Best shoes for crack climbing

I'm planning to do a lot more crack climbing and my current shoes are already taking a beating from cracks. I also feel they could be a bit more comfortable/grippy in cracks than they are, because they don't have rubber in all the areas that make contact when crack climbing. I'm looking to get a shoe that I specifically use when I'm crack climbing.

Does MP have any recommendations on crack climbing shoes I should look into?

I'm hoping to at least find a shoe that has rubber in all the spots that contact the rock when jamming my foot.

moc`s

It depends on the size of the crack, but just as important is the fit. As a general rule your toes should be flat, especially for hand cracks and wider. You may want to search for previous threads on the subject. My opinions:

For medium and wide cracks (hand, fist and OW) the TC Pro is a good choice. They are relatively stiff, provide protection with the leather uppers, and have a good rand. The toe box is relatively thick but you can still insert your foot on-edge into the crack. The stiffness is both good and bad.

For semi-thin cracks (fat fingers to tight hands) a shoe with a thin toe box (laces to sole) is ideal so you can squeeze in as much of your toes as possible into the available space when jamming your foot sideways. Some climbers use Mythos and moccasins. I’ve not found the ideal shoe and my current favorite is the old style Katana velcro, but the newer version has a thicker toe box. The right shoe depends a lot on the shape of your foot.

For finger cracks it depends on if you’ll be jamming in pockets (same shoe as for semi-thin) or using edges (face shoe).

^^I would listen to him, as he literally wrote a book on this. Kent - have you tried the new(er) Katana Laces? The toe is a bit downturned and lower profile, so a lot of people have been having success with them in thin cracks.

TS - Mythos, Anasazis, etc all work when sized appropriately. The key is to not downsize. If you're practicing in gym cracks or on particularly rough rock, the TC Pros are worth the money, as they are significantly more comfortable in cracks than other shoes. I've loved my Pinks in just about any outdoor crack I've worn them, but in the gym they are agony, whereas the TC Pros are tolerable.

Ted Pinson wrote: Kent - have you tried the new(er) Katana Laces? The toe is a bit downturned and lower profile, so a lot of people have been having success with them in thin cracks.

I tried the original version of the Katana lace - they felt completely different than the velcro version and more like a face/sport shoe. Depending on the size, the fit was either baggy in the toe area or my toes were curled. Maybe the newer version is better. For semi-thin cracks I want a shoe with my toes flat and very snug.

My newish personal favorite shoe for thin cracks is the Skwama, sized just big enough to stretch to flat toes. Hell, I love them for hand cracks too. Sized like that, they give great smearing performance on slab, but they are soft enough to be decent when it's overhanging

A lot of people swear by the mocs and I've considered them for a long time, but I'm not super comfortable with the idea of a slip-on--I like the solid feel of laces. I guess I should give them a try at some point--the worst that happens is I suffer with them for a year before they wear out.

I'm surprised by how few of these shoes have rubber over the whole top of the toe--on the larger hand to fist size cracks the entire top of my toe comes in contact with the rock before I cam the foot. I have no doubt my technique could use some improvement though...

I've always had a fondness for Boreal shoes, fit and feel. These will take a beating. JB

borealoutdoor.com/en/produc…

David Kerkeslager wrote: I'm surprised by how few of these shoes have rubber over the whole top of the toe--on the larger hand to fist size cracks the entire top of my toe comes in contact with the rock before I cam the foot.

I'm a huge fan of the Evolv Spark. Lots of rubber over the toe, and the tongue is almost plushy. They aren't super stiff, but for most sizes more than adequate. If like me all your gym has is a hand crack, their biggest selling point is the 50$ price tag. Run a hundred laps, blow through em and get a second pair, maybe even a third and still come in cheaper than TC pros.

Its impossible to say as foot conditioning (both strength and tolerance to pain) is critical to what shoe is best and this can change from month to month.

Crack shoes are also as specialized as face shoes. One that is ideal for hands (TC Pro) is not going to be ideal for fingers (Mythos or Mocs or Katana Lace).

Fit is also going to be more relaxed than is ideal for just about any face climbing that isn't pure friction.

Katana lace sized comfy has an excellent reputation for most cracks, short of OW.

Evolv Astroman or TC Pro are going to be the choices for wide these days.

OP, are you mainly looking for moderate grades in the NE (per your profile)? For those parameters TC Pro (or Astroman depending on foot shape) are good choices. They work a lot better on thin granite cracks than thin desert cracks.

RIP Sportiva Barracudas - those things were great crack shoes. I use Katana lace and dig 'em.

