Soft shoes for hard edging

 As a 140lb climber I don’t have a problem with sensitive shoes that lack a stiff midsole. (Not a split outsole). Even on technical face I’ve had no problem with the original furias (although I almost alway defer to my testarossas). What have you guys found?  For me it’s less about support and more about the fact that my toe gets tired and hurts after 80ft of sheer edging.  

Does the stiffness really only start to matter the heavier you are?  

For the first few years I climbed I only wore soft, sensitive shoes and never really felt the need for a stiffer shoe. Today my favorite pair of shoes are the vapor laces, which are somewhat of a stiff shoe. Even with those shoes, though, I find myself smedging on edges most of the time and rarely actually edging. I mostly climb on sandstone and limestone, but even on granite slabs, I've always felt like I could get by without edging. 

Cole Metzger wrote:  As a 140lb climber I don’t have a problem with sensitive shoes that lack a stiff midsole. (Not a split outsole). Even on technical face I’ve had no problem with the original furias (although I almost alway defer to my testarossas). What have you guys found?  For me it’s less about support and more about the fact that my toe gets tired and hurts after 80ft of sheer edging.  

Does the stiffness really only start to matter the heavier you are?  

I prefer stiffer shoes for edging on micro nubs like Carderock slab, softer shoes for sandstone where I'm more likely to smear or smedge. I prefer soft shoes for the gym.

Perhaps you haven't climbed thin granite where the ability to bear most of your bodyweight on small nubs and credit card edges is crucial. A lack of stiffness can be compensated for to some extent by downsizing at the expense of a lack of comfort. However, on vertical and less than vertical terrain, there is no substitute for stiffness when handholds are marginal. Frankly, you probably haven't experienced edging that is hard enough to require a stiff shoe and cannot be compensated for by pulling harder. You will probably only begin to see it at harder grades, and maybe not so much on southern sandstone. If it works for you, keep using your soft slippers. 
Don't worry so much about your footwear until you can't do a move because you have to high step on a credit card edge with no usable handholds, and then order some Boostics. In the meantime, go climbing and focus on footwork and precision instead of fussing about problems that do not yet exist, my friend.

michalm wrote: Perhaps you haven't climbed thin granite where the ability to bear most of your bodyweight on small nubs and credit card edges is crucial. A lack of stiffness can be compensated for to some extent by downsizing at the expense of a lack of comfort. However, on vertical and less than vertical terrain, there is no substitute for stiffness when handholds are marginal. Frankly, you probably haven't experienced edging that is hard enough to require a stiff shoe and cannot be compensated for by pulling harder. You will probably only begin to see it at harder grades, and maybe not so much on southern sandstone. If it works for you, keep using your soft slippers.
Don't worry so much about your footwear until you can't do a move because you have to high step on a credit card edge with no usable handholds, and then order some Boostics. In the meantime, go climbing and focus on footwork and precision instead of fussing about problems that do not yet exist, my friend.

Yeah, I guess you’re right.  All the hard climbs I’ve done have been on sandstone.  So it’s a lot of smedging and thin credit card edges with semi-good holds.  And the nubbins I have put my feet on have slipped in my furias but not my testarossas, but the good friction on smears allows me to accommodate.

Not to go combing through ticklists (because mine is certainly not anything to gloat about), but...what is “hard edging” to you?  I had that impression as well until I saw what hard slabs looked/felt like.  On low angle and/or high friction rock, soft shoes are great, because you can just smear/smedge your way up.  Once it gets steep enough to where you have to really put a lot of weight on tiny edges/knobs/etc, however, a stiff shoe comes in handy.

I wear TC’s and Generals and they both work really well for everything. The Generals are a bit stiffer, but you’re still able to feel everything under your feet pretty well. I’m around 155lbs and have zero complaints with either shoe. 

Ted Pinson wrote: Not to go combing through ticklists (because mine is certainly not anything to gloat about), but...what is “hard edging” to you?  I had that impression as well until I saw what hard slabs looked/felt like.  On low angle and/or high friction rock, soft shoes are great, because you can just smear/smedge your way up.  Once it gets steep enough to where you have to really put a lot of weight on tiny edges/knobs/etc, however, a stiff shoe comes in handy.

That’s fine, I haven’t really ticked anything off aside from a couple 5.10s I don’t really pay much attention to that kind of stuff.  But like I said, I’ve done mostly vertical to off vertical sandstone. So a ton of it is smedging.  I was more curious about the question of weight and soft rubber.  

I give you the Dawn Wall.

Super soft shoes with sticky rubber are awesome for easy routes.

When it gets steeper and the feet are truly dimes then stiffer rubber and stiffer midsoles are usually the go to.

I usually like my testarossas for hard sport routes that have bad crimps and credit card foot holds. But I was just curious because I’ve never climbed on granite or limestone that was harder then 5.10a.  This was super helpful.

Katana Laces for the win!!