder line, because the concentrated force produces greater friction and can accurately step on a very small fulcrum; however, this kind of concentration is more painful for climbing cracks or for a long time.

The overall force of flat shoes is distributed on the front feet of shoes, the pressure of each part is relatively small, and the arched soles with strong bending are concentrated on the parts of the big toe. Therefore, such shoes wear extremely fast in the toes. For this reason, it is suggested that the users have two pairs of shoes of different types and uses, so that the overall service life of the shoes is more than two times of that of a pair of shoes.

The flat bottom is generally wider, and is more comfortable for a long time, suitable for long line climbing and crack climbing.

The arched bottom is more suitable for foot and the arch is higher. It can get better foot feeling and support, and is suitable for the climbing of difficult routes, such as athletics and boulders.

Structure and properties of sole

According to the different uses, the shoe sole structure is different.

The soles are divided into two layers, the middle sole (midsole) and the rubber sole.

The middle sole is sandwiched between the sole fabric and the rubber sole. It is usually made of synthetic materials with different hardness and elasticity. It mainly plays a supporting role, and the bottom of the outer rubber provides friction.

In general, a brand's shoes use the same rubber. In addition to the thickness of the rubber sole, the overall hardness of the shoes is quite different, mainly in the use of different midsole.

The hard and thick midsole has strong supporting ability to the feet, suitable for long distance climbing of natural rock walls, and relatively poor in technology. Thin and soft soles are suitable for competitive climbing and rock climbing, and of course wear much faster.

Some climbing shoes, even in pursuit of extreme sensitivity, omit the bottom floor, and directly bind the sole rubber outside the sole of the foot. The soles are very soft, and the toes can almost scratch the convex pivots, which is suitable for the difficult elevation or eaves line, or the Slab of the friction surface technology (angle less than 90 degrees, but almost no protuberance fulcrum, depending on the friction force of the sole).

Choose shoes

Through the above introduction, we have learned the basic knowledge of rock climbing shoes. The following is to use these knowledge to choose the right shoes for us.

As a beginner, what is needed is a pair of stiff, durable, inexpensive shoes.

Remember, rock climbing shoes are a typical consumable. It's not necessary to buy the so-called "advanced" shoes at the very beginning.

Most of the problems of beginners are on footwork. They can not accurately point out and properly fix their bodies. Every time they skate, they consume their own glue and banknotes. So hard shoes are more durable, and they can provide better support when training basic skills on straight walls.

When you wear out the first pair of shoes, Congratulations, you should be able to have a relatively clear concept of your interests and goals. Second pairs of shoes can better meet your needs.

For athletic climber enthusiasts, the most competitive shoe that needs to be satisfied is arched sole and toes. The size is slightly smaller, and this shoe can help toe to catch the fulcrum on the elevation line.

For some special types of rock walls, such as climbing narrow narrow rocks (usually called "crimp" points), they need harder soles. For small caves (commonly called "Pocket") on limestone, they need more pointed toe tips.

The laces, buckles and slippers are all good, but the price of the former is slightly higher.

For crack climbing, flat bottomed shoes are more effective. When using "plug foot" technology, in order to protect feet, you can consider lining shoes or adding a pair of socks.

For artificial rock and boulder climbing, it is the most convenient to wear shoes or slippers.

In order to choose the right size, it is necessary to try it on in person.

Mail order is also a way, but you can't always choose the right shoes.

Different manufacturers, their size system is not exactly the same, the half size of the US shoe size is equivalent to the European shoe size 2/3, such as US7=EU40, and US7.5=EU40 2/3, so the European shoe size division is more refined; even the same manufacturer, the difference of last type makes the same size shoes feel differently.

In general, athletic climbing or boulders should be worn in size 2 to three than normal shoes, and the toes should be bent together. There is no gap between climbing shoes and feet. For traditional climbing or long route climbing, usually one to two is fine, so that your feet are flat on the sole of the shoe, and the feet are stuck to the front end, heel and heel, and it will not feel uncomfortable.

Beginners should not be too small to choose shoes.