User Review: Montrail Cruiser

Montrail Cruiser
Above: The current Cruiser, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed August 18, 2005 by kmcgaughey

Rating:
Materials: fancy leather
Use: belaying and jug-hauls
Break-in Period: 1 month with lots of use, 2 months with occasional use
Weight: 1lb
Price Paid: $90

The Cruiser: a beginner shoe which condemns you to being a beginner for as long as they last. This shoe is supposedly all about comfort, but their philosophy in constructing this shoe contradicts one of the most important guidelines for climbing shoes: wear them tight, with your toes curled. The toe box is round and stubby, making it large and awkward when edging, and useless for pockets. And the cinch heel feature isn't necessary at all.

I bought them small, and they are just as uncomfortable as the next tight climbing shoe even without cinching the heel. You should not buy these shoes if you plan to curl your toes and wear them tight.

Okay, redeeming this shoe is a good supportive sole, which keeps your feet from getting sore. Secondly the rubber is very strong, so I've been climbing hard for 7 months in these with little wear.

Think about it this way: you want expensive climbing shoes to last a year or more, right? But in a year, don't you want to be doing hard routes? Buy some shoes that aren't necessarily technical, but that will give you some toe precision so that there's some room to grow.