Gross shoes
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I'm a new climber, and I started out not wearing socks in my climbing shoes. They started feeling really nasty, so I now wear a pair of thin, low-profile socks. So, two questions: |
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1) For beginners, wearing socks shouldn't really affect you that much as long as they're thin. I can wear socks and feel comfortable at Yosemite 5.9. It might affect your upside down climbing a bit. |
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I get horrible cracks and splits in my toes. When this happens, I spooge up the wound, bandage it, and keep a thin sock over it until it heals. The sock keeps the bandage from peeling off. |
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At the highest level, I could see wearing socks impacting your climbing ability. If your foot is shifting in the shoe because of the sock that could cause you to slip off a hold. As a new climber, I doubt you'd be impacted that much. |
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I just put my climbing shoes in the wash, on gentle cycle. just a touch of detergent, warm, not hot water then cold rinse setting... sit out in a shady breezy spot to dry and they are good as new. I usually do this 2-4 times per pair before I wear out rubber and a resole. It's like getting a new pair of shoes every time. |
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I have never worn socks with my climbing shoes so I don't know what their impact is on the stink and what not. |
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If your shoes are synthetic I'm not sure the funky smell will ever go away. Maybe if you dowse them in Lysol or let them bake outside as mustardtiger mentioned you may be able to avoid the funk. Assuming you're using shoes made of synthetic textiles, leather shoes may be a world of difference for you. The funk-resistant properties of leather are pretty amazing. |
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Ian Brown wrote:Does wearing socks noticeably limit performance?Well, here's a photo (from Supertopo) of Jim Collins leading Kloberdanz, (5.11c R, Eldorado Canyon) sometime in the 70's: And those don't look to be particularly thin. Actually, a lot of us wore socks in the 70's, well before sticky rubber, on a lot of things that get modern grades in the 11's and 12's. |
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I use DryPointe shoe inserts. They absorb moisture to help dry your shoes out quicker and prevent the shoe funk from forming. You can even recharge (dry out) the inserts once the silica has reached its moisture capacity, so they are reusable! |
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I use the spray used in bowling alleys. Not a lot of it, just enough to kill the bacteria responsible for the smell. Works great! I've used it in synthetic and leather with no side effects to the shoe. I suppose you could find it on amazon, but a good friend of mine runs one so he's always kept me stocked. :) good stuff. |