What is smearing in climbing reddit. One negative thing I find about them is smearing.

What is smearing in climbing reddit. In comparison to the first shoes I ever bought (some sort of Evo brand shoe), these newer shoes helped my climbing because they fit my feet really well. But problems overlapping volumes allow the use of volumes to complete routes. Nov 17, 2023 · The shoe that's best for you depends on your body type, climbing style, the type of rock you climb on, and how much you want to spend. Other than that then they are good for toe-hooking and overhang where you really need to press your toes in to small pockets so you don't drop your feet. I do really like them for their good smearing capabilities and the soft and sticky rubber. Glossary Downturned - the general shape of the shoe, and more specifically the angle of the toe and foot posture. Yeah climbing jugs, especially those on steep overhangs will tear up your fingers quicker due to increased friction and the angle your hand is pulling at. Oct 22, 2024 · One such technique that often comes into play, especially on featureless rock faces, is smearing. If you want improved smearing a softer shoe will help with that, something like the scarpa veloce is moderately downturned and very soft. The heel does have a bit of air, but it has not popped for me so I am fine with it. If they didn't want people smearing they should've made the wall smooth like in many Asian climbing gyms. The thing with smearing is unless your putting alot of weight flat against the wall your feet will slide. This is a brief attempt to wrangle all of our "OMG what climbing shoe" posts in one general direction. Smearing has never been the best, the edge on it wore out quickly, and I now have problems trusting my feet in this pair of shoes. I climb about v3-4’s. Does this slippery-ness go away or is it just a property or the shoe? Thinking about returning Was thinking about the two brands today and kinda feel like scarpa is famous for their “soft smearing shoes” while la sportiva is famous for their “stiff edging shoes”. Moccasyms have great smearing ability for when there's nothing, but the soft, thin sole makes them kind of crummy for edging on tiny foot holds. The comps should just be a little softer and probably better for gym climbing and the regular solutions are likely the better choice for edging and climbing outdoors. For smearing on sandstone, grit or indoor climbing a soft shoe like the Veloce is likely to be very good. That said i don’t get great smearing performance either due to curled toes. Slab Climbing Tips and Tricks Maximizing Rubber Contact with the wall when smearing. If you are coming from a beginner shoe they will take some getting used to but you won't be able to go back to the flimsy sole a beginner shoe provides. I climb 5. my Scarpa Force. As your are fairly new you might not have a preferred type of climbing yet. Jul 6, 2024 · We explore what smearing in rock climbing is, detailing what it is, how it works and considering whether it’s something hikers do too Mar 26, 2024 · At its core, smearing refers to the technique of using friction rather than holds to support body weight on the climbing surface. 5. Is this just a matter of breaking In comparison to the first shoes I ever bought (some sort of Evo brand shoe), these newer shoes helped my climbing because they fit my feet really well. Anything 4mm or above tends to be stiff. Nov 15, 2023 · Discover the difference between smearing and edging in climbing. Explore techniques and tips in this informative article. Reply reply More repliesMore replies Spuri0n • Hello all! Ive been climbing in Evolv Kronos and while they are great, im wanting something more for top rope, for the small footholds and overhang/slight overhang. Most people start with liquid chalk at the base, but still bring up a chalk bag to chalk up on the route. I notice that when in this situation, I am almost always forced to quickly deadpoint to the next handhold, and this is made worse if Fun thing is that usually you'll find huge runouts at slabby smearing slabs as those are the old school routes and overhanging routs are pretty much ok, bolted every 2-3m. 1. However, if the foothold requires a smear instead (nowhere to edge on), in order to stand on it I have to move my hip slightly away from the wall, this causes the crimp to be pulled outward instead of downward, which drastically reduces the purchase on the hold. I also have instinct S in 43 (-1 size) and they are much better for smearing and my toes are not nearly as curled but they are also a softer shoe all around and the toe rubber is much stretchier. To top it out they are the most comfortable climbing shoe I've tried, despite significant down-sizing, and they fit my super skinny feet perfectly. I like softer shoes for steep climbing (think Solution, Dragon, Team, etc. I think the whole smear vs edging argument boils down to how you apply pressure to the wall with respect to your foot's rubber. The sole will never get as soft as something like a Drago or Futura, of course, but the Solution is designed for other things. Obviously each brand does both depending on model, and both well. The Flag is by far my favorite They don't really stretch out, but they do soften up. Incredibly comfy, minimal profile, excellent for