Mountain Project Logo

Best trad/crack shoes?

Original Post
Elijah S · · PNW · Joined Mar 2017 · Points: 3,471

Hey all;
I'm looking to expand my shoe selection, I'm getting in to trad and cracks and finding my agro bouldering shoes are no fun to jam, any recommendations for you favorite trad shoes would be much appreciated...

mountainhick · · Black Hawk, CO · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 120

A bazillion posts on this topic:

https://www.mountainproject.com/search?q=trad%20shoes

https://www.mountainproject.com/search?q=crack%20shoes

TC pros fit me well. For thin cracks i use old supermoccs. A lot of people like moccs, katakis (getting harder to find) and katanas.

Size crack shoes with your toes flat, not curled/knuckled up

Matt Kelly · · Denver, CO · Joined Jun 2019 · Points: 1

If you wanna save some money and try some out, I've got some Katakis and Katanas both size 43 that I'd sell ya cheap

Andrew Biggs · · Colorado · Joined Mar 2018 · Points: 699

I love my katanas in thin cracks but anything wider than a number 3 the ankles get all cut up until you can get the heal toe then you’re fine again. I have wider feet so murias are too narrow in the foot box and the TCs are just slightly uncomfy for me. Murias are popular trad shoe they have a narrow foot box so you can jam them into pockets really well, but they don’t hold their shape after a resole or two. If you’re rocking wingate sandstone the katanas work okay but a little too aggressive for smearing outside the crack. Maybe that’s why the mocks are more popular. And after a few resoles they do slab cracks on granite really well. Fresh they do steep cracks phenomenally. find what fits your foot

Sam Skovgaard · · Port Angeles, WA · Joined Oct 2017 · Points: 208

When you're starting trad, you're unlikely to be trying routes where you need to be able to toe jam really narrow cracks.  It's also nice to have a shoe with some padding on the top of the foot to help you get past the stage where your feet really hurt from foot jams (though your feet will eventually toughen up).  So get the TC pros, and size them so that your toes are perfectly flat.

Carson Darling · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Jul 2015 · Points: 90

I've had issues with TC Pros starting to delaminate on the top of the shoe. Combine that with sloppy beginner crack footwork and you'll quickly put lots of wear on a relatively expensive shoe.

For another option, consider the Butora Altura. They don't edge as well as the TC Pro, but they do seem more durable.

For someone getting into trad, I'd strongly recommend sizing them very comfortably. It might be blasphemous, but I sized my all-day pair on the very large end (I can move my toes around while wearing socks) and couldn't be happier. The loss in edging performance is more than made up for when my feet are happy on pitch 16.

Riley Weaver · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2019 · Points: 0

5.10 Moccasym or Unparall Up Mocc are super high value slippers that are incredible for pure jamming, and do quite well on granite trickery, although some appreciate the stiffness and edging of the TC Pro. For me, it's an unbeatable combo. Was a big fan of the pink 5.10 Anasazi's as well, but am not really sure what is happening with those any more.

Clint Helander · · Anchorage, AK · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 617

I’ve been loving the 5.10 Grandstone. Otherwise I’ve always been an Anasazi guy

Newt Riverman · · Denver, CO · Joined Jul 2019 · Points: 0
Clint Helander wrote:

I’ve been loving the 5.10 Grandstone. Otherwise I’ve always been an Anasazi guy

How does the sizing compare? 

Clint Helander · · Anchorage, AK · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 617

For trad I wear a 9.5 Anasazi and I am happy with the Grandstone in a 10. I’ve been climbing in Indian Creek with them for the last week and they are stellar.  

Trad Man · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2018 · Points: 0

If grandstones had inside lacing, I'd probably like them. As they are you end up replacing the laces with every resole. The old evolv quests had better lacing but presumably in a race to the bottom they don't make them anymore 

Andrew McMillan 1 · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Mar 2015 · Points: 0

I like my grandstones more than any shoe I've ever used for trad. More precise/not as stiff as tc pros. Feels more like climbing in a slightly stiffer high top anasazi once they're broken in.

I was *convinced* that I had gotten a half size too small for the first dozen pitches or so, so note that they break in more than other shoes. I would now be bummed if I had gotten the half size up like I was considering

Pnelson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2015 · Points: 635

Moccs and Verdes. 

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Trad Climbing
Post a Reply to "Best trad/crack shoes?"

Log In to Reply
Welcome

Join the Community! It's FREE

Already have an account? Login to close this notice.