Choosing the Right Kicks
Sponsored by Five Ten
By Jason D. Martin
It was late October and I was standing at the trailhead for California’s Palisade Glacier deliberating over an assortment of footwear. A pair of rock shoes, a pair of leather boots, a pair of approach shoes, and finally a pair of plastics all lay before me, but which was the right tool for the job? Our itinerary included a long approach, both rock and ice climbing, and a potential deep snow slog. These variable conditions and mediums made my decision cruxy.
Alpine climbing in the world’s different ranges requires a wide assortment of footwear. The following is a breakdown of footwear options, and their backcountry niches.
Rock shoes
On strenuous alpine rock routes, climbers often wear comfortable “all-day” shoes. In the mountains, rock shoes should be reserved for high-end pitches that have little or no snow to negotiate. The sticky rubber on rock shoes doesn’t perform well in below-freezing temps; if you are in such conditions it’s likely that you’ll want more covering your foot than a light rock shoe. Most alpine climbers reserve rock shoes for routes 5.8 or harder.
Approach shoes
Sticky-rubber approach shoes are a great lightweight option for fast ascents on easy alpine terrain, and are gaining popularity on alpine routes, especially after the snow melts and the trails are dry. Some climbers, however, strap lightweight crampons onto approach shoes to cross small glaciers or late-summer snowfields. It’s not uncommon for recreational alpinists to lead up to 5.8 in them.
There are, however, several disadvantages to approach shoes. The first is that they don’t provide adequate support for hiking with a backpack that weighs over thirty-five pounds. The second is that they will get wet and cold if you’re trekking through snow. Additionally, it’s important to note that once an approach shoe’s sticky rubber gets cold, the rubber feels slippery and hard, especially when walking on ice -- be cautious when using approach shoes in these conditions.
Leather Boots
As leather boots become increasingly technical, their alpine facility continues to develop. Most leather boots climb both rock and ice relatively well. Some lightweight leathers are tailored more for rock climbing, whereas heavier leathers have an ice-climbing focus. The primary difference between the two varieties is often the amount of insulation.
Most alpinists are comfortable leading low fifth-class rock in leather boots, though it should be noted that climbers who purposefully train in leathers will be able to climb mid to upper fifth-class rock as well.
There are three disadvantages to leather boots. First, some heavier leather boots are difficult to break in, and can cause serious blistering during the process. Second, most leathers have a full shank in the sole so they don’t smear well. And third, they can take days to dry out once they become sodden.
Plastic double boots
Though plastics are the least precise and the heaviest of all alpine footwear, they are the warmest and fastest drying. On Cascade volcanoes, on the flanks of Denali, and on alpine ice climbs, plastic double boots perform extremely well.
Few climbers use plastic boots on routes requiring a significant amount of rock climbing, as smearing and other technical foot placements can be quite difficult when wearing plastics. Climbing in plastics and crampons is a bit more precise than just plastics, but the plastic/crampon combo still feels less technical than leathers and ’pons for difficult mixed climbing.
As with leathers, plastics come in lighter-and heavier-duty models. The lighter models have a lower profile and perform a little better on rock and ice. Heavy plastics, however, are bulky and feel imprecise, but they are primarily built for warmth in extreme alpine and arctic environments.
Decision time
In order to choose the appropriate footwear for your climb, spend some time researching the route. What are you likely to encounter? Snow, ice, difficult rock climbing, or a mixture of all three? In addition to knowing what to expect, make sure you know your limits. How hard can you climb in each type of footwear? These two factors will play the largest role in your decision as to what to wear. If you know you’re going somewhere cold that will require low-end technical rock moves, it’s a good idea to take your intended footwear to the crag or gym and get comfortable climbing the necessary grade with the additional challenges of stiffness and clunkiness.
Choosing appropriate footwear for an alpine outing is a skill that takes as much time, experience, and refinement as learning a new technique. And even the experts get it wrong sometimes. For instance, I chose a pair of lightweight leathers for my Sierra trip and they rocked on the rock … but on the ice and snow where the temperatures were low, my feet were definitely chilled meat.
Originally published in Climbing Magazine #247. Reprinted by permission of the author.
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