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Innovation · Improvement · Value
Mad Rock's goal from the start has been to offer the most sophisticated designs and materials at a fair price, and now more than ever our message of value, quality, durability and climbing enjoyment rings true - so much so that our competitors are increasingly following our lead. We always thought that climbing should be enjoyed by everybody - and we aim to do that with the best gear at a fair price. - Team Mad Rock
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Power Upper
Combined with our new Science Friction 3.0 rubber, our latest power upper design is by far the stickiest yet. Through the use of our new rubber impregnation technology, the power upper is thin, light, sensitive and ultra sticky.
3D Molded Concave Sole
With a patented, concave shape, this sole offers even more powerful edging and surface contact while smearing. Featured on both the Con Series and the Demon, the 3D molded concave shape will enable your feet to grab holds like never before.
3D Molded Heel Cup
Introducing, the best hooking heel ever created. With help from our team athletes around the world, we've designed a heel cup that will be sure to hook, smear, jam, or lock better than any other heel design out there. Our new 3D Molded Heel Cup features grooves to improve hooking ability and with two perfectly placed humps, it ensures that your heel won't pop off of your project. As with any of our other features, we never skimp on materials by manufacturing with non-climbing grade rubber.
Polycarbonate Midsole
Advance Edging System (AES). Consistent Shape. Consistent Flex.
Our AES midsoles utilizes 3D molded polycarbonate material to maintains its shape throughout the life of the shoe. It also provides a predictable and consistent flex throughout its lifespan without sacrificing sensitivity. Due to its stiffness, we were able to incorporate this new midsole material in conjunction with our 3D molded rubber sole to increase performance and stability while minimizing the thickness of both. Our AES consists of 3 midsole shapes to control flex and edging.
Side Entry System
Moving the shoe closure to the side provides greater surface area coverage for our new Power Upper. Whether you are toe hooking, jamming, or smearing, our rock shoes have you covered.
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Science Friction 3D Molded Heel Cup
Another innovation in climbing shoe design when it came out, the patented Mad Rock Hooking Heel has been continuously improved and refined over the years and is a feature on all of our shoes. The heel piece gives climbers more contact area on the rock and is 3-D molded for a truly contoured fit-- an important choice and distinction, because the last thing you need when heel hooking that tricky crux is for your shoe to slip. To top things off, the heel incorporates a textured descent heel, a nice touch when you're walking down the scree or those class 3 approaches. |
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Thermal Molded
Mad Rock's continuing quest of bringing high-end athletic shoe innovations to rock climbing footwear is evidenced by our use of thermal molding in our performance models. Scarcely available on brand-name $150 running shoes, thermal molding precisely puts padding where you need it most, flexes freely, and provides excellent ventilation while being extremely lightweight, and providing comfort and performance in a competition-level shoe. |
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Fine Art
No doubt about it, with its grace of movement and inventive improvisation, climbing is an art form. So it would go to figure that we unleashed the best young graphic artists to use some of our best selling shoes as a canvas. From the Mad Monkey's jaunty animated stylings to the seriously sinister Flash Lace, Mad Rock shoes announce their presence both on the rock and off it. |
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Vegan Friendly
Mad Rock was one of the first major rock shoe companies to offer a non-leather alternative, and we're still proudly carrying the flag. Far from offering up sub par castoff designs or repurposed old models with different materials, our vegan friendly models happen to be some of the best performance shoes we make. As always, these models contain no animal by-products anywhere in the construction, and offer the same quality and durability with Mad Rock's well-deserved performance edge. |
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Polypropylene Midsole
This feature works in conjunction with our Dual Density Sole (DDS) technology to create the best all-around performance climbing shoes in the world. The Mad Rock molded polypropolene midsole not only allows the shoe to be soft at its center for optimal sensitivity and smearing performance, but it's also stiff on its sides for edging. Recent trips to the climbing shops and industry trade shows have shown that other rock shoe companies have trimmed costs yet again by not even adding a midsole to their shoes. While this may shave a few bucks off the cost upfront, the lack of a midsole makes for a difficult resole job, adding more expense- and maybe even a new pair quicker than you want-- down the road. |
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Premium Leather
Quality construction always begins with the best materials, and we have you covered. Mad Rock uses only premium leather in our rock shoes to ensure consistent quality, durability and workmanship. A good quality leather shoe is meant to stretch, and to accommodate different shapes and sizes of feet. Our choice to use a higher quality leather may mean a slightly higher price initially, but the long-term benefits should be evident: compared to cost-cutting models (whose leather is often lined to mask their poor quality), your Mad Rocks will not over-stretch, show excessive wear, get holes or degrade rapidly under equivalent circumstances. |
