Yosemite Climbing Shoes?
Hi Steph, thanks for the way you are. I really like you. You are so inspirational for me. I am climber and vegan like you. I have one question. I am going climb in Yosemite in September. Can you recomend me please some climbing shoes for this granite crack climbing? Of course, vegan shoes :). Thanks and have a nice. Michal
Hi Michal,
If you like a flat shoe best on granite, you should check out the Evolv Kronos.
If you like a more downturned shoe, the new Shaman is a good option for you.
Sizing is the trickiest part: you need precision for that techy granite, but if you’re climbing long routes you might want to go up a half size than your usual sport climbing shoe (if you wear them tight normally), because you’ll be on your feet for a long time. This is why I prefer velcro shoes for long routes–I like to pop the heels off at belays and let my feet take a break. I’d probably bring a pair of tighter, more precision shoes and a pair of more comfortable shoes since you’ll probably climb some long routes and also go bouldering and maybe cragging.
Have a great time!
Steph
Steph…I know you are sponsored by Evolv, but I can’t wear them. My feet sweat a lot, and there is no shoe that smells worse than them. I am also a vegan, and I know synthetics smells worse, but they are impossible for anyone to be around me. I wear Tenya Ra’s and they are not bad, but too aggressive for all day multi-pitch.
Do all of the synthetic Evolv smell like death after death died?
Rich
Rich! I’ve had kind of the same problem with my synthetic Evolvs, but I’ve had good luck doing a few things: throwing some chalk in the shoe to eat up foot sweat, making sure I always air them out after wearing, and, since I’m fortunate enough to have a washing machine in my apartment, I throw them in for a quick soak every week or two. It’s cut down on the grossness a lot. Maybe you already do these things, but I learned them after months of “why do my shoes smell so bad?”
Hi Rich,
I used to have terrible, and I mean the worst smelling shoes. Leather, synthetic, it didn’t matter. For the last year, none of my shoes are bad.
The fix: I put a few desiccant packs in each shoe. They usually come in new shoes, things like that. Alternatively you could use silica gel crystal cat litter and put it in a sock.
Why this works (on new shoes):
Your shoes start to stink because when you take them off they are wet with sweat and warm. The perfect environment for the bacteria that your feet left in your shoes to multiply! The desiccant helps to dry the shoes quick after you’re done wearing them. Preventing bacteria from growing.
If your shoes already stink you’re out of luck until your next pair. I’ve found it almost impossible to un-stink climbing shoes. It’s probably because the bacteria have migrated inside the material of the upper. And it’s not just the bacteria that stink, it’s their crap that stinks. So even if you wash them or kill the bacteria, they’re still going to smell after.
check out Drypointe shoe inserts: they are amazing, and keep all shoes dry and not stinky
and check out Drypointe shoe inserts! They are seriously wonderful.
I did buy them on your recommendation a while ago and yes they are great and work on other shoes. Just not Evolv’s 🙁
eww 😉
Thank you….As I posted above and Steph did I use DryPointe inserts and they really help. As for washing, i use a baby bottle brush and scrub the inside of them out, getting rid of as much as I can of the stench as I can.
my friend Lisa also swears by boric acid powder for really bad smelly feet–you could try that too? she says you use it inside the shoes like baby powder.