Approach shoes - how far can they go?

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 The Potato 28 Mar 2017
Ive not had a decent pair of approach shoes and have been tempted by some recently. Im always wary about a jack of all trades gear as they generally dont do anything particularly well, Ive read reviews of the popular ones such as 5.10 guide tennies etc but would be grateful of some real world experience.

What sort of grades have you (sensibly) climbed in approach shoes, and any cautions e.g smearing. I dont usually climb above VS / 6C.
 galpinos 28 Mar 2017
In reply to The Potato:

It depends on the ability of the wearer, the shoe itself and the rock type. London Wall has been climbed in guide tennies but you wouldn't catch me doing that......

Having said that, it's probably easier to climb London Wall in a pair of tennies than it is to descend a steep grass slope without going a**e over t*t.
 Hat Dude 28 Mar 2017
In reply to galpinos:

Approach shoes - how far can they go?

The answer is "all the way" however you'll need something else for coming back again
 Offwidth 28 Mar 2017
In reply to The Potato:

I lead low extremes that suit me on a good day and have led VS in the old style
5.10 guide and soloed 100 routes in a day at Stanage Mod to Severe with the 5.10 guide on my left foot (due to a foot problem). Obviously better smearing than edging. The new style 5.10 guide is useless for me as an approach shoe.
 Oliver Houston 28 Mar 2017
In reply to The Potato:
Depends what you want them for, I'm not a massive fan of approach shoes (particularly the guide tennies) as they seem to be geared towards dry rocky scramble approaches, rather than the wet grass/mud more common in the UK.
I've got a pair of old boulder X's that seemed to have a bit of a better tread and they've been great for tower ridge (summer), Cuillins and the odd bit of diff/vdiff seconding.

Saying all that, there are a lot more options now, so something more geared towards UK approaches might exist (the Scarpa ones look a bit better).

Edit: that probably made me sound really old, but my boulder X's are 5 years old and I haven't got round to replacing them...
Post edited at 16:22
 jezb1 28 Mar 2017
In reply to The Potato:

Check out Adidas's terrex solo. Stealth rubber but proper proper tread at the back. Used them for all sorts from guiding scrambles to leading vs and followed (badly) up to E2.
 ripper 28 Mar 2017
In reply to The Potato:

Five Ten Camp Fours have a fair bit more tread (and support) than the Tennies and I've climbed up to VS in my old model ones - now they need replacing I can't quite decide between another pair of the same (albeit the new version, so actually not quite the same), or something a bit more technical and lighter. Like with much technical gear these days, the manufacturers obviously want you to think you need more than one pair...
In reply to The Potato:
I regularly second VS and HVS pitches in my current Evolv Cruzer before swapping to rock shoes for my leads. I've also soloed a few of the short lines at Cleeve Hill at a similar grade as a bit of test.
Indoors, I'll often wear them for a few easy warm up routes (5+ to 6a+). However, although I can certainly climb harder stuff in them indoors, I find wearing them does not promote good technique.

I've used approach shoes on classic North Wales multipitch routes like Amphitheatre Buttress and First Pinnacle Rib and I'd probably do the same in future.



 jimtitt 28 Mar 2017
In reply to The Ex-Engineer:

I managed my hardest route of the year in Cruzers a few years back! Great for long granite back-country routes in the USA but probably hideous in UK bog conditions (though I used them for canyoning in Albania as well).
Kipper 28 Mar 2017
In reply to jezb1:
> Check out Adidas's terrex solo.

I've had a pair for years - comfortable but almost impossible to stand up in a bit of damp grass or mud.
Post edited at 18:41
 jezb1 28 Mar 2017
In reply to Kipper:

> I've had a pair for years - comfortable but almost impossible to stand up in a bit of damp grass or mud.

Really? Mine are great, the newer style with Stealth, they've got proper deep tread on the back.
 Si_G 28 Mar 2017
In reply to jezb1:
Looks like there's a Terrex Solo and a Terrex Swift Solo. The Swifts have a death trap dot grip sole like my old style Guide Tennies.
Post edited at 21:57
 maxsmith 29 Mar 2017
In reply to The Potato:

I have lead VDiffs (one grade below my maximum) wearing La Sportiva Boulder Xs. I really rate them for scrambling and they've had a resole due to so much use.
 dr_botnik 29 Mar 2017
In reply to The Potato:
It all depends what you're looking to do in them. If you want a pair of shoes that you can clip to your harness to make the walk in/back comfier I'd say there's some really lightweight sportiva ones. (Can't remember the exact name, but i think they're actually lightweight running shoes)

But if you're more into exploring places with grass and mud to slip over on, a pair of fell running shoes might be better, but a bit more extreme (they are ventilated to let water drain out after a stream crossing, but this means they also let water in from the slightest puddle...)