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Dual Density Sole
Mad Rock's patented Dual Density Sole (DDS) construction is stiffer and thicker at the outer rim and thinner at the center. In practical terms, this unique "horseshoe" shape on our high performance models gives the climber better control and grip: the stiff edges of the DDS allow the shoe to grab holds on overhangs or smear on tiny features while friction climbing. At the same time the DDS makes for a more sensitive rock shoe: the thinner sole center allows for more feel of the rock face-it gives the climber the sensitivity level of training slippers, but with all the sturdiness and performance of a full lace shoe. While Mad Rock has licensed this patented design to select rock companies for their high performance models, still others try to simply copy the look of the DDS, with little-to-no performance gains to show, what with their not-so-sticky rubber and basic lack of technology and construction expertise. |
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Power Strap
The Mad Rock Power Strap (available on the Contact and Maniac model) is an elegant solution for those who seek a balance between comfort and performance. A completely removable high-strength nylon webbing strap that seats the back of your foot firmly in the heel cup, you can keep the Power Strap on the shoe when heel hooking or competition climbing, and remove it when more flexibility is desired, like when face climbing or belaying. |
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Laser Etch
Hey, you can't be serious all the time-sometimes you have to let loose with totally unnecessary technological tricks that nonetheless look wicked cool and stylish to boot. Available on the Onsight models, laser etched designs are imprinted right onto the face of the shoe. While we could go on about thinking outside the box and constantly using new advances in technology to make better shoes, we just think that they look nifty this way. |
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Descent Tread
Because Mad Rock wants you to get down safely from the climb as much as we want you to send it, we came up with an innovative reverse-hook tread under the heels, helping to stabilize your descent or even when standing on an incline. And because the descent tread is made from Mad Rubber, you're not going anywhere unless you decide to. Whether going up or going down, Mad Rock has you covered both ways. |
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TekFlex Synthetic Upper
Tekflex is a unique space-age material that can offer both flexibility and rigidity depending on its construction. When it is used in an unlined or padded construction Mad Rock Shoe, it offers the optimal amount stretch and comfort. When paired with a cotton liner, Tekflex is a high-performance upper that will not stretch or lose its shape. |
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Edge Tech System
Through a combination of technical lasts, advanced midsole materials and deliberately slow hand production, our traditional flat soles offer a sharper and straighter edge than our competitors. Why start with the technical disadvantage of a rounded or reverse-beveled edge working against you in your new pair of shoes if you don't have to? Get the Mad Rock Edge. |
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Science Firction Power Upper
There was a time not all that long ago when the phrase "toe hooking" didn't exist in the climber's vocabulary. The first generation Mad Rock Hooker model changed all that with the then-astonishing idea of having textured climbing rubber on the top of the shoe to aid in tricky maneuvers. This seemingly small yet significant addition to the shoe allowed climbers to pull on pockets, smear and grab holds with the top of their feet, and aided greatly in the cracks. In the years and models that followed, Mad Rock has continued to refine our uppers, and in the process helped usher in a new generation of climbers whose shoes have actually assisted instead of limited their development. Our Power Uppers are 3-D compression molded, made with Science Friction 2.2 rubber, and feature ventilation holes to help keep your feet cool. While imitation may be the most sincere form of flattery, our patented design keeps the competition at second-tier status with their attempted knockoffs: the handful of companies that try to mimic this feature use either flat sheet rubber, or even injection-molded non-sticky rubber-- patent-dodging "solutions" which are more for looks than genuine performance gains. |
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Dual Pull Tabs
While other rock shoe companies often use an inefficient single pull tab at the rear of the shoe, likely made all the more uncomfortable due to internal stitching, Mad Rock's reinforced pull tabs are sewn externally, offset, and aligned for optimal efficiency of pulling on your shoes. Pull tabs that actually do their job and don't add to the misery of blisters? All part of the well-thought out design. |
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Anti-Shock
Hidden discreetly inside the heel bed of each Mad Rock shoe is a small EVA foam cushion. It's substantial enough to absorb impact and reduce pressure when standing in your climbing shoes, yet subtle enough as not to interfere with the weight or performance of the shoe. |
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Concave Sole
