Do Old Climbing Shoes Still Grip? What Happens to Rubber After Years in Storage
You found a great deal on closeout climbing shoes that have been sitting in a warehouse for three years. The price is tempting, but you're wondering if the rubber is still good. Will those soles grip the rock like they should, or have they turned into glorified slippers? The short answer: rubber does age, and not gracefully. How Rubber Actually Changes Over Time? Rubber isn't static. Even when shoes sit untouched in boxes, the material goes through chemical changes that affect performance. Oxidation is the biggest culprit. Oxygen in the air slowly breaks down the polymer chains that give rubber its stretch and grip. You've probably seen this with old rubber bands that snap easily or tires that crack after sitting too long. The same thing happens to climbing shoe soles. The rubber becomes harder and less flexible. What used to mold perfectly to tiny footholds now feels stiff and unresponsive. Plasticizers also play a role. These chemicals keep rubber soft and pliable. Ove...