Post by mike on Nov 30, 2005 20:52:50 GMT
this is borrowed and edited from neil gresham's climbing guide on www.planetfear.com
it expresses the importance of matching shoes to your foot shape
The key factor in shoe selection is whether your foot is assymetric (with the big toe the longest) or symetrical (with the second toe in being the longest). Modern rock shoes are becoming more and more assymetric in design and it is vital for those with appropriate shaped feet to take advantage of this in order to minimise the amount of dead space which can occur on the outside of the foot in more symmetrical shoes.
Similarly, those with more symetrical feet should not be pursuaded to change to assym just because they are so in fashion now. If you do this then not only will you experience immense pain on the outside edge but you will have a less stable contact on the inside edge. An important note for those who've splashed out on a pair of the new breed of radically curved, toe-down assym shoes (such as la Sportiva's Mirage or the Boreal Stinger) is that these shoes require some adjustment in your climbing style in order to use the outside edge effectively -you will need to place your foot much more 'front-on' (perpendicular to the rock) in comparison with a pair of more conventional shoes. Remember that nearly all the major rock shoe brands have both assymetrical and symmetrical shoes in their range, so forget the hype and buy what's right for you.
it expresses the importance of matching shoes to your foot shape
The key factor in shoe selection is whether your foot is assymetric (with the big toe the longest) or symetrical (with the second toe in being the longest). Modern rock shoes are becoming more and more assymetric in design and it is vital for those with appropriate shaped feet to take advantage of this in order to minimise the amount of dead space which can occur on the outside of the foot in more symmetrical shoes.
Similarly, those with more symetrical feet should not be pursuaded to change to assym just because they are so in fashion now. If you do this then not only will you experience immense pain on the outside edge but you will have a less stable contact on the inside edge. An important note for those who've splashed out on a pair of the new breed of radically curved, toe-down assym shoes (such as la Sportiva's Mirage or the Boreal Stinger) is that these shoes require some adjustment in your climbing style in order to use the outside edge effectively -you will need to place your foot much more 'front-on' (perpendicular to the rock) in comparison with a pair of more conventional shoes. Remember that nearly all the major rock shoe brands have both assymetrical and symmetrical shoes in their range, so forget the hype and buy what's right for you.