Why was there a 15 year period, seemingly from about 1965 to 1980, give or take, when real alpine climbers wore full-shank mountain boots on alpine rock climbs? It seems really strange. I saw a video of a guy climbing in the Wilder Kaiser in slippers in the '50s, and he described how in the 1970s he went back and did the climb again in "modern style," which for him, meant mountain boots.
What started this trend and what ended it? I never liked climbing rock in heavy boots so I come from the point of view that I don't really understand it. Was it more of a European thing or American?
Thanks for any insight!
--Michael