CAMP T-Dry Crampons Excel on Steep Rock
Gripped » Footwear
by Gripped
1y ago
October in the Bow Valley usually brings a minimal selection of ice routes to enjoy and not enough snow for good skiing. Like other keen climbers during shoulder season, regular Gripped photographer, Tim Banfield, seems to find himself drytooling during this time of year. For those not in the know, drytooling requires aggressive ice tools and leather boots with crampons – but not the same type of crampons that you’d use for ice climbing. Instead, climbers use a lighter version of a crampon that actually bolts directly to a specific type of boot called a comp boot. Greg Barrett on Kabukimono D1 ..read more
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The Best Crampons for the 2022/2023 Ice Season
Gripped » Footwear
by Gripped
1y ago
In 1908, English climber Oscar Eckenstein designed what is generally considered the prototype for the modern crampon. He worked with a blacksmith to design a steel device with 10 long, sharp spikes that could be attached to boots. A year later, Italian blacksmith Henry Grivel helped Eckenstein make the product commercially available. Two decades after that, Grivel’s son, Laurent, added two front spikes to Eckenstein’s design. The 12-point crampon was used on the first ascent of the North Face of the Eiger in 1938 by German climbers Anderl Heckmair and Ludwig Vörg. Crampons have come a lon ..read more
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Fubuki Niseko 2.0: The warmest, lightest winter boot?
Gripped » Footwear
by Dave Smart
1y ago
Fubuki means snowstorm in Japanese, and their Niseko boots are suitably named after the ski town in Hokkaido, Japan, one of the snowiest places in the world. The striking colourways, including almost fluorescent yellow, orange and pink, make these boots fun to look at as well as to wear. The EVA outer keeps them light and waterproof, and a drawcord collar helps to block snow. A fleece lining laminated onto the outer offers both warmth, (according to Fubuki, down to -30 C), and cushioning.  The cushioned midsole, reinforced ankle and tracked rubber outsole make them comfortable and secure ..read more
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Kayland Vitrik GTX: A nimble, heavy-duty approach shoe
Gripped » Footwear
by Dave Smart
1y ago
Most approach shoes make you choose between a protective, stable platform for hiking in talus and on unstable slopes and a light, capable rock climbing shoe that can take you as far as you can go without putting on rock shoes. Two weeks climbing in the Vitrik in the Canadian Rockies, I was impressed by how well the shoe functioned on a range of terrain. The upper is suede leather, reinforced at the toe and heel. A double-density, microporous heel wedge adds to the stability and comfort on descents. The result was a solid, boot-like feel that was welcome on long alpine rock scrambles. The Gore ..read more
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La Sportiva TX2 EVO, lightweight summer approach shoe
Gripped » Footwear
by Dave Smart
1y ago
Thick soled approach shoes with reinforced uppers are great for protecting your feet in talus, but they can be heavy and take up a lot of space in your pack on a long climb. For mos tof the summer rock season, lighter, more compact approach shoes, like the La Sportiva TX2 EVO fit the bill. The Vibram sticky rubber Idrogrip is especially great for climbing and scrambling, with its low 3 mm lugs and Climbing Zone flat, high-friction toe area. The C2 Combo Cord keeps the shoes compact and close together in your pack during a climb. The shoe is also built to be resoled, unlike many approach shoes ..read more
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Scarpa Rapid GTX Approach Shoe Reviewed
Gripped » Footwear
by Dave Smart
1y ago
With the Canadian summer rock season just starting up, many of us are looking at our faithful old approach shoes and admitting that the soles are worn thin and the holes we wore in the uppers with pride last season no longer seem so cool. It’s time for a new pair of approach shoes. There’s quite a range of possibilities, with shoes that climb almost as well as some beginner rock shoes, but aren’t as comfortable for hiking, and shoes that are almost as light and cushioned as trail runners. The Scarpa GTX Rapid hits a median point between these two extremes that will appeal to many climbers. At ..read more
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La Sportiva Aragon is the Best New Beginner Climbing Shoe of 2021
Gripped » Footwear
by Noah Walker
1y ago
Although performance climbing shoes come with an assortment of fancy features, the mark of a great cobbler comes down to their base model. While many beginner shoes may seem the same, the Aragon has brought performance to the flat last of its design. It is not like the others. La Sportiva Aragon – Photo by Natalie Chan At first glance, La Sportiva’s Aragon suggests the Tarantula. It has a quick hook-and-loop closure system that pulls the outside of the forefoot inward as a more conventional left-to-right strap secures the shoe’s heel to the climber’s foot. This design has worked for La Sportiv ..read more
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The Seven Best Hiking Boots for Summer 2021 Reviewed
Gripped » Footwear
by Dave Smart
1y ago
To have a good day out hiking requires good hydration, fitness and maps, but the most important gear that you’ll invest in are your hiking boots. Below are our top seven for this summer. For avalanche tips for hikers visit here. Scarpa Kailash GTX Uppers: Gore-Tex, nylon, suede Outsoles: Vibram Biometric Trek with ACTIV Impact Weight: 1.22 kg Price: $300 Scarpa has been around for a long time and it shows in the quality, fit and details of the Kailash. For a lighter boot, the Kailash gives a fair amount of ankle support and sole stiffness. When you walk, you don’t notice the firmness of ..read more
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The Keen Ridge Flex Hiking Boots for 2021
Gripped » Footwear
by Dave Smart
1y ago
Spring and winter trails are usually snowy, wet or muddy and require serious footwear to keep you dry and on the trail. Keen’s Ridge Flex boots can meet these requirements and their waterproof breathable insert and aggressive, non-directional lug soles for stability, even on muddy uphill trails. They also include new technologies to improve comfort. Ever felt pinched by your boot at the flex point of your foot? Most of us have given up wondering whether our normal stride could ever be free of this discomfort, but Keen tries to fix it with bellow-flex inserts on the upper, in front of the laces ..read more
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In-Depth Shoe Review of La Sportiva’s Theory, The Olympian
Gripped » Footwear
by Noah Walker
1y ago
Modern bouldering shoes tend to blend together. A downturned shape pulls back from the big toe, while the last cranks the foot into a state of pseudo-asymmetry that makes heel hooking a breeze, at least by comparison to sport climbing shoes. The rubber is either soft or it’s hard, the midsole is either a medium stiffness, or non-existent, and all together, the newest model of one company is alike to another. Tensioning bands are tensioning bands, is there still progress to be made in aggressive shoes? A Bicycle – photo by Pia Graham According to La Sportiva, yes. The La Sportiva Theory joins t ..read more
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