Extend the Life of Your Climbing Shoes
It’s an inevitable moment for every climber, and it happens every few months. You take off your tenni’s and grab a shoe. As you’re unstrapping the velcro or loosening the laces, you see it, that little hole. Damn. It won’t be long before you really can feel the rock through your shoes, and you die a little on the inside. Okay, okay, so it’s not really a big deal, but it’s only been three months…again.
Here are a few tips that’ll help conserve the rubber on your sending shoes. It won’t make them last forever, but in the long run you can at least save a little money.
Only wear your shoes when you’re climbing. I know it sounds a little OCD, but you’d be suprised at how the little things add up in the end. Walking around in your shoes between climbs, especially if you’re hopping around on talus, can have a significant affect on the life of those toe edges. Keep in mind that climbing shoes (especially cambered ones) aren’t designed to last while supporting your full body weight, so the simple act of taking off your shoes after a climb can buy you weeks.
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