I've tried several pairs of approach shoes, and every time I ended up with either a crappy, uncomfortable hiking boot or a poor substitute for a rock shoe. I used a new pair of Vasque boots that take good care of my feet, even for talus-hopping, and a pair of real rock shoes that gave me a much-appreciated margin of safety on the summits. Screwing up~18 miles from the car when you're 65 and alone is serious business. I delayed my trip three times and carried rock shoes to give myself the best possible chance of a successful outcome.
My comment was halfway tongue-in-cheek based on what I saw when we tackled Cathedral Peak together a few years ago. You climbed the sucker in approach boots that day - which, as I will
never forget, was one of the windiest days in Tuolumne's history. Not only that, you free soloed up a good portion of that first pitch, after the fact, to retrieve a piece of pro that was left behind - in those same approach boots. You didn't even pack rock shoes that day for a 5.6 or 5.7 climb that the wind added a couple of degrees of difficulty to.
I've also seen you free solo the Corkscrew Peak keyhole in hiking boots. If you took rock shoes for this climb, it was serious business. Looking at that great shot that Steve posted, I can understand why. It looks pretty loose in spots - I see why you were so deliberate with each move.
