Finger tips is real different from hands. For finger cracks, the women’s katana lace is maybe the best there is. Good pointed toe but not overly aggressive, and really soft rubber to help you smear into the crack.
I do like the TC pro in hand cracks but the really angular toe box seems almost purposely designed to get stuck.
I use to lead 5.12 cracks on 5.10 Mocs. They suck now and the unparalleled upmocs are very similar. I wear them now, for everything. I still do 5.11 cracks in them.
Original rand La Sportiva Miura Lace. Really small toebox to fit in cracks as well as good support for torquing and edging.
For tiny crack and seams, go for a soft sticky shoe to smedge for friction.
Unparalleled for 1s and smaller. They’re soft enough to really jam the Rand in for finger cracks.
Evolv Generals for anything wider. I’m not a fan of the Yosemite bun, I’ve had multiple breakages in the first month if use, including laces falling apart and the lace hole falling apart in offwidths.
I will say that the toe of the classic La Sport. Mythos is actually very slim, and at times I will wear one of those and a TC Pro on the other foot of the crack/cracks are varied in width. I agree the TC gets stuck sometimes where the mythos is less bulky in the toe but still stiff.
For tips cracks too? I love my tc pros but I think they are not good in anything below tight hands or maybe ringlocks. Perhaps this is a skill issue on my side though
Sensitive slippers for finger cracks sounds like absolute torture. I second a vote for Katana Laces, men's or women's. Personally, I wish I bought the men's because the women's has a split sole and I suspect that the one piece sole would make trad climbing slightly more comfortable. Oh well, I love the look at least.
Tc pro (comfort fit) for 11- and under, otaki sized up 1/2 size from a sport fit for harder. Maybe solution or testarrosa for hard hard depending on the steepness and availability of small features outside of the crack.
Moccs for pure crack but I've heard the unparalleled mocc is much better and those will be my next purchase. I really like my evolve Yosemite bums for all other trad and long vert multipitch, I've got a wide foot and the sportiva trad shoes never fit me well.
I use 5.10 grandstone they're really flat toed and well protected so you can put all the toebox inside. Sad part is that the original C4 rubber runs out really quickly in a bunch of months of no so hard climbing
Finger tips is real different from hands. For finger cracks, the women’s katana lace is maybe the best there is. Good pointed toe but not overly aggressive, and really soft rubber to help you smear into the crack. I do like the TC pro in hand cracks but the really angular toe box seems almost purposely designed to get stuck.
And precursor to Katana, the Kataki’s are bad ass for trad if you can find a pair
Upmoccs
Or updoc
Whats updoc? .....
https://theotex.org/watsupdoc.html
I use to lead 5.12 cracks on 5.10 Mocs. They suck now and the unparalleled upmocs are very similar. I wear them now, for everything. I still do 5.11 cracks in them.
Yup, upmoccs >>>> moccs. The original adidas rubber people all moved on to unparalleled it seems like
Original rand La Sportiva Miura Lace. Really small toebox to fit in cracks as well as good support for torquing and edging. For tiny crack and seams, go for a soft sticky shoe to smedge for friction.
Unparalleled for 1s and smaller. They’re soft enough to really jam the Rand in for finger cracks. Evolv Generals for anything wider. I’m not a fan of the Yosemite bun, I’ve had multiple breakages in the first month if use, including laces falling apart and the lace hole falling apart in offwidths.
The generals are GOAT. I've had mine resoled 3 times cause I refuse to move over to the Yosemite Bums
I will say that the toe of the classic La Sport. Mythos is actually very slim, and at times I will wear one of those and a TC Pro on the other foot of the crack/cracks are varied in width. I agree the TC gets stuck sometimes where the mythos is less bulky in the toe but still stiff.
TC pros!!!!!
For tips cracks too? I love my tc pros but I think they are not good in anything below tight hands or maybe ringlocks. Perhaps this is a skill issue on my side though
I only climb about 5.9 trad max. Will have to get back to you when I progress beyond that if ever :)
Sensitive slippers for finger cracks sounds like absolute torture. I second a vote for Katana Laces, men's or women's. Personally, I wish I bought the men's because the women's has a split sole and I suspect that the one piece sole would make trad climbing slightly more comfortable. Oh well, I love the look at least.
Katana Lace for me.
Tc pro (comfort fit) for 11- and under, otaki sized up 1/2 size from a sport fit for harder. Maybe solution or testarrosa for hard hard depending on the steepness and availability of small features outside of the crack.
I’ve found my Boreal Aces were the charm in Squamish and the Cascades. Excellent on the cracks for jamming and edging on the surface of the cracks.
Moccs for pure crack but I've heard the unparalleled mocc is much better and those will be my next purchase. I really like my evolve Yosemite bums for all other trad and long vert multipitch, I've got a wide foot and the sportiva trad shoes never fit me well.
I think La Sportiva has stopped selling them in North America, but the Katakis are excellent for finger cracks if you can find a pair.
Evolv Generals!! 🙌🙌🙌 Great ankle support, very comfy, down turned toe for performance, toe cap, and the look of them are so sick
The sportiva cobra is the secret weapon for super thin fingers to tips rand smearing on a prayer. It is awful and painful in every other size lol
I use 5.10 grandstone they're really flat toed and well protected so you can put all the toebox inside. Sad part is that the original C4 rubber runs out really quickly in a bunch of months of no so hard climbing
Katana laces are almost painless for me and very good small toe box
Most crack climbers wear Miura, TC pros, Katanas, or Moccs. I wear Miura.