smearing. If you are doing a wide range of climbing with one pair of shoes, professionals tend to prefer soft rubber because the negatives can be compensated by getting strong feet. Smearing is just hard IMO, I have to drop like 3 grades to feel halfway comfortable on slab routes. Of the aggressive shoes , one has a better heel and the other is slightly better at smearing. Player1 starts climbing, after 10 seconds Player2 starts climbing the adjacent wall, both top roping. I do a mixture of top rope, sport, and bouldering and I'm currently projecting my They are soft enough for my 80KGs to allow them to smear as well as I see myself needing, while having noticeably better edging capabilities than my Dragos. The shoe edges super well. Updates: Yesterday I was doing indoor toprope climbing. They are otherwise good on overhangs and small footholds as designed. I have the Aspect, they are super stiff so not the shoe for smearing. Smearing makes it easier, so smooth walls are better if you're trying to get strong as shit. (Hopefully this is the right sub for this, I couldn't access the rules on mobile so if it breaks any I'll delete it). Climbing shoes have rubber soles to increase friction between you and the wall. When Player2 catches Player1 then Player2 tried to dislodge player1 from the wall, Player1 wins if they reach the top without falling, Player2 wins if Player1 falls. You’ve been climbing for a couple of months, it doesn’t make financial sense to buy either of these shoes since you probably won’t make use of them and they will not make you climb better. After going every other day for 3 weeks I finally committed and bought my first pair of climbing shoes (la sportiva tarantulace). I am My old pair are soft, and I wanted to start working on climbing with a more aggressive shoe type, since I feel I’ve climbed long enough to start considering them. The shoes themselves are comfortable enough, but I’m trying to get used to the lack of flexibility and smear grip I get with softer shoes. On steeper walls, this helps set up your toes to not just push downward on holds, but They are great for smearing on walls and volumes thanks to the grip 2 rubber and the softness of the soles but get very slippery when you start trying to edge and work on overhangs. Warning: potentially controversial opinion incoming. We occasionally play Gladiators. Softer shoes allow you to smear on all the volumes and large textured holds in the gym. About 2 mm of space; not bad compared to my dragos which has more, and my Vapor S which has a bit more . It's not that the foot slips but the force I generate is essentially directed 90° from the wall, this keeps my foot glued but it also puts enormous stress on my fingers. I have tried la sportiva Smearing Because this shoe has no midsole and it's so soft it allows for so much more foot surface area when smearing. 60 votes, 30 comments. Jul 10, 2021 · Slab climbing is also called friction climbing because it relies heavily on using your feet and applying special foot techniques, like inside and outside edging and smearing. I didn’t like my pair at first, but after a couple months of climbing in them, they broke in really well for me, especially being able to smear. Size them snug so Jun 11, 2024 · The four slab climbing secrets covered here are broken down with easy-to-follow cues to help you execute on the wall. Currently I am in Moccasyms (mediocre fit) indoors and Miura VS (good fit) outdoors. 11a’s. You practice this by only using hand holds on the ascent. I notice that most of the nearest crags ive been to are limestones (nightmare). I mainly top rope and i boulder with my friends as well, but i prefer top rope. You can get new shoes if you want but it's unlikely your shoes are the reason you you're slipping If you are gym climbing, softer shoes are better. They smear very well outdoors - and pretty good for volume smearing indoors. The problem with I've been climbing for 2 years, mostly climbing 6a - 6b+ ish routes. By the time I’d been climbing 6 months I bought a cheap pair of decent shoes and could tell the difference the shoes made. I'm afraid I'll destroy my shoes by putting putting them in natural vinegar or simply in the washing machine (in a washing bag, of course). Like, I’d take a drago over a theory any day for smearing, and a solution over instinct VSRs for steep edges. Once mastered, it can significantly enhance a climber’s progression, especially on slab-like surfaces and competition problems. Although it has gone through several iterations, no-edge found its most popular form in the La Sportiva Futura. Im mostly bouldering but will top rope slab on and off as well. Unlike relying solely on handholds and footholds, smearing involves utilizing the surface area of the climbing shoe to maximize contact with the rock or wall. Questions I’m hunting for my third pair of climbing shoes, and I’d like to know what shoe is your all-around go-to climbing shoe! What pair of climbing shoes doesn’t hurt you too much to wear around the base of the crag, yet is technical enough to have you sticking every smear like gum and finessing every infinitesimally small toe hold? Aug 17, 2022 · Climbers often neglect limbs that can be especially useful for climbing, like the head, shoulder, knee, and hip. I gym climb 2-3/week, primarily