Most things are replaceable. Sure, you have your favorite climbing items - rope, harness, trad gear, jacket – but, for the most part, when these tools get lost or old you can usually replace it with a “good enough” or “even better” version.
Other items, however, verge on the category of “irreplaceable.” These must be stockpiled otherwise you will be searching through hell and back – at least twice – for something comparable at replacement time. You might also waste precious funds on “close but oh so far away” options, ultimately shelling out cash for disappointment.
So, what is stockpile-worthy? Sure, certain specialty items can fall into the stockpile category, but there is ONE item that consistently should be stockpiled…awesome shoes. I’m not talking about stockpiling just any shoes or amassing an Imelda Marcos type of collection – one color for each outfit. I am talking about stockpiling shoes that fit beautifully AND are used for intense, foot-focused activities, like climbing and hiking/backpacking, (this also holds true for jobs that require standing all day).
Why are shoes, and these types of shoes in particular, so important to stockpile?
(1) Our feet take the brunt of daily abuse. Add in activities that challenge our feet beyond normal wear and tear and the need for good-fitting shoes increases exponentially.
(2) Shoes get discontinued or the manufacturer makes “improvements,” which can sometimes change the fit. When I find a perfect pair of shoes (tried and tested, of course), I will buy several pairs as soon as possible.
(3) No two feet are the same. Not only does one person differ from another, many have differences between his or her own right foot and left foot. Thus, finding a great-fitting shoe can be like finding a needle in a haystack.
These individual differences are one reason why I ignore shoe reviews that claim “this is the best-fitting shoe!” A great-fitting shoe to one is torture to another. The most useful elements of shoe reviews are observations about durability (which means wearing the shoes significantly more than a few times before doing a review) and observations about their features and materials, such as sticky rubber that really sticks, soles that don’t slip in scree, or water resistance that really works.
So what shoes have I stockpiled and why?
For hiking, backpacking, and climbing approach shoes I have stockpiled the Adidas Terrex 475 (I'm not sure if this exact style is made anymore). Not only are they perfect for my feet – meaning zero blisters on 15+ mile hikes with a 40-50 pound pack (of course, they may not work for your feet), they have incredible traction on scree and slab, and they are super durable. In two of my pairs, I have hiked between 500-1000 miles each. The only things I have replaced are the shoelaces and insoles. The stock insoles are high quality, but, as a general tip, it is helpful to rotate insoles to reduce deep imprinting. On longer hikes rotating insoles on a daily or several-times-per-day basis helps prevent repetition injuries on the feet and other body parts, like the knees.
I have the Gortex versions, which work well in light rain, but they do eventually get wet inside with ongoing exposure to water. I’m not sure how the Adidas “waterproof” shoes compare to others, but they did fare much better on a long rainy day compared to my husband’s supposedly waterproof shoes. He was squishing in his shoes while I was just damp (albeit his are older). Once saturated, however, these shoes can take a while to dry and can become, shall we say, odiferous. The smell does seem to settle down once fully dry. I will accept smelliness for comfort.
The rock climbing shoes I have stockpiled are now no longer being made – the Evolv Rock Star. I love my pink little pretties, not because of their fabulously feminine color, but because they fit me (whoa, big surprise!) AND because they are a jack-of-all-trades wonder-shoe. They are perfect for harder climbs requiring edging, excellent for multi-pitch climbs that require wearing the shoe for numerous hours, nice for slabby climbs that require smearing, and just right hanging out at the gym – easy to take off and belay barefooted. I have yet to experience a climbing shoe that lets me perform in comfort in all of these scenarios. Here is why the Evolv Rock Stars work so well in these varied circumstances.
Although I like the idea of natural leather shoes (they smell less), I am glad my Rock Stars are synthetic. This means they don’t stretch much. Since they are an immediate good fit (there is little need to wear them in – although my older pair are a tad more comfy than the new ones), they will remain a good fit for a long time (assuming my feet don’t change significantly). This is perfect considering my favs have been discontinued. Couple that longevity with a good local re-soler and I can recycle my four pairs of Evolv Rock Star shoes over the next many, many years of climbing.
Other items, however, verge on the category of “irreplaceable.” These must be stockpiled otherwise you will be searching through hell and back – at least twice – for something comparable at replacement time. You might also waste precious funds on “close but oh so far away” options, ultimately shelling out cash for disappointment.
