23rd April > Guides

Noodles > Guides: Ah, just over three month of wearing these, with socks.. and they're beginning to hum as the weather gets warmer. I wear them every day... ev-ery-day, to and from work and when I'm out. The ventilation on the shoes could be better, but it's not that bad; if you've got guests you may want to leave them outside the door is all :)

The uppers are holding up well to all the riding and walking that they're put through... the only noticable wear is on the sole at the heel end of the shoes, mainly on the right hand shoe. This is a problem I have with all of my shoes as it's the way I walk and it's the area of the shoes that take the most hits!!

Other than that I should have a pair of Freerunners on the way, so I can see if the Mystic rubber is better on marble surfaces... there's going to be a slide test, hopefully I won't smash my face in doing it :)

21st April > Projects

Noodles > Projects: So I've not been outside, but I've been climbing a fair bit on the wall during reviews. The Projects are standing up pretty well to the kicking that they get, Arayane came over and she always wants to work on heel hooks and nasty toe scums and the Projects perform really well when you're pulling both moves... I have to admit that as the shoes are so flexible sometimes I don't hook I just grab holds with my toes and just pull, but if I do hook the heel cup is nice enough that I don't need to worry; it's one of the best heel cups I've had on a pair of shoes as the "dead space" is little, compared to other shoes where it's been quite a large area.

The Projects have a nice band of toe rubber on the top of the show that allows you to get some good friction when you're hooking your toe under a hold, and it does help when you've got no choice (or a specific move has been called on a route) but to hook your toe under something and then pull on it.

I'm still impressed, this weekend I'll probably be outside (After dealing with some PC / Mac problems last weekend) so we'll see how these soft shoes are on rock and how long my feet last in them.... oh saying that even thou I did have a good bitch about the vents in the shoes giving me some trouble a few weeks ago I have to admit that I've not noticed it that much, despite my shoes being cranked up super tight the other night, maybe my feet are getting used to the shoes, but I have been kciking my heels out of the shoes when I'm not climbing, thankfully they're nice and easy to pull on and off thanks to the wide foot opening when you've got the velcro undone

20th April: Anasazi LV

EVE > Anasazi LV: It's outdoor season people!!!! Well, at least for those of us who believe it is totally worth it to camp despite the snow in order to touch some rock. The first consequence of climbing near 0*C (32*F) is that you have to deal with seriously cold shoes. This makes them a little more fitted then usual (which in my case is highly unnecessary) and about 40 feet up my first climb with them I had to take a serious break... But what they lack in comfort, they give in confidence.
The Anasazi's tip is pointy enough to make them absolute gold for use in cracks, there is enough rubber going up the top and side of the shoe to avoid serious damage and give me the protection layer needed to shove my foot in there without hesitation.

My major disappointment for this trip was that I expected flawless smearing and although the Anasazi are sticky, the extra friction provided by the rock didn't seem to have any effect. It was like smearing at the gym: sometimes it stuck and sometimes it didn't! Maybe with a little more beating, the rubber will get stickier?!?!
On the other hand, this lack in smearing capability did make me realize that the sensitivity provided by these shoes, although they don't have the thinnest rubber on the market, does allow for a more elevated confidence in my footwork. Why? Well.... I was trying to smear and my foot slipped down onto... well... nothing! But I could feel the crystal of rock under my toe that was sticking out slightly from the mountain and I was able to use it as an ACTUAL foothold since I could feel EXACTLY where it was and how solid I was on it. But despite my 20/20 vision... I was never able to actually see what my foot was clearly telling me to trust! Impressive? Yea, when you're not use to it... Useful? Darn right! :D

So I did climb at Noodles lately and I did do routes at the gym and as usual enjoyed the experience with my 5.10s, which are slowly becoming more and more fitting (causing me to worry about them becoming loose - you just can't satisfy a lady). However, since I hit the outdoors before any of the guys, I just had to rant about it! ;)