Rock Shoe Naming Contest

[genepires]

I usually try to be positive on things but really, you picked "Zion" as the name for the shoe? That has got to be the most lamest choice. Maybe if your shoe was orange. Of the awesome names given on this thread, you picked that dumb ass name. That is a bigger travesty than the product copying of the shoes.

[tvashtarkatena]

Iron Lion would have been better.

[Climb X]

banananator

 

green river thriller

 

 

Almost as lame as your suggestions. Actually I kind of liked "Green River Thriller"

[Coldfinger]

You can't keep pussyfooting on both sides of the fence. You keep saying your company is producing the same products for the last 8 years and nothing has changed, and at the same time say you are using your own designs. You designed those products when still a part of mad rock, and thus it is their intellectual property, even if you yourself produced the designs.

 

It's apparently worse than that-----THEY DIDN'T EVEN DESIGN THE PRODUCTS!!!!!

 

Not to make too fine a point here, but it is really important: It also seems that the "products" were not only NOT designed by Joe Garland, but they were NOT made by him either. He was NOT even a Mad Rock employee apparently; he was a contractor and no other person left Mad Rock's employment to go with him.

 

SO WHO THE F IS "WE"??????

 

Joe apparently started another company, CLIMB X, and hired a new staff. He apparently struck a deal with Mad Rock's OLD factory and owner, who continued to pump out the same products with little or no modification.

 

Alex, it seems to me you are continuing to falsely represent that "we" somehow means something it APPARENTLY does not.

 

I'll let the good members of CC.com draw their own conclusions.

[Water]

i really liked Van der Waals... but probably too obscure of a name.

and van der sloot besmirched the 'van der' aspect.

 

well on the 'about us' of the page there are a bunch of names and pictures. not sure if that is employees or sponsored or what but whatever, got someone who did a cool route on the black spider up there.

[Climb X]

You can't keep pussyfooting on both sides of the fence. You keep saying your company is producing the same products for the last 8 years and nothing has changed, and at the same time say you are using your own designs. You designed those products when still a part of mad rock, and thus it is their intellectual property, even if you yourself produced the designs.

 

It's apparently worse than that-----THEY DIDN'T EVEN DESIGN THE PRODUCTS!!!!!

 

Not to make too fine a point here, but it is really important: It also seems that the "products" were not only NOT designed by Joe Garland, but they were NOT made by him either. He was NOT even a Mad Rock employee apparently; he was a contractor and no other person left Mad Rock's employment to go with him.

 

SO WHO THE F IS "WE"??????

 

Joe apparently started another company, CLIMB X, and hired a new staff. He apparently struck a deal with Mad Rock's OLD factory and owner, who continued to pump out the same products with little or no modification.

 

Alex, it seems to me you are continuing to falsely represent that "we" somehow means something it APPARENTLY does not.

 

I'll let the good members of CC.com draw their own conclusions.

 

Coldfinger,

 

Good to see you again. FYI - I am technically a "contractor" too. I still come in every day and have a wonderful time talking with you on here and selling climbing gear. Once again, I am not going to discuss the details of Joe's contract with the previous company on here, so if you have specific questions give me a call. When I say 'we' I am referring to Joe, Alex and Ken Kim who run our factory, and the rest of the design team over there. I hope I answered your question. I don't know if you concluded that we did not do the designs from something a competetor posted somewhere, but you are misinformed. Not sure what more to say.

Edited February 3, 2011 by Climb X

[RuMR]

discussing stuff on the internet in an inflammatory manner doesn't solve anything...

 

if someone is really fired up, call and get the story from one source and compare...

[Off_White]

What Rudy said.

 

I understand, this is about real issues, but being in the Climber's Board is sort of like being in your mom's living room, so lets all be adults.

[chris54]

I'm so what up over this. I can't sleep! To think that a climbing company is copying product. Oh my god! Really this is crazy maddness. Oh god oh god. And one more oh god! Who cares really I feel dumb for reading this thread.

[kevbone]

I usually try to be positive on things but really, you picked "Zion" as the name for the shoe? That has got to be the most lamest choice. Maybe if your shoe was orange. Of the awesome names given on this thread, you picked that dumb ass name. That is a bigger travesty than the product copying of the shoes.

 

I am going to have to agree. Lame name for a green shoe. I liked Neo.

[rocky_joe]

It's one thing to copy a trend or take a good idea and put your own spin on it. But what ClimbX is doing is theft.

 

Alex,

 

Your "NEW" line up is still a direct rip off of the new Mad Rock line. I'll state it again. If you really were sincere about being open with the community you'd have the whole, true story posted somewhere for all to see. My thoughts are that if you really want to build credibility and not subject yourself to interpretation of another party. Take the time and post a well written and legally non-compromising explanation of the situation and post it somewhere: a blog, your website, facebook, here, etc.

 

[pink]

how about " the riddler " ????

[pink]

so i don't get it, is the contest over???

