Opinions for best slab shoes

So I’m working this 12b slab, which as you can imagine has practically non existent feet but such small crimps and 1/4 single finger pad pulls that it’s still trust your feet type sequences. I tried my new resoled (vibram xs grip 2 rubber) katanas and found that while they killed my toes, I could somewhat trust them to stick. I sometimes use drago lv for intensive footwork climbs but the toe rubber is rounded on my pair at the moment. For trad shoes I love my 5.10 grandstones and haven’t tried them on this climb yet.

I guess I’m starting to learn I don’t know much about shoe choice, other than what works for me (which may just be what everyone will suggest anyways).

Does anybody have opinions of styles of shoes- aggressive downturn vs more flat footed, kind of rubber that’s better for these styles of climbs, etc and then some ideas for actual models also.

Anything helps, no negative thoughts needed thanks!

Best slab shoes I’ve owned are the Black Diamond Focus, 1/2 down from street shoe. Painful though, I decided I didn’t like slab that much and moved on from them. 

5.10 pinks. Gotta love C4 rubber for slabs. Less aggressive toe lets you put more rubber in contact with the wall. More rubber = more grip. 

/2cents

C4  that is all.

It might depend on whether it’s real slab (lower angle) or steep slab. For  real slab, I’ve found Mythos to be reliable up to the grades I’ve done (11c/d), but more recently I’ve been surprised that in practice, on steep slab, that my Katanas work better, and the the Kataki laceups I have work surprisingly well. I cannot explain this with “slab theory” , but I think it’s because I am actually edging very precisely on microedges, which at that steeper angle works better that a smear. N of 1 as they say. I have no idea whether I’m full of crap with this observation. Only noticed at 10d/11a, not climbing harder slab than that these days. 

Katakis for true micro edging or tight TC Pros for more smedging 

Not trying to be a douche but how did you make it to 12b slab without figuring out shoes by 11a or so?

C4 seems to stick better than Vibram XS Edge in my experience. Might depends on the rock and temp though. I have snug fitting mythos resoled in C4 and they are my go-to, or maybe I never climbed the learning curve of Scarpa Techno X with XS Edge for these routes.

My 2¢: Echoing what some have said here, the distinction is in the shoe profile and rubber combo. Stone Mountain NC is marked by pure granite friction like some of the glacier point stuff, with your feet weight and palming being what keeps you on. C4 is the unabashed winner here, with pinks or any flat profile shoe resoled in C4 seemingly out performing the XS Edge (no personal Grip2 experience). I too use the grandstones and like them quite a bit, would def say they're worth a shot-though not as stiff as the Pinks or Unparallel equivalent.

*Caveat being the C4 seems to deform and "melt" off in hot direct sun, the XSedge seemingly performs better at that point on friction slab 

phylp phylp wrote:

It might depend on whether it’s real slab (lower angle) or steep slab. For  real slab, I’ve found Mythos to be reliable up to the grades I’ve done (11c/d), but more recently I’ve been surprised that in practice, on steep slab, that my Katanas work better, and the the Kataki laceups I have work surprisingly well. I cannot explain this with “slab theory” , but I think it’s because I am actually edging very precisely on microedges, which at that steeper angle works better that a smear. N of 1 as they say. I have no idea whether I’m full of crap with this observation. Only noticed at 10d/11a, not climbing harder slab than that these days. 

On the right track here in that there's multiple different types of slab footwork, and the specific nature of the route will dictate the best shoe choice.  You can't just lump all "slab" together since that encompasses a pretty wide range of angles, rock, and movement. In terms of footwork on slabs, there are basically 3 general categories:

1. True edging on crisp microedges. Think slightly less than vert limestone face climbing, or certain types of granite with tiny sharp features. For this, a sharp edged, pointy, slightly downturned stiff shoe reigns supreme. Katana Lace is the classic example here. Generally stiffer rubber (XS Edge) is better for holding a small edge.

2. Smedging on nubbins and rounded edges. This encompasses most typical granite climbing. For this, a stiff flat lasted shoe is best.  TC Pros, Anasazi Lace, etc are standard examples here. For rubber, there are tradeoffs between stiffer (XS Edge) and softer (C4, XS Grip) depending of the exact situation and conditions. Ultimately I think either type of rubber is fine for this in-between style.

3. True smearing on smooth lower-angle rock. For this you want a flexible shoe with softer rubber (C4 is good). This style is what people usually jump to assume when they hear "slab climbing". And while this true smearing is quite common on moderate slabs, once you get into harder slabs you usually get pushed more into smedging territory. But, if you are climbing many pitches of true low-angle smearing in a place like Stone Mtn or Darrington, this is definitely the best and most comfortable option. Something like a Mocc is a classic example. I'd actually put the Grandstones in this category also - once broken in they are pretty soft. 

I find that the most prevalent climbing style on harder slabs, in most places I've been, is #2 - Smedging. And as such the best shoe to wear most of the time on most less-than-vert granite is something like a TC Pro. The other advantage is that a stiff flat lasted shoe is a middle-ground option. It excels at smedging, but if a pitch also has a section of true smearing or true edging, it does fine on those too.  But there are some specialized circumstances where #1 or #3 type shoes are better.

For slab I usually go for Acopa Merlin's or La Sportiva Mythos.

I was maybe climbing up to about 5.11 smearing/smedging and for a long time all I'd use was tight fitting Moccs, preferably just broken-in. Probably helped to build strong feet and calves, which may help considerably on slabs. I ended up trying a pair of blue Quantums and was sold for a long time. Now discontinued, and with my only pair wearing, I'm on the hunt again for something just a bit stiffer than the Mocc..

Josh Fengel wrote:

I was maybe climbing up to about 5.11 smearing/smedging and for a long time all I'd use was tight fitting Moccs, preferably just broken-in. Probably helped to build strong feet and calves, which may help considerably on slabs. I ended up trying a pair of blue Quantums and was sold for a long time. Now discontinued, and with my only pair wearing, I'm on the hunt again for something just a bit stiffer than the Mocc..

Check out the Grandstones. Fit and feel is reasonably similar to the Quantum's, though less down turned.

For the pure friction and smedging there are two camps.  One is super soft sensitive shoes, ie moccs.  Then you have the camp that likes super stiff flat board lasted shoes.  I fall onto the latter camp.

I’m not climbing where/what you are, but for NC slab in the hard 10’s and sometimes low 11’s, I absolutely love Anasazi Blancos in a snug but not painful size. The Blanco has a ton of tension in the heel and really drives your big toe into the front of the shoe. Flat and stiff works best for me on the little crystals and nubs you find on slab routes around here. 

Ian C wrote:

5.10 pinks. Gotta love C4 rubber for slabs. Less aggressive toe lets you put more rubber in contact with the wall. More rubber = more grip. 

/2cents

I'll make it 4 cents. Pinks FTW.