Ideal Shoe Repairs are delighted to announce that they now are able to apply their years of craftsmanship to the repair of climbing and bouldering shoes, using genuine Vibram rubber. Vibram is the king of mountaineering rubber and has been since 1937. Vibram Grip, a rubber specially designed for free climbing was introduced in 1988. Ever since then, the world has seen the introduction of many Vibram soled climbing shoes.
VIBRAM Repairs at Ideal Shoes
VIBRAM rubber for climbing and bouldering
VIBRAM rubber in stock at Ideal
VIBRAM Rubber types
VIBRAM XS GRIP
A performance rubber that is designed to help you climb at your best on any rock surface. Semi-stiff in nature, XS Grip is used by over 10 shoe manufacturers including Tenaya, Red Chili, and Ocun. This compound has been favoured by plenty of pros over the years including Daniel Woods and Alex Megos.
VIBRAM XS GRIP 2
The Vibram XS Grip 2 provides superior grip and durability than that of its predecessor. Designed to excel on overhang climbing, it’s softer than the XS Grip but still retains a great balance between edging and smearing capabilities. This is Vibram’s most exclusive compound and is only found on La Sportiva’s and Scarpa’s high-performance shoes. The XS Grip 2 is ideally suited to aggressive sport bouldering and climbing shoes.
VIBRAM XS EDGE
Widely known as one of the best edging rubbers in the game, the XS Edge is ideally suited to big wall climbing and multi-pitch routes. While it’s stiffer than its counterparts, the rubber has found its way into some of the most popular bouldering and all-around climbing shoes including the La Sportiva Miura and the Scarpa Instinct VS.
VIBRAM XS FLASH
The newest rubber to enter the Vibram family is the XS Flash. Designed specifically for indoor climbing and plastic walls, this non-marking rubber is extremely soft and provides a great level of friction. Don’t expect to see this one out in the wild, it’s a rare sight to see. It will be available in five colours, but is not currently shipping to Australia. We will update this page when that changes.
VIBRAM XS EDGE VS XS GRIP 2 – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
A lot of climbers ask about the difference between Vibram XS Edge vs XS Grip 2. These are both tried and tested rubbers that are made for different purposes. The XS Edge is certainly a noticeably harder compound, so will perform better on small areas of contact than other Vibram compounds. XS Grip and Grip 2 are made for different purposes too. The XS Grip is built for more general use and the XS Grip 2 is a softer, sticker compound that is focused on performance.