[B0405413]

Areet, I'm looking into buying some stiff climbing shoes that would be ideal for slate climbing (around the E4/5 grade). I've always worn softer shoes like the katana velcros for smearing on gritstone but can't imagine that these would do me any favours on the slate. The general consensus seems to be that anasazi whites were the best slate shoe but it seems a bit pointless to buy some when they are being discontinued. Obviously it depends on what fits my foot the best, but would something like scarpa vapour lace or katana lace be good for slate edging? Ta

[Paul B]

why wouldn't you buy whites if there's not a better alternative?

I don't understand.

[lagerstarfish]

he's worried that he'll get addicted to them, but then won't be able to score when they run out

[Pantontino]

Katana velcros are good on slate when they are fairly new. The lace up version is a touch stiffer and also works well - I've worn both on slate for years. Some people swear by whites, but I found the fit a bit wierd and the rubber too thick.

[shark]

Join the campaign

https://www.facebook.com/bringbacktheanasaziwhite?

Love the product - hate the company   

In the meantime stockpile as many as you can afford

[B0405413]

why wouldn't you buy whites if there's not a better alternative?

I don't understand.

Well basically once I find a shoe that fits and works well I like to stick with it to save me going through the process of trying loads on again.

Cheers shark i'll give the lace-up ones a try. Anyone have any thoughts on the vapour lace-ups?

[Nigel]

people swear by whites, but I found the fit a bit wierd and the rubber too thick.

Yeah don’t be fooled by going for the stiffest shoe on paper, that’s not what its about. I’ve never worn the whites on slate but I suspect they wouldn’t be first choice by any stretch of the imagination. As Simon says the rubber is way too thick. On slate tinies this means the sole just deforms on the hold and shears off. You don’t want more than a couple of mm of rubber. On whites they’d be knackered by the time you got to this point. You don’t want shoes that are too new anyway as the sharp edges will deform off stuff and they won’t fit your feet well yet (dead space etc). Your best bet is just to get a pair of shoes which fit your feet very well and don’t have thick rubber, get them really tight, wear them in a bit, then use on slate. Ideally a lace up pair so you can keep cranking them tighter during day. Some of my best efforts on slate have been in anasazi velcros which most people would have retired from grit, the soles were like paper! But they fit really well.

[shark]

I find you can press hard on a very small area of the toe of the Whites and it seems to concentrate the force well in a way I wouldn't be able to with a thin sole like the Five Ten teams (but maybe I need to train my big toes).  The unfortunate thing with the Whites is that cross torsional stiffness in the toe piece tends to go relatively quickly and it loses that magic ability.

[danm]

If they fit your feet Miura lace ups might work a look, I used to really like these as an all-rounder which when worn tight edged really well. There was just something about them which worked really well with my feet. Personally never got on with Blanco's but many friends love them.

[B0405413]

Cheers for the replies!

[psychomansam]

Late to the party, but you're spot on with Vapour lace. I love mine. Micro-edging ahoy.

[Johnny Brown]

Some of my best efforts on slate have been in anasazi velcros which most people would have retired from grit, the soles were like paper! But they fit really well.

I've not done much on slate, but on the best day I had the only good boots I possessed were a pair of well worn 5.10 arrowheads. They worked brilliantly.

[Nigel]

I can well imagine a pair of well worn arrowheads being an almost perfect slate edging shoe. Fits my criteria, plus the slight downturn is a big help (in several ways).

[Johnny Brown]

Yeah, I wouldn't have chosen them given a choice though! We did four pitches on the Rainbow and my feet weren't particularly tired or sore either. I think stiff shoes are less suited to outright performance and more useful for helping feet survive long or hot days on fairly hard terrain.

[cheque]

Pete Robins always seems to be wearing very new-looking greens on hard slate routes. Can't imagine they'd be any good myself but they must work for him!

[fried]

Haven't climbed on slate in about 20 years but those new pinks look the biz. I picked up a pair on Friday and on small edges in Font they're the best shoe I've ever used. A lot more sensitive than the whites but not as sloppy as the whites, no idea what they'll be like in a couple of months.

[Fultonius]

Areet, I'm looking into buying some stiff climbing shoes that would be ideal for slate climbing (around the E4/5 grade). I've always worn softer shoes like the katana velcros for smearing on gritstone but can't imagine that these would do me any favours on the slate. The general consensus seems to be that anasazi whites were the best slate shoe but it seems a bit pointless to buy some when they are being discontinued. Obviously it depends on what fits my foot the best, but would something like scarpa vapour lace or katana lace be good for slate edging? Ta

Vapour velcro would definitely be too soft for slate, not sure about the lace up. A comfy fitted boostic might work? I've been loving my styx recently on edgey stuff. Admittedly not slate.

[psychomansam]

Areet, I'm looking into buying some stiff climbing shoes that would be ideal for slate climbing (around the E4/5 grade). I've always worn softer shoes like the katana velcros for smearing on gritstone but can't imagine that these would do me any favours on the slate. The general consensus seems to be that anasazi whites were the best slate shoe but it seems a bit pointless to buy some when they are being discontinued. Obviously it depends on what fits my foot the best, but would something like scarpa vapour lace or katana lace be good for slate edging? Ta

Vapour velcro would definitely be too soft for slate, not sure about the lace up. A comfy fitted boostic might work? I've been loving my styx recently on edgey stuff. Admittedly not slate.

Lace is stiffer than velcro, basically designed for edging and great at it. But not the best all rounder. Stiff+slight downturn = If I really want to smear, I change shoe.