Can you climb in vibram five fingers

In one of the smartest moves in climbing shoe history, Vibram created the FiveFingers, which allows individual toes to fit into pockets. Anyway, good going on that one, Vibram, you just have to get all of the other parts of the shoe right.

But, I could see improvement in this area in future iterations, if Vibram were to make climbing specific FiveFingers. I highly doubt it though. The last thing Vibram would want is to have to market to full-grown monkeys. Barefoot: free. The only areas where FiveFingers perform okay-ish are heel hooks and pockets.

For everything else, they are pretty mediocre. Especially if you look into the models made specifically for outdoor use, which have small lugs on the outsole that can provide traction on a variety of terrain. Not only are they insanely lightweight, but they are also incredibly comfortable and breathe easy too. However, my only advice is to try real hard not to stub your toes! Gaining experience in a single skill is admirable. But you must never lose the drive for self-improvement. Register Log In.

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Blog About Contact Resources. The technique I use is to basically smear your foot on the front of the hold and use you toes to crimp on the top of it, you'll get some pretty bad cramps in the bottom of your feet while you're training them, so roll out on a tennis ball after.

The only way you can really get purchase on small chips is to use the tip of your big toe while you point it, which takes the toe strength of an accomplished ballerino, so practice your en pointe poses. I feel like most of the advice you'll get is from experts that talk down to you condescendingly if you even mention the b-word. I'll describe my scenario and you can interpret it however you wish. I have been wearing minimalist 'barefoot' type shoes casually since probably earlier than and as time went on I did more and more barefoot, though I am careful not to do damage to my feet e.

On top of this, I trained barefoot doing Kung-Fu for a few years. So, needless to say, barefootedness resulted in some strength being developed in my feet. Because of this, my feet became extremely sensitive in a good way to the ground beneath them; I could balance my body using individual muscles in my feet. So when I first tried indoor rock climbing, sure, I tried their shoes, and hated them.

I then did an outdoor climb on sharp limestone in Greece. Same thing: tried their pro shoes, took them off after one climb because I hated them. Went indoor after that, same story. My most incredible experience was literally last Saturday. I went climbing at Mt Piddington near Sydney. Again, I had hired a pair of pro shoes. One climb, hated them, had to take them off.

Then I did the unspeakable: I actually climbed everything else barefooted. No, actually no shoes at all. You can check out photos of the barefooted climbing here. Why "incredible"? I felt so connected to the rock, I had the most intense exhilaration and adrenaline through my body. I had so much feel and control through my toes and feet. The two downsides is that there are some places you can't place your bare feet e.

But I didn't get any cuts or bruising, and the pain subsided after a couple of days anyhow. Also it's true that 'edging' is a fair bit harder. I'll confess that as a n00b, I was only able to complete one climb, rated at around an , whatever that means. I've been told that the only reason I was able to do it barefoot was because it was easy, and that harder climbs would be impossible barefooted. Well, I say: "challenge accepted", why not?

There was a wall that I couldn't conquer due to it's technicality. I attempted it first in the day, with the shoes. I'll just say that at the end of the day, with throbbing feet and fatigue setting in, I re-attempted the wall, and doubled my climb height barefooted. Take from that what you will, but it's enough evidence for me. My feet are used to being free and wearing flexible soles, not rigid soles with a few exceptions like cycling shoes or going out shoes etc.

In essence, the rigidity in the climbing shoes didn't allow me to use the muscles in my feet or to feel the rock. I am excited to continue training my feet to endure pure barefooted rock climbing whenever climbing outdoors. Though, to satisfy the requirements of gyms, I'll be purchasing a pair of Vibram Fivefingers because that's the closest thing I can get to being barefoot socks only are counter-productive because soft fabric has less grip than human skin.

I haven't decided which pair yet; I came here from a Google search trying to find the answer. You can't wear rock climbing shoes casually, but you can with the Fivefingers so it's a solid investment. I'll finish by saying this: the pros all say wear shoes. On paper, the physics says wear shoes. Logic says wear shoes.

But emotion defies logic. And even if it may be harder on my feet, I enjoy barefooted with barefoot shoes or naked feet climbing, and ultimately, I do the climbing for enjoyment, not to follow the textbook rules. Each to their own, your mileage may vary, I won't be held responsible, the usual disclaimers etc. I am a complete amateur: I've only climbed four times twice indoors, twice outdoors , so I am no expert whatsoever. But this is my story, perhaps you may find the information you need from the scenarios I've described.

Aside from the excellent answer by Michael Borgwandt, I have to add that a climbing shoe isn't just there for better gripping. Just like any other shoe, it also protects your feet from any sharp objects or rough surfaces that you may encounter along your trip. The more widely used paths have probably been worn down, but if you're on a new path, it is likely that there are sections that you can do fine with your hands, but where your feet can get injured by the larger amount of pressure when doing this.

And of course, shoes protect you against any small objects that might fall out of your hands or off the cliff face. While these answers aren't really related to indoor climbing or bouldering, they are relevant to climbing in general.

Glad you are putting your KSOs to such good use. Keep it up — and keep washing your VFFs! When he's not chasing his three kids around, you'll find him trying to understand systems, risk, and human behavior. Overview Sheer simplicity and uncomplicated enjoyment! Get the Shamma Sandals experience for an entry price! The new Cruzers provide many of the best attributes of Shamma Sandals in an entry-level model! From the Manufacturer Cruz on the streets, cruz on the mountains, cruz on the trails- Shamma Cruzers are designed to be durable, versatile, and […].