If an archery focused character uses slippers of spider climbing to run up a tree / cliff / whatever can they maintain their position, or does the effect of the magic item no longer hold once they end their movement?

Sure. You can run up a wall and stay there as long as you want as far as I know.

That's where i'm stumped. I can't tell for sure that it's RAW, and can't find a crawford doodad to solidify the concept

If the effect stopped working at the end of movement it would say so. Instead it says the effect lasts as long as you wear them. 

Basically you can walk along any surface as if it were the ground. Anything that would affect your movement along any ground would affect your walking across any surface except that the slippers's effect does not work on slippery surfaces.

Rev, you have a good point. By addressing only whether you can move along walls and ceilings and not whether you can climb on a wall/ceiling while not moving, Slippers of Spider Climbing and the spell Spider Climb are ambiguous as to that question and stand in between two extremes that have been defined elsewhere (Monk's 9th level move enhance clearly falls when it stops, while a Giant Spider and the like can "climb" upside down without any mention that it needs to keep moving). 

Considering that Slippers of Spider Climbing, the spell Spider Climb, and the racial ability "Spider Climb" of ceiling-dwellers like Giant Spider, Roper, Piercer, etc. all share the same name... I think it's most reasonable to interpret that the slippers and the spell also allow you to perch on ceilings, instead of needing to keep running like a monk. 

Since we use flanking rules, as well as facing rules, in combat I wanted to make sure that I was searching for an alternative to sharpshooters ability to ignore partial cover. I'll definitely use that train of thought when pitching it to the DM.  Thanks Chicken_Champ!

The only reason why the climbing speed is mentioned is because otherwise moving along surfaces that are not the ground are automatically considered difficult terrain for you and you would move at half-speed and be considered to be climbing (you can climb along ceilings). Without specifying that your climb speed equals walking speed then the sliper's effect would be able to climb any surface withiout needing to use hands but still move at half speed.

Climbing is a type of movement. So saying you move up a wall or climb up a wall is the same thing - the DM just then decides if the surface type requires climb speed or if you can use normal speed (or have you make an Athletics check to see). 

Quote from Cyb3rM1nd >>

Basically you can walk along any surface as if it were the ground. Anything that would affect your movement along any ground would affect your walking across any surface except that the slippers's effect does not work on slippery surfaces.

What the spell is trying to say when it mentions leaving your hands free is that you need to keep your hands free to make use of the effect; think Spiderman. Previous editions were a lot more clear on that point. In 2e you couldn't even handle light objects because they'd stick to your hands.

I don't read Spider Climb as requiring that your hands be free to move, I read it as allowing you to move without using your hands to climb. Characters already have the ability to move up down and across vertical surfaces and ceilings, by using the Climb skill, where the DM determines that conditions are such to allow climbing. But, I do see how  you could read it with your interpretation instead, and that would certainly fit some ideas of what a Spider Man-like critter would be doing. Huh. 

That would definitely make shooting an arrow much more difficult. 

Quote from Chicken_Champ >>

I don't read Spider Climb as requiring that your hands be free to move, I read it as allowing you to move without using your hands to climb. 

 There is no doubt in my mind this is how the rule works.

These slippers only work when your hands are empty. That's absurd.

yeah, if it required hands free it would say "so long as" or "as long as its hands remain free." "while leaving its hands free" sounds permissive, not restrictive. 

It looks like I would have to have no weapon in hand while the initial climb happens, but even spider-man perches his body against a wall while maintaining stability with just his feet. 

Based off of the discussions above I would have to:
1) Have my weapon stowed

2) Climb to position and unstow the longbow

3) Attack, but be prepared to stow again if I desire to relocate.

One interpretation could be that you must have your hands available to help with repositioning your body in the instance of moving from wall to ceiling. 

Yeah Rev, I wouldn't go with that, the restrictive reading isn't any more supported by the text than the permissive reading, leads to a sort of absurd result for the Slipper especially, isn't quite how you would normally choose to word that in english if that's what you were after, and generally I think that players should get the benefit of the doubt even when a rule could cut either way. I think that 9 out of 10 players and DMs (or more) would agree that Spider Climb is a foot thing in 5E, not a hand thing. But your choice!

I, of course, will always try to rule in my favor. I also want to make sure that I'm viewing things in a way that's fair to the DM and will minimize arguments.

Quote from Stormknight >>

Hiya emperorjd,

this spell is one of a number of features of the game that has changed across different editions.

The current 5th edition spider climb spell does indeed allow the recipient to effectively walk/run up walls and ceilings as if they were normal ground, leaving their hands free to use weapons etc.

Just found this response from a DnD Beyond staffer.

https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/rules-game-mechanics/27341-spider-climb

You guys are cracking me up :)

Quote from Chicken_Champ >>

Characters already have the ability to move up down and across vertical surfaces and ceilings, by using the Climb skill, where the DM determines that conditions are such to allow climbing. 

 Yes, but the spell makes it a guaranteed thing. Good luck convincing the DM to let you climb a smooth wall and then stick to a ceiling.

Exactly. By the mechanics of the game, climbing a smooth wall and then grabbing(?) onto a ceiling with apparently nothing to grab onto should have a DC. It should just be a DC high enough that it is not reasonably possible without an implement to bring it back down into the realm of possibility.

The slippers would make such a thing trivial.