Buying new (type of) shoes during pandemic

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 Ale152 07 Sep 2020

Hello everyone!

I've been wearing Tenaya Iati for more than a year and I'm super happy with the way this shoe feels. What I'm not happy AT ALL about is how quickly they wear out. The first pair I got lasted something like 4-5 months before having massive holes near the big toes, but the very last pair I bought was just at the end of June and the rubber on the toebox is already gone! That's less than 3 months!!!

I know that my footwork might not be the best, but I had other shoes in the past years that lasted almost a year and I don't think my footwork got that much worse!

I was wondering, is there any shop that you're aware of where I can try shoes on in these days? It looks like all the shops won't let you try shoes on because of Corona. I'm happy to shower in hand sanitiser if I have to! Or in alternative, do you know any type of shoe that feels like the Iati but that uses a more durable rubber?

Cheers,
Ale

 NIGBEE 07 Sep 2020
In reply to Ale152:

Outside in Hathersage are allowing you to try on with (supplied) plastic bags on your feet and after santising of hands. Have to say it was not the best feeling and made it difficult to make a decision about the feel of the fit but it was better than not being able to try at all. 

 Mike-W-99 07 Sep 2020
In reply to Ale152:

Go outdoors were happy for me to try out new shoes the other day.

Post edited at 12:32
 Andypeak 07 Sep 2020
In reply to NIGBEE:

That's really bad science. Since when did a respiratory illness start coming out of your feet? 

OP Ale152 08 Sep 2020
In reply to Mike-W-99:

I've only been to Go outdoors a couple of times and I can't remember them having much stuff for climbing. Do they have a good selection of shoes?

 Skip 08 Sep 2020
In reply to Ale152:

No

 Mike-W-99 08 Sep 2020
In reply to Ale152:

Depends what you are looking for of course, I don’t wear any fancy high end stuff.

I was actually in for some new approach shoes the other day but my current rock shoes were bought there too.

 neuromancer 09 Sep 2020
In reply to Andypeak:

I'm pretty sure that trying climbing shoes on with plastic bags on is a good idea. It helps your foot mould to an initially stiff shoe to get a good sense of the fit.

 HeMa 10 Sep 2020
In reply to Andypeak:

pretty much never, but unless you try the shoes on without touching them with yer hands (which you just used to plug out a loogie from ya nose, coughed on, or scratched yer groin/arse)... the likelyhood of transferring some germs on said shoe is likely.... the last option will prolly not transfer Covid19 but is grouse non the less.

And keeping a thin sock or plastic bag on yer feet is also a nice thing to do... Corona or not.

 Martin W 11 Sep 2020
In reply to Mike-W-99:

> Go outdoors were happy for me to try out new shoes the other day.

Last time I went in to Go Outdoors - which was just after shops started to be allowed to open in Scotland - they wouldn't let you try on anything, let alone footwear.  Which was a shame because they were the only shop locally to have the jacket I was interested in, but not being able to try it on put me right off.

If they've relaxed that policy now then I might go back.  But not for a jacket: I bought a different one from a shop that did let me try it on (Tiso).

In reply to the OP: Cotswold were happy for my wife to try on several pairs of walking boots a few weeks back - using her own socks.  I don't know if they have a different policy for rock shoes, but I can sympathise with the view that a barrier of some kind between foot and shoe is a good idea.

 MischaHY 12 Sep 2020
In reply to Ale152:

Have you never heard of resoling? I usually resole my shoes 3-4 times before buying a new pair. It's important to stop before wrecking the rand rubber (the second layer) or you'll end up paying more but still way cheaper than new pairs every time. 

Also: durable, soft, high end. Pick two. 

OP Ale152 16 Sep 2020
In reply to MischaHY:

I'm going to resole my shoes, but it takes a few days/weeks and I need another pair to climb in the meanwhile.

Thank you everyone for the comments! In the end I went to Go Outdoors and got a new pair in there. They didn't have a good selection but still had a few La Sportiva and other good brands. The price was amazing too!


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