I've been doing a lot of testing and thinking lately about high-top climbing shoes and I think I've fallen in love with this style of shoe.
My first pair was the La Sportiva TC Pro (back in April of 2012). When I first got them, I wanted to break them in by seeing how well they climb. This inspired me to lace them up and give the route I was projecting at the time (Bolt Ladder 5.12c, Logan Canyon, UT) a valiant repoint attempt. To my surprise, I sent. I was surprised because I got the TC Pro to be my trad specific shoe, not thinking that it would be able to help me send a hard sport-route. Now that Tommy Caldwell has sent the Dawn Wall in the TC Pro, with multiple 5.14 pitches, I understand their power even better.
Then, in May of 2014 I got myself the new Sentinel show from Cypher Climbing. During the 2014 climbing season, I was able to experience the Sentinel’s performance and comfort in areas such as Yosemite, the Tetons, City of Rocks, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Moab, and on Devil’s Castle. Already for the 2015 season, I've additionally taken these to The Swell and Zion. With such great ankle coverage and support, I praise the Sentinels every time I jam my feet into any hand and fist sized crack.
High-top climbing shoes provide a collection of benefits that you can't get out of regular climbing shoes. I decided to write a short article for the Cypher Climbing website that lays out these unique benefits to help others appreciate and decide to climb in high-tops.
Do you climb in high-tops?