best shoes for Indian Creek

Planning a spring trip to the Creek and I need new shoes.....what do people recommend for those splitters there?

Steve, based on the routes that you've given ratings to on here, I'm guessing you are in SLC. Go to IME and talk to Scott, Andy, and Shingo. Be prepared to tell them which routes you want to get on, and they will give you good recommendations based on that info.

Be warned: if you show Scott your hands, he will come up with a whole list of climbs that you should do.

It depends on the size of crack you are planning to jam your foot into.

IMO
Small crack-mythos.
Big hands and larger, something hefty with a board last.
Hand size - miuras

Follow the Bobby's advice. The guys at IME will guide you. Carson has climbed everything in IC and will give you a tick list optimized for your shoe quiver ;-).

pT

5.10 Moccasym is the shoe of choice for many creek locals. Mythos are nice but do not last (I've destroyed a pair in one weekend). I spent a lot of time in an old thrift store pair of some Sportiva beginner shoe. Looser fitting and something that wont get torn up too easy is my suggestion.

I'll be heading out to the Creek in late March for Spring break myself. It's just about time to get a new pair of trad shoes, and I am looking at the TC Pros. What are your opinions on that shoe for the creek?

street shoe sized moccs are the way to go..

5.10 Anasazi Mocs or Anasazi VCS

Robert Buswold wrote:I'll be heading out to the Creek in late March for Spring break myself. It's just about time to get a new pair of trad shoes, and I am looking at the TC Pros. What are your opinions on that shoe for the creek?

For what it's worth, I had a weird TC Pro experience at the Creek: sometime during the second day of that particular trip (my third time out there) I developed a blister on the top of my foot at the base of BOTH of my little (ie 5th) toes. As I say, I've climbed there in other shoes and not had that problem, and I've used the TC's plenty of other places and not had that problem. Seemed like it was just sustained hand to fist sized jamming that caused it, seemingly (guessing) from the edge of the tongue of the shoe. They sure jammed well, though!

EDIT: as other folks have said, roomy is key: curled toes will hurt a lot.
BTW, a high-top shoe (or tape) of some kind is really nice for protecting your ankles in wider cracks, and the TC fits that bill.

As other people have said, the Mythos seemed to do quite well, but the laces get chewed up: just look at the number of replacement Mythos laces they stock at Pagan Mountaineering and you'll see that this is not uncommon.

Some folks (including a number of guides I've talked to) say that a soft shoe is more comfortable for jamming than a stiff one, and this may be why slippers/mocc's are popular.

Have fun! It's awesome out there!

Thanks David - looking forward to it.

Highlander wrote:street shoe sized moccs are the way to go..

yup

dude 5.10 moccasym with stealth paint is a sure bet!

Super Moccs! I've had a pair for about six months climb sandstone cracks almost every weekend and spent a full week in the creek, and they are not only in great shape, but have been an amazing crack shoe.

I've read a lot of good things about the moccasym and I'm getting a pair of the supermoccs before I go to Indian Creek in Spring Break (see you there!). They're just a souped up version of the moccasyms. I'm thinking I'll size them on the roomier side as that is what I have read works best for splitters.

I'm probably heading back to the Creek this spring as well, and plan to get a pair of Moccs. I have a sizing question about Moccs, though. It is related to them stretching.

As is obvious, one wants them sized with flat toes. Too big, however, is also no good, since you need a bit of control for the occasional face hold (they do exist, even on Wingate!). I have also heard that the Moccs stretch quite a lot.

If you buy a pair of Moccs so that your toes are flat and they are roomy when they are brand new, will they stretch out and become too baggy? Or will they not stretch as much if they aren't tight to begin with?

Basically, how should you size your Moccs in the store in order to hit the ideal sizing post break-in?

In regards to sizing moccs, I would not size them smaller than 1/2 size below street shoe size. I usually by mine at street shoe size and they work better for .5 & .75 camalot size cracks. Moccs do stretch but not as much as if you if got them super tight, if they get too baggy just wear socks with them. Moccs don't edge well at all so I would not worry about it. I always carry a pair of anasazi for tight fingers and more techy climbs to take advantage of any edges and the jam well enough in cracks.
As far as supermoccs go, I really started to like them after a season of use, but found I wore them out faster then regular moccs, and they can't be resoled, so I will stick with regular moccs plus you usually can find them on sale for under $80 making them a good deal.

whatever you buy, reinforce all stitching and leather exposed to abrasion with aqua seal or some shoe-gu of sorts.

my vote is the Moccasins b/c of the asymetrical design gives some 'toeing in' power/precision for face moves and they're floppy enough to smear in thin cracks.

HAVE FUN!

OH, and only use 4 lobed cames... or risk the piece pulling out if you take a whip onto it. You don't want to end up like this dude I saw break his spine. They had to cut him open from the front to repair it. FUck that - use 4 lobed cams.

The creek is now in Northern Utah?
You can't resole super mocs?
TCUs are automatic death?

Are you guys running like a psy-ops disinformation campaign or something?

regarding moccs sizing: I take a 10 street shoe, and size sport shoes in a nice, snug 9 (Anasazis, Projects, whatever).

However, I STILL get Moccs in 8.5 (a size and a half smaller than my street shoe). The sheer amount of one-piece leather gets them stretched out after a month or so, so that they wind up roomier than 9 Anasazis. I tried sizing them bigger once, an they just flopped around.

So yeah, for me, size moccs down 1.5 sizes from your street shoe. That's my preference.

copperheads for sure for .75 and up I've put a fair amount of mileage on mine (120+ pitches) and they've done really well. Super moccs or something with a thinner toe profile would be better for finger cracks. I like my copperheads more than the traditional moccs.

Moccs do not fit everyone's foot.

Every reasonable shoe company has a sweet crack shoe.

Go with the one that fits, you'll be able to layback, stem, and do stuff outside of the creek better than if you just jump on the moccatrain. If it does fit you though, go ahead.

JLP wrote:WTF is a "street shoe", and how/why is it the gold standard size reference for fitting rock climbing shoes?

Clearly, you were never a B-boy.