UKH

Hi,

i always seem to find that i have a slightly baggy heal in my rock shoes. i have been using the Scarpa vapour V and five ten Quantum and they both seem to feel a bit insecure in aggresive-ish heel hooks.

is it normal to have the heel slide a bit and create deadspace under your foot while heel hooking?

Downsizing more doesn't really help as it just causes more pain in the toe box.

John

In reply to John Aisthorpe:

Try another model or brand shoes, might solve that problem. It all depends on the shape of your feet.
I got a pair of sportiva pythons especially for heel sensitivity while heelhooking.

In reply to John Aisthorpe:

I get the same problem - the best shoe I've found for it so far is the Scarpa Instinct VS, one of my current shoes is the Scarpa Booster which I bought assuming it would have a similar fit, but which is honestly unusable for me on heel hooks. Probably the last time I buy a new model of shoe online...

In reply to John Aisthorpe:

I guess it depends on the shape of your foot, but I have found Ocun Oxi to fit my heels pretty much perfectly - far better than previous shoes (Anasazi Verde and Simond Vuarde Tech).

In reply to george327:

Thanks guys, looks like i should just go and try on some more shoes and hope to find a better fitting one! From what i have read i might get on well with the Scarpa instinct VS, Fiveten Hiangle or maybe la sportiva solution (tried them on before but wasnt looking for an aggressive bouldering type shoe at the time). I am thinking of these shoes as they are stiff so should be better for all round climbing and wearing for longer periods as well.

John

In reply to John Aisthorpe:
I've tried a pair of Vapour V's, so kind of have a frame of reference. Evolv heels for me are the least baggy if sized right. I'm a big fan of Shamans as an all round, reasonably aggressive shoe. I've got an old pair that smear really well, and a newer pair that hold an edge really well.

Get to a shop and try more shoes.

In reply to John Aisthorpe:

This is quite an interesting question and I think everyone probably has a different answer, as it largely comes down to fit.

Personally I've always found Scarpa/La Sportiva to work best for me, as both of the brands seem to make a big deal of the sculpture and design in/around the heel - there's a feeling of craftsmanship when you pick them up and look at them. That said, I'm specifically referencing some of their more technical shoes (e.g. Instinct, Skwama, Otaki, Solution), so maybe some of their other models (Vapour V for example) have a more relaxed fit in order to make them more comfortable. That said, I don't believe you need to wear a painful shoe in order to heel hook effectively - it's just about finding the right thing for you.

On the flip-side of the above, I also have a pair of Anasazi VSs kicking around for the odd occasion where their unique - and distinctly un-heel shaped heel (!!) - fits where nothing else does. I think these removed a grade or two from Lay-By Arete (f7B+) at Slipstones, as such always worth packing just in case!

As such, (and as someone has just said) go to a shop and try a load on. If they've got a wall there then give them a go too, as any forum chat or shop talk is largely redundant compared to actually using them.

Good luck!

In reply to John Aisthorpe:

As above, very subjective, I get on with the 5.10 Anasazi heel pretty well (at least a model or two of white's ago), but know people who find the same heel crippling. How high the heel comes up the back of the foot and how aggressively it hooks in around the Achilles seems to be important.

In reply to John Aisthorpe:

Might be worth trying some of the La Sportiva S-Heel shoes (Otaki and Skwama), My Otakis feel great on the heel.

In reply to John Aisthorpe:

One I'd recommend is the saltic vampir, doesn't feel nearly as tight as various evolv or tenaya but feels very secure on the heel.

In reply to John Aisthorpe:

Over the years, I've arrived at the conclusion that other people's feet are the wrong shape.

Nothing else can account for the fact that almost every shoe I try on has dead space in the heel. Every shoe seems designed to bulge outwards at the back. I'm assuming other people's feet must do this too. Mine don't. It's very annoying. When I heel-hook my shoe peels off.

The only shoe I ever found with no bulge at the back was the old boreal mutant. These have recently been revamped. They now bulge at the back. But they are perhaps still better than most for those of us with, I suppose, mutant heels.

In reply to John Aisthorpe:

The Vapor V the OP uses fit my feet perfectly but the hiangles and instincts are miles off, goes to show how different feet are.

In reply to Steve Perry:

The vapour v had the best fitting heel i found at the time but I've noticed in heel hooks they slide off a bit. After just having been to the shop the Evolve shaman, la sportiva solution and scarpa instinct vsr stood out as having secure heels. Although the solution looks like its got a pretty big heel it grabbed onto my heel well and wouldn't budge.