UKH

just wondering how long people's shoes normally last? im trying to figure out if i have poor footwork and my shoes seem to wear out quite quickly over the big toe area but i climb on grit about twice a week and on plastic once a week, is this normal or bad footwork? doesnt feel like im dragging my feet along but you never know....
cheers for any help

In reply to al123: I think there's a rather critical piece of information missing.

In reply to wayno265:

He's a size 42

In reply to Fraser: No, you've got the wrong end of the stick - I meant what colour are they!

In reply to al123:

I think it's mostly down to bad footwork, but some brands of shoe do wear out faster. I always have the same problem with my shoes when I climb indoors, where I tend to drag my feet more instead of placing them accurately. I've found Red Chili shoes to be particularly rubbish in this area and have had a pair wear out in less than 3 months, with only about 20 odd trips to the wall.

In reply to al123:

not sure that follows - I doubt my footwork is great, and my shoes seem to last for ages (as in *years*). That said, I'm currently in a phase of only climbing once a week, which might have a lot to do with their longevity.

In reply to al123: Apart from a few big boot routes I have done all my rock climbing in a pair of Boreal Spyders which I've had for five and a half years. They're still going strong but I'm going to treat myself to a new pair this year!

In reply to Tall Clare:
Likewise. Never yet worn a hole in any... The edges round off eventually, although the ones I bought in July or so are still quite pointy but nothing more than that. Odd.

In reply to al123:

hum... it depends how good your footwork is and how hard you climb. My first climbing shoe lasted 2 years. However, I was not climbing very hard and neither very often (about 1 to 2 times a week).

Now I am climbing harder and consequently need climbing shoes that are more precise. In average my top climbing shoes last between 6 months to a year. However, for easier climbs they can be used for almost 2 years. I use some old climbing shoes for easier/warm up routes and new climbing shoes for harder climbs.

Wow, I wish my climbing shoes lasted as long as you guys!! My indoor shoes rarely last longer than 3 or 4 months before going through in the big toe and my outdoor ones dont last that much more. I think La Sportivas that I happen to like are known for it, but I also do tend to rotate on my big toes a lot between moves as I climb.

In reply to al123:
Is it the actual front bit of the toe which wears out? Or the bottom of the shoe (under the big toe)? I'm pretty sure that if it's the front then that only occurs from bumping your toe against the wall. How long have you had the shoes for? Improving your footwork will do your climbing a world of good though if it's poor now.
James

In reply to al123:
I used to notice that doing a lot of traversing on screw on smears trashed the shoes quite quickly. If your smearing alot on the grit it'll probably wear them out quick too .

The only time I notice a lot of wear on bolt ons is when I am doing a lot of turns (generally traversing backwards and forwards) on holds rather than picking my foot up and replacing it.

In reply to James Oswald: its sort of the edge under the big toe that wears out fastest. i do climb on grit alot so alot of smearing e.t.c so maybe its normal unless you have footwork like MC hammer.

In reply to al123: I think that if you had footwork like MC Hammer, it would probably be soles of the shoes that wear quickest.

In reply to al123:

Well... Now you mention it, check this out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg-RyvQgdAg&feature=fvsr

Stanage on a summer Sat??