Flatiron Shoes
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Looking for advice on a "do it all" shoe for the flatirons, trail hike in, east face route, hike out down steep pine needle covered gulley. Lost a pair of LS BoulderX last year, I liked them but I think I can do better this time around. |
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I like 5-Tennies but not every shoe fits everyone. |
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I've heard there's some pair of New Balances that the folks who race up this wear.... also heard of people resoling running shoes with sticky rubber for this. Would love to hear some good options as well. |
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Ive used the Evolv cruzers for this purpose. The wear like a "barefoot" running shoe, which I kind of like. |
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Gandas. No question. |
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Cruzers are ok but I don't like that they have a floppy heel - I like a little heel support going downhill - I was jogging down easy terrain and rolled my ankle - I run trails all the time and this isn't normal for me but no heel support plus carrying a pack with rope & rack must have thrown me off, so I'll only run uphill in them. They climb well enough on up to 5.6 routes in the flatirons. I'll probably re-sole running shoes next. |
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Not sure those cruzers would have enough sole for me but I will go try a pair on before I judge. |
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I went through two pairs of La Sportiva Exum Ridges and loved them, but they're no longer made. I now have a pair of La Sportiva Xplorers and they do pretty well. They aren't as good to run in as the Exum Ridges, but I think they climb a little better. |
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I wish I knew what i was doing well enough to have custom shoes made, that is an awesome video. I must confess that I look nothing like Anton Krupicka running up Flatirons or Kieners but I appreciate the comparison :-) |
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I've been pretty happy for the last year or so with how my Scarpa Vitamins deal with Flatiron scrambling. |
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Boulder X's are pretty great. Stiff for edging, sometimes too stiff. |
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Second for the Sportivas |
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Tried a bunch of shoes on. Tried them on a little wall in the store. Cruzers were a little thin for me. The La Sportive Xplorers were little off in the fit for my foot but I could feel they would climb real well. Found Salewa Wildfires which were the best fit and very similar construction to the LS Xplorers. Seems a bunch of the approach shoes are using stickier Vibram with combo tread patterns that are almost identical. |
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I agree the cruzers are thin, floppy, and feel a bit cheap. This is what i thought when I first got them, however, after 50 or so flatiron scrambles in them, I can easily say I will be getting a third pair when these die. They fit my foot very snuggly, and really feel like a second skin. You do have to be okay with the barefoot feel of them for running. I like this, I would postulate most will not. |