3 ms·
A similar evolution in shoe technology revolutionized rock climbing. The first purpose built climbing shoe entered the market around 1935, then around 1980 the
by NwtnsMthd 7y ago
A similar evolution in shoe technology revolutionized rock climbing. The first purpose built climbing shoe entered the market around 1935, then around 1980 the first "sticky" climbing shoes appeared. Today we have shoes like the La Sportiva Solutions and the Scarpa Drago, both incredible climbing shoes that provide a massive advantage over shoes of the past.
Fortunately for climbing, this hasn't been much of a problem. Possibly due to the fact that everyone has access to the same shoes. Another possibility is that competition climbing has only become popular in something like the last decade, significantly after the shoe revolution started.
The analogy is imperfect as climbing isn't timed* but it should be interesting to watch this play out.
* Excluding speed climbing and maximum time limits.
- Intermernet 7y agoOddly enough, I feel that climbing shoe design has slowed down. I bought my first Solutions in 2007 and haven't upgraded since. They still seem to be one of the top shoes on the market (although I hear good things about the Drago). As a matter of fact, the last climbing shoes I bought were the Miura VS, which I'm pretty sure is even older than the Solution! The latest shoe from La Sportiva (I think it's the Theory) is designed for indoor / competition use, and basically has changes in design to cater for common materials and shapes of holds used in modern competition. It's not really an evolution of climbing shoe design, more a specialization.
- turbostyler 7y agoThere's a pretty large difference between running and climbing - a sport that has been literally shaped and defined by the gear used in it. Climbing is closer to Tennis than it is to Running, in that for most variations, the gear enables the sport to be possible.