[112]

If not I vote for, The Impostor!

 

[pink]

the " moc moc "

the " parrot "

the "mirror"

the "emulator"

the "mimeo"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[toproper]

how about

"the Larix" after our native conifer

 

or

 

"The verde"

 

when do i get the shoes?

[billcoe]

so i don't get it, is the contest over???

Uhhh, you gots to read the posts Andrew. "The Zion" That's the name for the Gecko, I thought you had some great names but ya don't win nothin'....now wake up and start slinging shit or you'll be ostracized for your complacency.

 

Yo dudes, I understand that that's how Climbx came to have happened. Mad Rock chose to move production to Vietnam to keep costs down, and Joe Garland decided to leave them and have the old factory manufacture shoes under his new label. Tough titty, now rock climbers have 2 low cost shoe options and a bunch more stuff on the way as well....whah whah whah.

 

If you all don't want to pay $60 for what appears to be a decent pair of shoes, that's fine, we can all chose to support with our wallets. Keep buying LaSportivas for $160 a pair if you wish. I probably have @ 11 pairs of rock shoes in the basement, and if a pair or 2 of ClimbX's wind up in that pile down there I might not even notice it. I got Imelda Marcos genes in here somewhere I bet. The folks I feel for are the guys at Climbmax, who bought that company when Joe moved onto Madrock. They have a similar sounding name as ClimbX and now find themselves at a competitive disadvantage. But that's for them to get figured out, maybe they'll be the new Mad Rock importers and reps, meantime we can help them by buying stuff from them.

 

So lets welcome ClimbX to the world and not forget ClimbMax.

[pink]

maybe we can go back to my original OJ theme and call it "the Juice"

 

 

 

and i knose j_b or ain't gonna be buying any shoes manufactured overseas oh wait he doesn't climb carry on!

[pink]

or how about "THE SHOE" or maybe "MOSES" cause splitter cracks open up on the wall when wearing this shoe

[112]

The only folks I feel for are the guys at Climbmax, who bought that company when Joe moved onto Madrock. They have a similar sounding name as ClimbX and now find themselves at a competitive disadvantage. But that's for them to get figured out, maybe they'll be the new Mad Rock importers and reps, meantime we can help them by buying stuff from them.

I bought most my rack at Climbmax. I climbed with a guy in J-tree who had never heard of them, but had to have their shirt based on the name alone! I loved that they offered custom sewing onsite (while you wait if a small job). I don't know if that is still available. They said they had an old German lady in the back who did the sewing. She was the best! I thought it was a joke, but maybe it was true.

 

I have no hard feelings towards ClimbX, I just thought this stuff was funny. Put out a good inexpensive product and people will buy it. Period.

 

[ivan]

"hardened boogers" - what sticks to anything better than that?

[Off_White]

I don't really have an opinion in this drama, but I like Bill's perspective. I do have a Mad Rock story to share:

 

I bought a pair of their approach shoes on the sale table at my local bricks & mortar, The Alpine Experience in Olympia. This is my normal motif for buying shoes: what's on sale and feels good on my feet. These shoes (don't remember the model name, they're discontinued anyway) weren't flashy, no funny neon thingies, no big logo splashed all over, they were just comfy and functional. A year and a half later (already a pretty good period of time for shoes) I notice the beginning of a delamination at the heel, and looking closer, realize the sole is almost worn out; the dots are just about flush with the base of the sole and the rubber has worn thin.

 

This isn't surprising given the age of the shoe, between working in the field as a general contractor, rural life as a sheep & goat rancher, and the usual climber out-and-about hiking & scrambling, it's pretty rare for a shoe to last beyond the one year mark. The remarkable bit is that the uppers are still in great shape - stitches aren't blown, lacing system intact (though it needs one new lace), heel tabs still there, not worn thin at the ball of the foot (my wide feet + bunion put a strain there), and no impending blowout at the upper & midsole seam. You all know the ways in which an approach tennie die.

 

So, I emailed Mad Rock, mailed them the shoes, and they resoled them and shipped them back gratis. Looked like the resole work happened in LA, not Vietnam. It was great to get back what is now shaping up to be my favorite approach shoe ever, and consequently I've got a bit of a soft spot for Mad Rock.

 

On the otherhand, I do appreciate that ClimbX talks about factory conditions and that this issue plays a role in their business decisions.

[billcoe]

Remarkable story, looks like you can stay with Mad Rock Off.

http://climbxgear.com/approachshoes.aspx

[tvashtarkatena]

Startup Lesson Number One: Innernut forums do not make for a good advertising strategy.

[Off_White]

Remarkable story, looks like you can stay with Mad Rock Off.

http://climbxgear.com/approachshoes.aspx

 

Yeah, I noticed that too, however I do have an established protocol: "approach shoes on the sale table at my local bricks & mortar" Speaking of which, have you let your "cheap ropes" thread slide? I got my last two cords that way.