This is kind of depth of winter question but . . .

With the monster edging power of shoes these days is it worth wearing soft smeary shoes for thin cracks anymore?

It just seems like-- with exception of true splitters, which are geographically rare-- sporty edging shoes allow you take advantage of all sorts of footholds (both on the face and on the crack itself) that you can't with soft shoes. I see a lot of people climbing cracks this way and I don't if it is because they don't know how to toejam or if they really do know how to face climb. I think this might be a place where trad climbers could learn a thing or two from sport climbers.

Its also less painful. Sort of.

Jim

I prefer stiff shoes with pointy toes for thin thin crack. the blanco from five ten has got me up a lot of stuff that was hard for me. I know some folks who crank hard in the lace up katanas

FWIW...the strongest thin crack climber that I have climbed with (5.12+) did so in mythos

IMHO it depends on how thick the crack is. Moccs & other slippers and Mythos, sized with the toes flat, can fit into off-finger cracks. Supermoccs, when sized appropriately, can get rand-jams in even tight finger cracks. Any smaller than that and edging shoes are best.

Oh just buy the damn TC pros already. If they work for Tommy, they'll work for you!