Mad Rock's innovative and patented Concave Sole allows climbers to utilize their feet as they would their hands. Concave soles are optimal for grabbing at holds while climbing on overhangs, and also help to create a sharper edge for standing on tiny holds and ledges. |
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3D molded Rubber
Mad Rock utilizes an advanced and intricate system of molding its proprietary Science Friction rubber using 3-D molds to bring the components and features as close as possible to the curves and angles of your feet. It's expensive and time consuming to do this, but Mad Rock believes that it is impossible to achieve the best fit without the use of 3-D components. The 3-D components that make our shoes superior are unique and patented: DDS, concave soles, the Hooker Heel, and Power Upper are just some of the things our competitors simply can't match, yet still attempt to copy. |
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Science Friction Rand Rubber
Modern climbing cruxes involve far more overhangs and degree of incline than in years past. In other words, high performance climbing requires a high performance shoe. So why are so many rock shoe makers sticking stubbornly to the same materials and 30-year old construction methods? Mad Rock is one of the few companies that utilize true climbing rubber in the construction of its rands. While it is true that some of our competitor's rands are slighty more durable, the dirty little secret is that their composition is closer to tire rubber than climbing rubber and provides little or no friction. Knowing that, whose shoe would you rather wear on that next tricky 5.13 overhang? |
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Science Friction 2.2 Rubber
We're serious about friction. So much that Mad Rock develops and manufactures its own climbing rubber-something no other rock shoe company does (they often make up their own names for commercially purchased rubber, but that's about it). Over the last year, Mad Rock has developed a new formulation that has been scientifically proven to be substantially better than any other climbing rubber on the market, a claim that has been independently verified by outside labs and by top climbers around the world. We're also proud of the fact that even our rand rubber is competition-grade sticky; in order to shave costs, there are some companies that use regular tire rubber for their rands and heels. |
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Contoured Strap & Custom Eyelets
Instead of using commercially available off-the-shelf components which often lead to "dead spots," blisters, and compromises, Mad Rock uses custom-made straps and rings in its construction to ensure the best fit possible. Our webbing straps ergonomically mimic the curve and angle of each shoe, allowing it to cinch it up in the important contact areas, and offer a degree of flexibility in others. With decades of experience in rock shoe manufacture and design, we knew that standard split ring eyelets don't do that great of a job: their rounded corners often allow the eyelet to get twisted and split open when put under the ordinary stresses of climbing and can corrode over time; synthetic rings don't corrode, but oftentimes break. Mad Rock's solution is to have custom-manufactured, powder-coated, die-cut metal ring eyelets ensure strength and consistency. Proprietary features like these are certainly more expensive to build. But in our quest to build the ultimate rock shoes we think they are worth it. |
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One Piece Binding
To make the finest shoes, having the best designs and the best materials are only part of the equation. The manufacture of rock shoes is still largely a hand-made endeavor, and it's the quality of the construction that elevates our products. Mad Rock employs some of the most experienced, top sewers in the business, and it's this quality born from experience that shows in all of our models. Mad Rock shoes are sewn with a single piece of binding that encompasses the cuff or ankle, utilizing tight stitch patterns (which takes far more time and precision), and using the best thread. This is a sign of quality and workmanship that most other footwear companies-rock climbing or otherwise -simply can not match. |
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Mini-Liner
Often, unlined leather shoes have been known to over-stretch or wear out quickly; alternately, using a rigid inner liner that covers the entire interior allows negligible stretch. To combat these conflicting extremes while maximizing the sensitivity of our shoes, Mad Rock has developed a limited flex material liner that works in conjunction with our premium leather to give you all the comfort and stretch of a leather shoe with all the durability of a synthetic shoe. This is one of the reasons that Mad Rock enjoys some of the lowest rates of return and defects in the industry. |
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Dope Lining
Another Mad Rock first, organically grown hemp lining is naturally odor resistant, anti-bacterial and anti-microbial. This lining has a very high tear strength and is a natural and renewable resource. Available in the Mugen Tech and Demon model. |
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Padded Cuffs
Sometimes the simplest features are the most appreciated. Our multi-pitch and all-day models enjoy the added comfort of padded cuffs, making them some of the most comfortable shoes out there. While some manufacturers won't go through the additional time and expense of adding this feature, Mad Rock does-because our design team are avid climbers, and they know firsthand how beneficial a comfortable all-day shoe really is. Mad Rock also incorporates additional comfort into the shoes by the means of thermal mesh, and leather padded tongues. |
