TAO enters the climbing scene.

[stoneseeker]

Hey everyone,

TAO (around the corner from MEC in Halifax) is gonna try and give some healthy (and much needed) competition to MEC by providing climbers with some alternatives in climbing gear.
After some encouraging conversations I've had with George (the owner), and Ryan (manager?) they have decided to test the waters and start off with a modest selection (at least to start) of quality and in-demand gear. They will be focusing on bouldering gear (shoes, pads and chalk namely).
They will be bringing in several of the high end Boreal shoes, as well as the undisputed champions of foam: ORGANIC pads!

Support local business, and gear diversity. Come check it out on October 1st, and offer your suggestions.
George is very willing to hear what we are interested in, and what you think our area is lacking in for gear.

Heres the quote from their site:
*BOULDERING DAY!~ Sat., October 1st, 9:30 AM - 6 PM.
We're introducing a line of bouldering gear at TAO.
After careful thought and plenty of conversing with Nova Scotian climbers, we're introducing products we're proud of.
Come and see the products from Organic & Boreal on Oct. 1st.


PS - I'm just psyched to finally have some more options in rubber to try on, and to have a local business that can support my addiction...
I don't work for Tao, and they haven't asked me to post this.

[Scooter]

High end and Boreal is an oxymoron.

[stoneseeker]

Scoot, why the hate for Boreal? I have only had good (but limited) experience with their shoes, and met lots of climbers in Europe who swore by them.

They have plenty of entry level shoes, but their performance shoes come with solid and positive reviews from
Climbing.com : http://www.climbing.com/print/equipment ... ock_shoes/
this one came up: http://climbinggearreviewsuk.wordpress. ... ar-review/
rock and ice has a few: http://rockandice.com/articles/how-to-c ... hoe-review

In a quick internet search I haven't found negative reviews on any Boreal shoes.
They may not be La Sportiva, but I think they are at least a touch better than Mad Rock, and of much better performance than Acopa, Bufo, Saltic, Climb X and other throw away brands.

[Scooter]

r u going to bring the french blow?

[stoneseeker]

Sadly, I can't blow like a French climber no matter how hard I try!

[ben smith]

Boreal were the first to introduce a sticky rubber climbing shoe with the Fires.
Its a shame that in 40 odd years they haven't managed to improve the rubber.
I agree with scott. High end boreal is an oxymoron.

[stoneseeker]

Boreal were the first to introduce a sticky rubber climbing shoe with the Fires.
Its a shame that in 40 odd years they haven't managed to improve the rubber.
I agree with scott. High end boreal is an oxymoron.

They have. (just google Boreals new rubber)
Their Fusion 3 rubber (old stuff your talking about) was an old compound that was too hard, and couldn't smear, thus why they started to get a bad rep as old school rock shoes that weren't keeping up with the game. They finally listened to peoples complaints, and developed a softer stickier rubber. This newest rubber (Zenith) is apparently quite impressive, and heres a video of Yuji Hirayama showing off how sticky they are... It seems impossible, but I cant imagine he slipped magnets in the shoe. http://www.qutcliffhangers.com/forums/v ... ?f=4&t=967
Anyway, I have yet to try this new rubber out, but I'm pretty sure its improved since the 90's.

They were also the very first company to make a climbing slipper (the Ninja).

[Scooter]

Some sucker might buy in to that gimic but, not I. Not sure how that would improve ones climbing ability. Those shoes most likely weigh less than a pound each. Put a 130+ lb man in them and get that mofo hanging upside down from the points of his toes... then 'hell yeah!' I'll buy that shizzle and be sponsored in no time.

Get me a sponsorship, free shoes and the best contract and I will endorse anything .

[Scooter]

Slippers fall off all the time. Ask Cinderella.

[stoneseeker]

How is it a gimic? People want stickier rubber, (like Ben Smith in the post above) so they delivered.
Its obviously not the shoes that make the climber anyway...
I do think its rather comical you guys are slamming the brand with no talk of your own experience in a Boreal shoe, or what you read to bring you to these conclusions.

[Fred]

I think there is so much variation (excellent to terrible) even within a given brand name and to exclude a brand all together is pretty general. I've heard good things about Boreals from those who wear them. I would second that the shoe doesn't make the climber. Having said that, a good shoe does help.

[Quinn]

Competition is a good thing. They are a small company and might be able to respond to customer feedback (unlike the MEC). This is good news. However, we don't need more competition in entry level shoes (MEC has that covered with 10 different scarpa's to chose from). Seriously, somebody please stock La Sportiva.

[ben smith]

I'll try the new rubber when it arrives, looks like the soft Madrock rubber that fell off the shoe in sheets to me. My experience in boreal shoes (fusion 3 rubber) was that it gargled 15 (content moderated) in a duffle bag. (content moderated) enough that I said never again. Many climbers have the same experience. To stock only Boreals straight out the gate is a chump move unless no one else will sell to them. Made, i suspect, by a non-climber with no idea the bad rep these shoes have when they could stock Solutions or high quality 5 10s and move product in a niche market MEC ignores.

Why you think MEC stopped selling Boreals? Because they sell so quick? Everybody wants them? I'd rather climb barefoot than use those (content moderated) old Boreal Zen's again.

But (content moderated) it I'll give em a try.

