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Thom
Trad climber
South Orange County, CA
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Dec 21, 2005 - 09:26pm PT
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Well, I'd like to see the Blue Kuakulators re-introduced also, but...
Good luck on any real resolution especially if Sportiva actually reads this thread.
The "problem" with new shoes these days is a direct result of the old shoes: how is a company expected to stay in business when a relatively small customer base buys your product once every 10 years? My blue Kauks are 10+ years old and my Aces are just under 10. Both have been resoled countless times and neither have any problems with the uppers (I've even thrown them in the washing machine). Both of these shoes have worn like iron. I've purchased one pair of shoes from Sportiva in over 10 years and have no need to purchase another anytime soon; they need more business than that to stay around, thus, the disposable shoe concept.
Mind you, I'm not defending Sportiva's shoddy workmanship, just (perhaps) offering a reason for it. Hopefully, they'll get the message.
I think they should produce a tough-as-iron blue Kaukulator and Mythos and just charge more ($200?). The masses and cheapskates could continue buying the low-end, semi-disposable crap; those of us who climb often and hard would cough up the extra dough for the killer shoes knowing we wouldn't do it again for a decade ($20 per year vs. $120+ sounds good to me, excluding resoles, of course).
My $.02
t.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 21, 2005 - 11:04pm PT
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Lovegasoline asked: "What the hell are you folks doing to your shoes?? "
Which is sort of my take when I posted, I wondered what it was I was doing to my Mythos. It turns out that some people here have experienced the same thing.
It is possible that there are stocks of the "old" Mythos out there still being sold. As was pointed out, they probably aren't flying off the rack. One distinguishing difference between the old ones and the new ones is the "air holes" in the rand on the outside at midshoe. This wasn't on the old models.
And my experience with the shoe was that they lasted a pretty long time, not so with this latest pair, now "circling the drain". My normal "bad technique" is from face climbing, where I drag my right toe, and have the resulting hole in the rand/sole junction of the Mythos. But my crack technique isn't any more brutal than anyone elses, and not only that, I had Mythos stand up to my bad habits before.
I don't mind La Sportiva making a buck selling shoes. Just that for my current usage, I can't afford to buy a shoe that doesn't perform very long. I'll find something else to wear.
Ironically, I have resoled an old pair of Newtons and repaired various bits on those, and I am about to have my Blue-Kaukulators resoled. That should do me for a year or so I suspect (unless I get fired and can climb all the time).
Of course, this only delays the angst of finding a new shoe...
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Dec 23, 2005 - 11:59am PT
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If you like the Mythos, get a pair of ACOPA AZTECS - they're way mo' better!
acopausa dot com
Cheers, jb
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TradIsGood
Trad climber
Gunks end of country
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Dec 23, 2005 - 12:27pm PT
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jb, Why do you guys stop at size 13? What is a 14-15 wearer supposed to do, amputation?
According to a local retail shoe store they typically only get a single shoe in these sizes per shipment. Which basically means that at any given time, you can walk into the store and they are out. And guess what? Shoe stores do not stock by size, nor do their computers answer the question "What models do you have in stock in size 14?"
Sorry for minor thread disruption. Source of pain. 15 year old son wears size 15 sneakers, and is just about to quit climbing, for lack of being able to get the kinds of shoes he learned on.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 23, 2005 - 07:25pm PT
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I looked for the Acopa's at REI Berkeley today and they weren't there....
where would I find them around the Bay Area?
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Chris W
climber
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Dec 23, 2005 - 07:42pm PT
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My mythos gave me toe problems. Or maybe it was those shoes with reverse camber in them??? Jaybro come to Vedawoo and then we go to the Valley for those offwiths!!!!
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