David Kerkeslager wrote: I'm surprised by how few of these shoes have rubber over the whole top of the toe--on the larger hand to fist size cracks the entire top of my toe comes in contact with the rock before I cam the foot. I have no doubt my technique could use some improvement though...

You usually have plenty of friction in the crack and more rubber for more friction is probably not what you want. I hear you on the durability though, so I always enhance my crack shoes with some layers of shoe goo smeared over the high wear areas of the uppers.

Jeremy Kasmann wrote:OP, are you mainly looking for moderate grades in the NE (per your profile)? For those parameters TC Pro (or Astroman depending on foot shape) are good choices. They work a lot better on thin granite cracks than thin desert cracks.

This. Rock type is pretty important. A lot of the advice people give for a thin crack shoe assumes pure jamming with no footholds, such as on a smooth desert sandstone or basalt splitter. This type of jamming is honestly pretty rare in the NE, or in most granite areas for that matter. There is almost always an edge or crystal you can stand on when it gets too thin to jam.

This is why the TCs are so great for granite. When it is hand size, you can jam comfortably. When it gets thinner, the stiffness lets you just edge instead. For your typical varied granite route, with a mix of face and crack, I find that a stiff edging shoe like the TC gives you the most options.

Indian Creek splitters are, of course, a different story. There, you want a Mocc for the thin stuff and a comfy high top for the wide stuff.

JCM wrote: This. Rock type is pretty important. A lot of the advice people give for a thin crack shoe assumes pure jamming with no footholds, such as on a smooth desert sandstone or basalt splitter. This type of jamming is honestly pretty rare in the NE, or in most granite areas for that matter. There is almost always an edge or crystal you can stand on when it gets too thin to jam. This is why the TCs are so great for granite. When it is hand size, you can jam comfortably. When it gets thinner, the stiffness lets you just edge instead. For your typical varied granite route, with a mix of face and crack, I find that a stiff edging shoe like the TC gives you the most options. Indian Creek splitters are, of course, a different story. There, you want a Mocc for the thin stuff and a comfy high top for the wide stuff.

I will give you whatever you want to claim about NE granite but even though Sierra Granite is not as smooth and uniform as Indian Creek there is no edging to speak of on any legit Yose crack climb.

Regardless, TC pro are popular because the midsole supports your foot in cracks that can be very painful in soft shoes. Katana Lace is more of a performance thin crack shoe with a different (thinner) toe.

The TC also performs well even when sized up. Their only real weakness is smearing and slabs, as they lack sensitivity and good friction. People also like Moccs in the desert since if you aren't jamming, you're probably smearing, so they're good on sandstone for the same reason TC Pros are good on granite.

chris_vultaggio wrote:RIP Sportiva Barracudas - those things were great crack shoes. I use Katana lace and dig 'em.

Interesting - I got some Katana Lace recently because they seemed more aggressive - I'll use them for sport. Ive used them in cracks and because of the downturn they kill my toes.

My TC Pros however are absolutely lovely to crack climb in all day long

It depends on how you size them. Mine have toes that are just barely curled and they edge and climb cracks well. They are godawful for overhangs, though...I don't get how people climb overhanging sport in stiff shoes, honestly.

King Tut wrote: there is no edging to speak of on any legit Yose crack climb.

Ok, so (5.11 finger pitch of) Rostrum doesn't count? What about the cookie cliff (like red zinger)?

reboot wrote: Ok, so (5.11 finger pitch of) Rostrum doesn't count? What about the cookie cliff (like red zinger)?

What about them?

There is no edging demand on either of those pitches that requires an edging shoe as much as they require a shoe good for thin cracks.

Cookie has some flakes (generally large) here and there but the best one of them all there, Butterballs, is pure crack top to bottom.

King Tut wrote: I will give you whatever you want to claim about NE granite but even though Sierra Granite is not as smooth and uniform as Indian Creek there is no edging to speak of on any legit Yose crack climb. Regardless, TC pro are popular because the midsole supports your foot in cracks that can be very painful in soft shoes. Katana Lace is more of a performance thin crack shoe with a different (thinner) toe.

Fair enough. Smooth Yosemite splitters can fit that pure crack ideal too. But even in the Valley, I'd argue that pitches like that are an awesome exception, rather than the norm. And in most of the country those types of cracks are less common still. Even in a place like Squamish, known for its crack climbing, there are basically always small crystalline features for feet. But you need good stiff shoes to use them.

I think this is part of the reason people say "there's no feet!" They are using floppy crack shoes, so they can't stand on the tiny features. Hence no footholds. But put on some tight Miuras and there are footholds everywhere. No rand smears required. Just dance up the nice little crystals.

In the end this is just two approaches, using different shoes to support different styles of footwork. Either can work. But I think using face shoes is more versatile.