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Double Cross
For over 10 years Mad Rock has produced climbing shoes that feature a slingshot rand crossing under the arch and forefoot to create a tensioned platform for better climbing. This was such a great idea in fact, that other companies started to do the same exact thing (using different names for their "innovation") and have applied for patents a mere 8 years after our pioneering efforts. |
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Twisted Science
By applying pre-tensioning principles to our high performance lasts, Mad Rock shoes with this feature offer additional support when edging and smearing. The science of pre-tensioning helps to hold the down-turned and cambered shape of the shoes while you are climbing, offering optimal grip and contact points. Available in the Con series, Mugen Tech, Jester and Demon models. |
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Lasts
We have literally dozens of different basic lasts available: wide, narrow, downturned, low volume, high volume, children, women-specific and so on, all to meet the needs of different kinds of climbers and different kinds of shoes. Mad Rock continues to design and develop new lasts every year utilizing the latest technologies like 3-D imaging, the latest biomedical research and sophisticated software. Far from being created in a pure lab environment lab though, our lasts also benefit from the feedback of the world's top climbers in real-world situations. To ensure quality and compatibility, all last development and construction from sewing to gluing is done in our own factories and isn't farmed out to third party manufacturing houses. Mad Rock feels that making our own lasts is crucial to the entire design of the shoe, and that each new radical shoe deserves its own specific last, not an adapted old last-or even revised, decades-old hiking boot lasts, as some other manufacturers have been known to use. We know of no other way than our own: to create a quality, unique shoe, the entire process has to be controlled. |
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Compressed Polyester
A pricey and fairly exotic technical material, compressed polyester offers a controlled flex and stiffness to our shoes. This light yet sturdy midsole material stands the test of time, and will not break down or degrade like some other midsole materials currently on the market. |
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3D Molded Polypropelene Midsole
Mad Rock uses custom 3-D molded midsoles with an adherent textured face. That's just techno-speak for a very useful feature: 3-D molding enables creation of a sole that can be either flat or concave in shape, that will not tear, and will be extremely flexible and retain its original shape. Using this technology, Mad Rock can vary the thickness and stiffness in different areas of the sole no matter what the shoe size or model. Our competitors choose to use a cookie-cutter approach, and with inferior materials to boot: some companies use compressed paper or cardboard midsoles which break down easily and do not retain their shape, and utilize the same midsole density and thickness for all their models, whether it's a women's size 5, or men's size 13. At Mad Rock, we have made the conscious choice to give climbers value: well-made shoes that offer high performance for a long time after the purchase. Our esteemed competition would seemingly much rather sell you a shoe that looks good in the store, but quickly loses its grip, shape, and comfort once in the field. |
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EVA Heel Wedge
A simple solution to the thorny question "how can I walk around in my climbing shoes?", we added closed-cell Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) foam to the heel area of the popular Frenzy EZ model to make those trips between the boulder fields a lot more pleasant. While this use of a common athletic footwear element seems natural, it was an out-of-the box design idea for climbing shoes, and yet another Mad Rock first. |
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Quality Stitch
In high-stressed and high-wear areas, Mad Rocks use double (and sometimes triple) stitching for increased durability. The quality of the stitches is obvious and on display for all to see: straight, tight and smaller stitch patterns are the mark of quality craftsmen. While other companies' utilize lowest-bid outsourced sewers who are paid at a piece rate (which encourages manufacturing speed over quality), Mad Rock has incentives for skilled workmanship. And while this practice isn't exactly innovative, we feel that fostering pride in the product on all levels is simply good business, and ensures consistent quality. |
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Offset Lacing
First seen on the first generation Mad Rock Hookers years ago, offset lacing is now a regular feature on a lot of performance climbing shoe models, including those from other manufacturers. While the exact degree of angle and the lacing hardware have been refined in our shoes over the years, the benefits of offset laces remain true to our original design spec: increased performance and comfort. Performance because the laces have been moved to make way for more climbing rubber over the forefoot, and comfort because there is less direct pressure on a traditionally sensitive area of your feet- which also happen to be the main points of contact and propulsion for any climber. As ergonomic technologies and materials continue to evolve, we fully plan on continued refinement of this elegant solution for competition footwear. |
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