sport climb when outside (a variety of styles but not too much overhang at this point) and occasionally boulder outside. No using edges or "holds" that aren't bolted on for hands/feet is what i consider "no features". They are not very good at smearing. I would go for a comfortable pair of shoes for everyday climbing. I was wondering what the best way to getting rid of the stench in my bouldering shoes is. Currently I mostly climb in LS Theory's. I naturally do this and tbh I find it quite fun, but is it a bad thing and should I purposefully try not to cut loose? I’m slipping a LOT on holds and volumes when I shouldn’t be. 5), but once broken in it's not a problem. Shoe shape has everything to do with foot shape and hardly anything to do with climbing The solution is still my favorite sport climbing shoe that I have tried, precise and makes me feel confident on even the smallest feet. The last year I have been using La Sportiva Skwarma and I only have good thing to say about them. I've got an old pair for easy/warmup climbs and two aggressive pairs. I did have this talk with someone in my local boulder hall sometime ago but I can't quite remember what he said to me. Are you mainly climbing inside or outside? Feb 15, 2023 · The Flag is a crucial technique in climbing that can greatly improve a climber’s balance, efficiency, and overall performance. They have pretty much ZERO support, which is great for building footwork and strength, not the best for those tiny foot chips 691 votes, 162 comments. There's lots missing, so offer feedback and potential additions in the comments and I'll do my best to curate this post into something we can refer people/the FAQ to. Once warmed up they seem to be flexing more The (already minimal) downturn disappears quite quickly. Oct 4, 2021 · While many might credit no-edge technology to La Sportiva’s Speedster, the Italy-based shoemakers pioneered the design in the late 90s. Unpopular opinion, if you are still learning techniques and climbing lower grades, get a cheaper pair (La sportiva Finale, or something) to climb on V2s and practice V5s and wear your solution comp when you are ready to send it. 5 years and am currently climbing in women's Miura Lace Ups. It's also not great for smearing as the rubber is once again too hard and the downturn camber won't allow you to get as much surface area to smear on the rock. If you want something that has little more capability the Booster S would be a tad better for smearing because of the rubber but it wont last as long. One negative thing I find about them is smearing. Aggressive/downturned/cambered shoes have a curve to them that naturally puts your foot in a pulling position. Not sure which of these would work better for me and would Carrotfueled's guide to climbing shoes (lightly edited by tinyOnion & soupyhands): Shoe Terms Downturned the general shape of the shoe, and more specifically the angle of the toe and foot posture. g. The secrets start with smearing and maximizing rubber contact. It's not like if you get solutions you can just step anywhere I'd just focus on improving your technique. Also surprisingly durable for a high performance shoe, lasted 8 months before I resoled them could have probably pushed it another month or 2. It involves extending one leg out to the side to maintain balance and control while climbing. Smearing is def allowed and not considered cheating Though tbh I don't know that shoes make that big a difference. Hi all, just need some quick input. Coming from XS Grip 2 and Xs Edge, this feels like an insane downgrade. Learn how these techniques enhance balance and stability on different surfaces. I pull these out on specific boulders. Depends a bit on you climbing. Today I am doing indoor bouldering. Also, shoes last longer on smooth walls, and setting is a bit easier. These shoes are currently doing well for indoor bouldering! Still a little bit of heel movement up, the heel slides to where the tension Rand holds it in. Just got them re-soled and ready for another six months of climbing in them. In terms of scarpa and la sportiva, look for XS grip 2 rubber with a thin or absent midsole. Thickness of the sole matters too. ‘Almost anything can be a foothold, if you believe it to be so The sizing is the same. Skwamas are also versatile shoes that I like a lot for bouldering. com Aug 4, 2023 · Smearing is a rock climbing technique that involves using a smooth, featureless portion of the wall as a foothold. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced climber, mastering the Flag can help you tackle more challenging routes and reach new heights. I don't feel so confident smearing on the wall with Solution compared to other non-aggressive shoes e. Jan 11, 2022 · Sometimes they’re climbing “moderate” 2,000-3,000-foot big walls that are a technical mix of face climbing, smearing, and crack climbing from fingers to off-width. After bouldering for a bit I decided to upgrade my shoes to Evolv Shamans since I have super wide feet. 10 Moccasyms. All that rubber on top of the foot makes it a pain/take a while to break in really well. Very aggressive shoes are good for small feet and over hand, where soft shoes are great for smearing and such. I've been climbing for about 2 years now and my footwork is pretty good so I don't think it's to blame. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. Mike is our patron, Honnold our saviour If you are going to be doing face climbing and overhanging climbing and any big wall or crack climbing the miura will do the job perfectly. I'm slipping holds that I would never slip on using the shitty beat up evo's the gym rents out. At my gym smearing is most definitely always in. The liquid chalk really helps to distribute the chalk on your hands, getting into even the little cracks in your hand and fingers. To be honest it's impossible to get a shoe that's optimised for smearing and edging, since smearing requires a soft flexible shoe and edging needs a stiff supportive one. If you don’t trust a smear and put minimal weight on your feet, then it won’t hold. And yes we are scared of falling. It makes it easy to do precise footwork on smaller holds. 10b-c, while projecting 5. I’ve been climbing about a year and a half and I notice that I tend to cut loose a lot when I’m doing problems. . Hi all, any good drills to practice keeping my feet on the wall? Particular small footholds when making bigger moves, my feet… Hi all! I have been climbing for 2. And for what it’s worth, the Testarossas are more aggressive than the Muiras, but I can perform equally as I currently have the evolve shamans and although these are great at climbing overhangs, they tend to lack on edges and smearing. I've loved them for everything. They fit perfectly but during my first session with them they slid off of nearly every single hold and the wall when smearing. Stiff shoes make better all rounders than soft shoes. When a company designs a new suite of shoes, they send pairs to us and our testers, and we climb in them, compare notes, write a review, and then, later, do a roundup of the latest and greatest releases of the year. TC Pros are the exact opposite because they have a thick, hard sole--great edging, not so great smearing. Touching and smearing are pretty much open on any climbing walls. If you want to stand on tiny pebbles on granite or grit, or small limestone edges, then a stiffer pair could be nice like the Tenaya Iati or Scarpa Vapour series. In addition, the alcohol in the liquid dries your hand out so you start the route very dry. In my research, I came to the dragos and multiple people (online) said they were good at edges. 10d and 5. No other shoes at all. Smearing – Photo by Jacquie Des Rosiers La Sportiva no longer stands 530 votes, 46 comments. What type of climbing do you do and how does your shoes perform? How do they compare to other Sportiva products and other brands? Any issues? Sportiva shoes fit me way better than any other brand and I am hunting for some new shoes, both for the gym and outdoors. But ultimately I can’t think of a You want to lean towards softer rubber for slab climbing smearing and indoor climbing/standing on volumes, but you want harder rubber for tiny edges. Your climbing shoe rubber has a lot of friction only if there is a lot of force being applied to it. Toe hook leaves something to be desired. 11 trad, 5. You may feel differently though. If your climbing is mostly focused on edging, these are pretty good, but if you're looking for an allround shoe with a good balance between edging and smearing, look elsewhere. When I started climbing I wouldn’t have been able to tell you the difference between rentals and decent shoes. Smearing Because this shoe has no midsole and it's so soft it allows for so much more foot surface area when smearing. While im still a beginner, im looking for The instinct VS inst a super aggressive shoe, however any shoe can smear. Aggressive Smearing in rock climbing is a technique that relies on the friction between a climber's shoe and the rock surface, using as much of the sole's flat surface as possible. Apr 16, 2025 · What to look for in sport climbing shoes Ten things you need to know about climbing shoes Our favorites Honorable mentions Most gear roundups cover new releases. The kilter board is such an amazing tool for getting better at climbing, so I have a question to ask people: Why do so many people hate the For me medium stiff shoes (instincts, mastia, phantoms) are amazing bit board climbing and overhangs outside while my softer shoes (iati, instinct vsr, solution comp) are great for smearing. 23 votes, 47 comments. Then if you wanted max smearing you’d get a slightly too big Drago or Veloce or Zenist to just get a ton of rubber on the rock. The main critiques of stiff shoes are that they don’t bend and conform to smearing on volumes as well, and they are less sensitive so it is Aug 4, 2023 · Master rock climbing techniques of edging & smearing to enhance balance, stability, and scale heights confidently. I’ve been climbing for about 1 1/2 - 2 years and have started to climb around the V6-7 range (in gym). Pushing off the wall with the flagging foot to help you move in the opposite direction. The home of Climbing on reddit. I can smear efficiently in vertical situations but I can't seem to do it in overhngs. Miura lace will have more applications. My reasoning is that the downsides of stiff shoes can be mostly mitigated, whereas with soft shoes, there are some things you simply cannot do. Climbing a hard project sometimes calls for one shoe for the key heel and the other shoe for a smear. I excitedly