[ben smith]

I also tried the quattro rubber and it sucked roadkill skunk (content moderated).

good shoes amplify whatever ability you have on the rock and (content moderated) shoes degrade it, this should be obvious. You ain't see Usain Bolt in Payless shoes and its nothing to do with sponsorship.

[ben smith]

Hate hate hate hate hate hate.
Yo momma wear underwear with (content moderated) in them.
Dave Chappelle's a genius.

[Scooter]

I am not basing opinions on anything other than my own personal use. I am not posting up reviews or commenting on what others say about them. Just pure experience. I have tried 3 or 4 models of the shoes - all suck.

Shoes do not make the climber.

I guarantee you when you buy those shoes they do not stick together.

I am having fun because I despise TAO .

[Scooter]

... and Boreal.

[Zamboni]

Nice to see organic have some local distribution, I still pray for somebody to stock solutions.

[stoneseeker]

Good old fashioned flame board, but at least you guys are getting more specific.
I heard about the TAO drama, and that sucks, but we would be shooting ourselves in the foot if we held a grudge to the point of rejecting a local company that could start stocking the shoes you want (MEC is too large to make those kind of requests). If you think Boreal is garbage, than by all means, go to TAO and offer your opinion of shoes they should stock that you think would sell well here. That's the stuff they want to know. I did tell them right off the bat that selling LaSportiva Pythons, (or other La Sportiva shoes MEC doesn't carry) and stocking Solutions would be popular, but they were hesitant to stock something you could order from MEC for cheaper. --as they should be. You would just try on shoes at TAO, and then use that info to order your shoes in the correct size the first time from MEC, because climbers are cheap dirtbags like me.

As far as I understand, TAO is stocking Boreal first because it is a decent brand that MEC doesn't carry. Also, I was told that MEC doesnt carry Boreal because of a North America distributor debacle, not because they decided the shoes were crap.
Last I talked to them TAO had talked to La Sportiva as well, and said it would be a longer process, but would be interested in giving it a shot. so there may be hope for your precious soultions to be stocked in Halifax.

[Zamboni]

Who would be interested in doing a booking order for La Sportiva through TAO, I would be? I already know what my size is, And know what the reasonable retail should be. Any takers?

[ben smith]

If TAO didn't try to (content moderated) me too hard on solutions I'd buy them just to spite MEC. I already know my size.

[Scooter]

The animosity towards TAO stems much further back than recent events floating around the community. I'll do my best to boycott their efforts.

Trail Shop. Trail Shop. Trail Shop.

[Andrew]

What's TAO ?

[stoneseeker]

What's TAO ?

A Chinese word meaning 'way', 'path', 'route'

The animosity towards TAO stems much further back than recent events floating around the community. I'll do my best to boycott their efforts.

Trail Shop. Trail Shop. Trail Shop.

I would like Trail Shop better if they made an effort to provide local climbers with relevant, useful climbing gear... but whatever I didn't come here to whine, I just wanted to let peeps know that Tao will be attempting to provide some Organic Pads and hopefully a growing selection of climbing shoes that will differ from MEC.
peace.

[jeremy benjamin]

What's TAO ?

In addition to Luke's definition of Tao above (A Chinese word meaning 'way', 'path', 'route'), it is also an acronym for The Adventure Outfitters, a locally owned and operated outdoor gear store.

Check out their web site here http://www.theadventureoutfitters.com/

They were located in Bayers Lake but are now downtown. I have not shopped there much because they never carried climbing gear until now. I think they are pretty popular with kayakers and canoe-ers though.

In my opinion competition and more selection in climbing gear is welcome. MEC has squandered their corner on the market here. MEC Halifax has stocked fewer and fewer high end climbing shoes over the years. Organic pads sold locally? Peeps not stoked? WTF?

The Trailshop is awesome (when they have a sale) but what brands of climbing shoes and pads do they stock?

[smilingrock]

I agree with Jeremy. A local company selling climbing shoes and pads is going to be a lot more beneficial than having to rely on just MEC. I would guess Halifax may be 1% of MEC's profits on climbing gear, at the most. That means they aren't to concerned about the climbers in Halifax (Exhibit A - the limited selection of climbing shoes they offer us).

Right now it matters less about what brands TAO stocks and more that TAO is willing to offer us something that was asked for by a LOCAL CLIMBER!!! If people keep crapping about the products offered before it even arrives and hating on the store willing to take a chance for us because of an event that I've heard two versions of in the five minutes I spent asking about it, we will quickly be back to depending on MEC alone. And we'll deserve whatever MEC decides we want to buy.

PS: When you talk amongst yourselves about somebody or something say whatever you want. When you post online use tact and discretion, please, so you don't screw things up for the rest of us. Halifax isn't that big and if TAO was my store I would be having second thoughts about catering to the climbing niche market right now. Getting off my soap box now.

[ben smith]

I totally know what you mean! Online is basically the last bastion of tact and civility. Only nice happy opinions about products should be expressed, look at Gripped Magazine, those guys love everything.

[Scooter]

a LOCAL CLIMBER!!!

hehehe

[Matt Peck]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggXmKPMaHMo

[ben smith]

No one is in business to cater to the climbing scene. If TAO can make a profit off of us they will, just like MEC or the trail shop but the minute they lose money they will be out in seconds. Our opinions and feelings have nothing to do with it and you all would be wise to remember that.