For British winters you want a warm shoe, but then if you don't really climb much outdoors in November to February and take holidays to Spain and such, you would probably prefer something lighter with more airflow and the classic "bobble" rubber on the sole is fine in Spain where there's less grass to slip on...

Basically, not many approach shoes seem designed for wet British grass slopes. Yes, the grippy rubber is quite nice, but then i wouldn't say it's essential. I did manage to follow my mate up croton oil (HVS) in an old pair of nikes and, as others have said, Tom Randall climbed London's Wall in a pair of guide tennies. Pete W did technical master in them too, but then there's a video of Johnny Dawes doing it in Reebok's. It's interesting seeing what you can climb with less technical shoes sometimes (as long as they're clean and you're not scrabbling up the rock) certainly gave me a bit more confidence
Post edited at 08:38
 GridNorth 29 Mar 2017
In reply to The Potato:

I've got a pair of Sportiva Boulder X and an old pair of 5.10 Guide tennies. The 5.10's are an order of magnitude better for climbing on dry rock and I wouldn't hesitate to climb VS in them. My normal grade at the moment is probably E2. I would be interested to know how the new 5.10 Tennies compare. Anyone?

Al
 jethro kiernan 29 Mar 2017
In reply to The Potato:
Used the scarpa zen in the Alps for walking and easier scrambles, I've used them in the uk to take my daughter climbing on easier routes. Fits the bill for a do it all shoe
 Siward 29 Mar 2017
In reply to GridNorth:

Shoes like inov8 mudrocs (fell running shoes really) look a good idea for wet grass but I wonder how they'd fare as a multi-use walking/scrambling shoe?
 Reach>Talent 29 Mar 2017
In reply to The Potato:
Depends is the short answer

I enjoyed climbing Nea (vs) in guide tennies but didn't enjoy main wall (hs) in the wet, I wouldn't have fancied them for anything in the slate quarries. I've lead upto about 5+ in a pair of salomon approach shoes in the alps but I have also backed off a vdiff in them.

For how hard you can climb in them I think Dan Varian did a font 8a in approach shoes and I was passed by a very speedy bloke in trainers while I was seconding cemetery gates, I presume he was doing right wall!
 damowilk 29 Mar 2017
In reply to Siward:
I use mudrocs for probably 80-90% of my time in the NZ hills and mountains, pretty much only switching to boots on snow/ice, climbing shoes on rock.
They're great for grip on most surfaces, but not so great on rock steep enough to call climbing.
I tend to need to replace them every 1-2 years.

I also have Scarpa Zens and love them, but generally more for town use than outdoors. They last for years, a very hard to kill shoe.
 edunn 29 Mar 2017
In reply to Offwidth:

Anyone got any experience of wearing one on the right foot, just so that we can build a full picture here?

 Jamie Wakeham 29 Mar 2017
In reply to The Potato:

I reckon you're best off thinking of the Guide Tennie not as an approach shoe, but an extraordinarily comfy rock shoe - one that you'd happily do short walk-ins and descents in. I really love mine; I'm a VS/HVS punter and I'll happily do Sev in them. They do seem better suited to edging rather than smearing.

When it comes to wet grass they're as treacherous as a rock shoe!
OP The Potato 29 Mar 2017
In reply to The Potato:

Good point about fell shoes I tend to scramble in mine (inov8 mudroc) but haven't tried a climb in them as such.
 nutme 12 Apr 2017
In reply to GridNorth:

> I've got a pair of Sportiva Boulder X and an old pair of 5.10 Guide tennies. The 5.10's are an order of magnitude better for climbing on dry rock and I wouldn't hesitate to climb VS in them. My normal grade at the moment is probably E2. I would be interested to know how the new 5.10 Tennies compare. Anyone?

I would say they are same. At least I didn't started to climb harder by just buying a new model
Agree about 5.10 tennies and dry rock. I found it to be very good on dry rock. Especially conglomerate. Never wore them in UK.
 Offwidth 12 Apr 2017
In reply to nutme:

You really find the new 5.10s approach shoes the same for climbing???? They felt to be like they had lost all the sensitivity when I tried them on. All the american granite climbers were complaining when I was last out in California (they are perfect for CA style approach... in the UK, peat acid eats at where the soft leather meets the sole so you need to proof them well).
 ianstevens 12 Apr 2017
In reply to The Potato:
> Good point about fell shoes I tend to scramble in mine (inov8 mudroc) but haven't tried a climb in them as such.

I'm quite happy to solo VDiff in a pair of Salomon Sense SGs (usually already covered in bog by this point). Usually E2ish, but up to E5 in rock shoes.
Post edited at 11:49

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