So, what is stockpile-worthy? Sure, certain specialty items can fall into the stockpile category, but there is ONE item that consistently should be stockpiled…awesome shoes. I’m not talking about stockpiling just any shoes or amassing an Imelda Marcos type of collection – one color for each outfit. I am talking about stockpiling shoes that fit beautifully AND are used for intense, foot-focused activities, like climbing and hiking/backpacking, (this also holds true for jobs that require standing all day).
Why are shoes, and these types of shoes in particular, so important to stockpile?
(1) Our feet take the brunt of daily abuse. Add in activities that challenge our feet beyond normal wear and tear and the need for good-fitting shoes increases exponentially.
(2) Shoes get discontinued or the manufacturer makes “improvements,” which can sometimes change the fit. When I find a perfect pair of shoes (tried and tested, of course), I will buy several pairs as soon as possible.
(3) No two feet are the same. Not only does one person differ from another, many have differences between his or her own right foot and left foot. Thus, finding a great-fitting shoe can be like finding a needle in a haystack.
These individual differences are one reason why I ignore shoe reviews that claim “this is the best-fitting shoe!” A great-fitting shoe to one is torture to another. The most useful elements of shoe reviews are observations about durability (which means wearing the shoes significantly more than a few times before doing a review) and observations about their features and materials, such as sticky rubber that really sticks, soles that don’t slip in scree, or water resistance that really works.
So what shoes have I stockpiled and why?
For hiking, backpacking, and climbing approach shoes I have stockpiled the Adidas Terrex 475 (I'm not sure if this exact style is made anymore). Not only are they perfect for my feet – meaning zero blisters on 15+ mile hikes with a 40-50 pound pack (of course, they may not work for your feet), they have incredible traction on scree and slab, and they are super durable. In two of my pairs, I have hiked between 500-1000 miles each. The only things I have replaced are the shoelaces and insoles. The stock insoles are high quality, but, as a general tip, it is helpful to rotate insoles to reduce deep imprinting. On longer hikes rotating insoles on a daily or several-times-per-day basis helps prevent repetition injuries on the feet and other body parts, like the knees.
I have the Gortex versions, which work well in light rain, but they do eventually get wet inside with ongoing exposure to water. I’m not sure how the Adidas “waterproof” shoes compare to others, but they did fare much better on a long rainy day compared to my husband’s supposedly waterproof shoes. He was squishing in his shoes while I was just damp (albeit his are older). Once saturated, however, these shoes can take a while to dry and can become, shall we say, odiferous. The smell does seem to settle down once fully dry. I will accept smelliness for comfort.
The rock climbing shoes I have stockpiled are now no longer being made – the Evolv Rock Star. I love my pink little pretties, not because of their fabulously feminine color, but because they fit me (whoa, big surprise!) AND because they are a jack-of-all-trades wonder-shoe. They are perfect for harder climbs requiring edging, excellent for multi-pitch climbs that require wearing the shoe for numerous hours, nice for slabby climbs that require smearing, and just right hanging out at the gym – easy to take off and belay barefooted. I have yet to experience a climbing shoe that lets me perform in comfort in all of these scenarios. Here is why the Evolv Rock Stars work so well in these varied circumstances.
- The Rock Stars have laces so I can tie them tight, in a precise way, for harder climbs or loosen them for comfort on multi-pitch.
- They are a flatter shoe with a hint of curve/arch and the rubber has firm, sharp edges. The flatness of the shoe allows maximum surface area for slabby friction climbs, while the slight curve of the shoe coupled with the sharp-edged rubber enables more precise footwork on small features. For me, it’s the perfect balance.
- The rubber performs well on multiple types of rock (I have other climbing shoes where the rubber just doesn’t grab certain types of rock as well).
- They are solidly constructed. I have been wearing my first pair of Rock Stars non-stop, indoor and out, for two years (they have already been resoled twice).
Although I like the idea of natural leather shoes (they smell less), I am glad my Rock Stars are synthetic. This means they don’t stretch much. Since they are an immediate good fit (there is little need to wear them in – although my older pair are a tad more comfy than the new ones), they will remain a good fit for a long time (assuming my feet don’t change significantly). This is perfect considering my favs have been discontinued. Couple that longevity with a good local re-soler and I can recycle my four pairs of Evolv Rock Star shoes over the next many, many years of climbing.
