n reply to tehmarks:
> I've never seen anyone put chalk on their shoes before.
You clearly see the folly in such behaviour, so I'm glad you haven't seen it too much. It really is quite a odd scene to get your head around, especially if it has never occured to you as being a useful act.
I work at a new bouldering facility and not only do many new climbers seem to take it upon themselves to invent how climbing might work without seeking advice from the more experienced, but they are advised on chalk use at their inductions. So yes, I have seen this and advised accordingly. They often look as though they doubt the sense in my advice
Even worse, I regularly look through Instagram etc to get an understanding of how our members take to their experience as this is a good learning exerience for me as a staff member. It informs me in many ways, setting, safety etc. I have seen members discussing a problem they are working on and the advice is often, "put loads of chalk on". We obviously advise, less chalk, more brushing!
Your post has prompted me to design a poster that might help with this issue. Good luck on your route!