took them to the gym and was surprised to find I cannot smear on the wall, like at all. Is this a common sentiment or am I just insane? I’m getting them resoled to replace the rubber cus imo it’s not worth climbing in if I don’t feel We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Heel hooks are a dream in these, edging is great, smearing sucks for the first month of break in. Most routes in my gym benefit a lot more with more neutral or moderate shoes and smearing seems to be a lot more important than edging or for routes even in (or where the toe is negligible in) the roof section of the gym. My footwork can get a little awkward, standing only 5'1" high (all hail short legs), im developing this habit of smearing whenever my survival instinct just kicks in, be it on slabs or terrible tiny foothold (smedging). I feel secure and oftentimes I’m not going to slide off the wall when making a specific move that requires smearing. It's not supposed to test if you can climb a wall without touching anything except plastic, it's supposed to test if you can manage a rope and clip bolts while climbing. Feet on wall with no hold = smearing. Regardless of shoe, don’t go downsizing - it won’t make you a better climber and will only make your feet hurt. This article delves into the intricacies of smearing in rock climbing, exploring its definition, applications, and techniques. Here's a little background to start. I used to be able to hit 2's on the board when I started, but I shot up to being able to climb v3's, and most v4's. 84K subscribers in the ClimbingCircleJerk community. 12 Solution comp is the best all rounded bouldering shoes in my mind, while the theory is excellent for slab smearing. Not much you can do to speed up break in other than climb in them. Can you recommend some videos of good climbers doing that? Wound up buying La Sportiva Otaki's; Explanation below. Something like the Chimera or Instinct VSR sized down might perform better on small holds while also giving better sensitivity and smearing simply because you sized them properly for that. I just started climbing about a year ago indoor and am definitely in the market for some new shoes. I currently have la sportivas and love the fit. See full list on thewanderingclimber. It’s also easier for me to smear and do moves like heel and toe hooks. Mostly when I have small foot chips, very high small smeary or edgy foot holds ore require precision through the whole climb. I've been climbing for about a year and am absolutely loving the sport and want to get better at it. It began with the Mantra, a shoe recently re-released under the same name. Even smearing against the wall I seldom feel stable. Otherwise though, they are just too precise for my preferred climbing style. In top rope im doing consistent 5. Hi all, I really like slab climbing, specislly if it involves a lot of smearing on smooth rock with no edges. My lace-ups are deteriorating and I'm looking to upgrade now but to a shoe with a similar fit and stiffness. 3M subscribers in the climbing community. I am still looking for the perfect climbing shoes for my feet and am wondering whether something from Unparallel might fit the bill. I have been bouldering for 10 months, and I started using the kilter board regularly. I'm curious as to what others think of the Vibram rubber Feb 9, 2023 · Smearing is a common climbing technique utilized in both indoor and outdoor rock climbing. about 2 months ago. Although the move may seem straightforward, it’s not easy to master this fundamental climbing technique. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Its when you put your feet on the wall or rock face without any hold and climb that way. I'm unable to smear in Comps out of the box (EU 45 -> 41. ). I am relatively new to climbing. Commonly left out in the practice of smearing is the importance of trusting it. Edging (get your head outta the gutter) This shoe does very well with tiny foot chips and sketchy footholds. The idea would be to direct that force as much as possible in a parallel fashion so it actually helps my hand/arms (the way I do it in the I had a climbing movement class that talked about flagging and smearing at the same time. Would be best to check in with the employees, my gym is tapeless, walls are free game, smearing. Basically, to smear, you place your foot onto the rock (a dish or dip is helpful here), drop your heel, and press your body weight into your foot. I was wanting a shoe that is primarily good at edges as I don't smear all too often but being ok at smearing would be nice. When you do the heel down smear, that means your pressing your foot into the wall to maintain friction. Nov 26, 2023 · Learn how to transition from edging to smearing during a climb with confidence. So as much as I like my Vapors, I still have to carry my solutions around to fill in where they come short, where the only downside of the solutions was Well, pain. The old pair saves wear on the better shoes. You need that weight to push it against the wall and create friction. I know both solutions and theory’s are more high end but I do climb 4x a week now and really would love to stick with it. My first pair I owned were actually a pair of used rentals from my gyms garage sale. ixhwsi iupgwzc iqly kbpu vnbr pqjabo pmglhfxv hbd lozoa hifgwf