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Favorite crack climbing shoes?!

Xan Calonne · · Yucca Valley · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 61

La sportive cobra, like a moc and a miura had a liitle orange snake baby.

Wagreich · · Long Beach, CA · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 0

TC Pro's are great for longer days, and work nicely in larger finger cracks and up. Ankle protection makes them nice in wider ranges, too. They're also pretty good on edges.

My other pair are copperheads. I'll use them for shorter climbs, and more bouldery pitches and thinner cracks. Definitely not as comfortable, though. After using the TC Pro's, you really get to appreciate the padding compared to many other shoes.

The supermocs look pretty nice, too, but like the mocs, my feet are kind of between sizes.

The only downside to the TC's, as stated, is the price. Other than that, they're gold.

Greg Gavin · · SLC, UT · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 888

To add some advice if you end up getting the TC Pros.

Seam Seal the rand from the toes on back to about your arch and equivalent on the outside of the foot. The design of the rand tends to delam slightly, but with some Seam Seal you'll be fine.

Shire-mon · · Moab, UT / Boone, NC · Joined May 2008 · Points: 50
Greg G wrote:To add some advice if you end up getting the TC Pros. Seam Seal the rand from the toes on back to about your arch and equivalent on the outside of the foot. The design of the rand tends to delam slightly, but with some Seam Seal you'll be fine.
Do you seam seal them right off the bat? Or when they begin to delaminate?

I just went to the store and put on a pair of TC Pros, they do feel damn good. But I kinda want to try on those copperheads too because it looks like they have some real good rubber up high on the toes. Thanks for your help everybody.

-Brett
Leeroy · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 0

The copperheads are NOT a thin crack shoe. I love em for easier stuff and they're awesome for .75 size and up but they SUCK at anything thinner. The extra toe rand material just doesn't work for finger cracks. Not the greatest edging shoe either. I can see why they were discontinued.

My next shoe is going to be a pair of comfortably sized Miura's.

chuck claude · · Flagstaff, Az · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 225

As stated, before. Copperheads and moccasyms in my book are only good for easier cracks in the 0.75 size and bigger. They stink at edging.

for me I go with the women's muira's Since the men's version have too much in the toe box. I really liked the LS Barracuda's which were discontinued about 2 years ago. They did just about everything well. For finger cracks to ring locks, I like the LS women's Muira LV laceup's, TC .Pro's. For tight hands I and hands I like the moccasym's or Copperheads since you rarely need a ,technical shoe, since they rarely need a technical shoe, since I have a hard time thinking of a hard tight lands /hand that requires a technical shoe. For wider, I just use anything.

Eric D · · Gnarnia · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 235

Scarpa Technos

Neil Rankin · · Winston-Salem, NC · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 166

You should try the La Sportiva Mythos. They are a very comfortable, high performance crack climbing shoe. Size them tight, even for cracks, because they stretch a lot.

Jeff L · · Valley of the Sun · Joined Mar 2011 · Points: 35

The top three recomended crack shoes so far:

TC Pros
Moccasyms
Miuras

I would add that the Boreal Ballets, Aces and Lasers, although old school ( but still available ) are all excellent crack climbing shoes.

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

miuras after the first resole ... they stretch

or katanas myself ...

but its whatever fits yr foot, hopefully flat ....

mucci · · sf ca · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 655

Kaukulators.

The blue ones.

Let's see the steck/salathe go in those "Mocs"

Pfft.

Colonel Mustard · · Sacramento, CA · Joined Sep 2005 · Points: 1,241
Brian Scoggins wrote: I swear by my Katanas. Of course, if the crack is big enough that I go past the ball of my foot, I'm wearing JBs. Or approach shoes. The point is that if you're running into this problem often, its because you're consistently putting your foot too far in the crack anyway.
I'll second the Katana crowd. They've been a great all around shoe for me too. Sucks, mine are past the resole phase and I'm now wearing them into the grave on my TR solo circuit.
Gilles · · Arcata,CA · Joined May 2009 · Points: 60

I'll second for Mythos. Definitely one of the best trad/crack shoes out there. And yes, size them 1/2 to full size down from you're normal shoe size due to the stretch.

Joshinator · · Longmont, Colorado · Joined Aug 2011 · Points: 45

Scarpa Force's have done alright by me. Although, if you're planning on jamming on splitters I would opt for the Super Moccs over the Forces.

nbrown · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 7,718

Brett,

I've owned about 3-4 pairs of each:

As others have already said, the TC pros are great for cracks. They are also great for the technical face climbing not too far from you, down around the Brevard/Cashiers area (if they are snug). Unfortunately they are overly expensive and tend to come apart at the rands rather quickly. I've found that these stretch a good bit and size them the same as my old miura's (and I can wear them on long routes just fine).

The grandstones are also okay, providing better ankle protection than the TC's. However, once they break in they soften up quite a bit, even though they are stiff out of the box.

If you're serious about your footwork, then you'll definitely appreciate the fit of the TC pro's (provided they fit your feet okay).

Eric and Lucie · · Boulder, CO · Joined Oct 2004 · Points: 140
mucci wrote:Kaukulators. The blue ones.
+1 on that comment. Boy, do I wish someone would make those again.
chuck claude · · Flagstaff, Az · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 225
Eric and Lucie wrote: +1 on that comment. Boy, do I wish someone would make those again.
Why? If its the ankle thing, tape them. I'll do OW's in Moccasyms and I suck at them, or LS Barracuda's.

As for Mytho's. Good for easy cracks like tight hands and hands (and larger), but if you have to edge, they suck like the Moccasyms.
MTN MIA · · Vail · Joined May 2006 · Points: 405

Different shoe for different place:

IC - Mythos
Vedauwoo - any high top
Yosemite - my good old Boreal Ace
Lumpy - Red Chillies

slim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2004 · Points: 1,103

for thin hands and smaller i like the katanas, although i hate that the buckle is on the 'wrong' side of the shoe (gets chewed up quickly). the old purple mad rock slippers are great for the price also.

for hands and up i kind of like the copperheads, cause i don't have to mess around with constantly spackling the top with shoe goo/whatever, and i don't have to mess around with replacing laces.

for OW, i have an old green pair of 5.10 altias that are about to die, and that will be a sad day. probably won't happen for a while though cause my shoulders are really starting to hate the OW's.

richie Janow · · englewood, tn · Joined May 2010 · Points: 35

i love my mocs for cracks. i used them when i went to moab and indian creek.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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