September is the hiking season at its best. At least in moderate climate zones. And as hiking is of such importance in German history – even as to being considered political protest by specific movements during the Empire and, later, in the Third Reich – my guess is that this is the reason that the Germanism Kletterschuh (pronounce: clatter-shoe, meaning climbing shoe) made it into the English language. Although it doesn’t involve hiking but rock climbing.
Originally, the Kletterschuh was simply a mountaineering boot with hobnails and cleats. But in the 1930s, rubber soles made an appearance in Europe, and today they are standard for Kletterschuhe (pronounce: clatter-shoe-ah), which is the plural form. As of the 60s and 70s the soles became softer, even kind of sticky to provide the foot more hold.
A foot won’t slip around in a tightly-fitting shoe, and therefore a lot of mountaineers prefer tight shoes (some allegedly don’t even wear socks to make the fit tighter). It means a reduced risk at injury when the foot can’t slip around in the shoe. It also means that, due to the soft sole, the foot can better adapt to the climbing environment. Apart from probably being quite uncomfortable from the get-go, the downside of too tight shoes is probably well-known to you. In young climbers they can stunt bone growth; in the end, they will cause painful deformities – all for the sake of climbing. (I have to admit that as a young woman I wore high heels a lot – same silly risk-taking, as we are not meant to put all our body weight on the front of our feet, certainly not while shaping them into fashionable points …)
Now, imagine you have finally worn in an uncomfortable shoe to some level of comfort and the material gives out … wouldn’t you want to have them repaired? Kletterschuhe wear out unevenly, as any kind of shoes. There are re-solers who take care of the entire sole or of the mostly worn-out part, the so-called rand (hah, potentially another Germanism for fringe).
Depending on performance level and needs, there are different kinds of Kletterschuhe in the market. From tie over Velcro to slip-in, with different flexibility depending on climbing level and purpose, with pointed noses for smaller ledges and rounded ones for more push-off power. Just have a look into the climbing department of your nearest outdoor store, for the fun of it. Personally, I like the crayon bags there best and sometimes think they would make delightful decoration pieces or even fun handbags. But that’s a different topic, and climbers will probably just shake their head.
To me, climbing is limited to ladders to reach for something that I desperately need (I dislike heights). And barefoot or in socks – no Kletterschuhe involved.
