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vijovar
Dec 17, 2003, 10:10 AM
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i've been rock climbing for about a 2 months....most of the climbing i do is on the wall....no time to go outside....anyway i have been thiking of buying a pair of climbing shoes........now on this point i am a little confused......friend of mine who has been climbing for abt 9 months told me that i should get pointlessly tight shoes......my show size is 9 and he told me to get 6 or 7.....i mean i know that climbing shoes are supposed to be tight but then when i thried 6 it was just pointlessly and painfullly tight......can anyone gimme some idea about what size should be better.....is it true the tighter the shoe the better the grips on the rock....... or is it better to have shoes that are quite tight but still comfortable and not too painful...... any reply appreciated.....
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yomomma
Dec 17, 2003, 1:59 PM
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Don't torture yourself with super tight shoes. Until you learn good foot technique, tight shoes won't do that much for you and you'll probably wear them out quickly by inefficiently scuffing them around the wall. Even when you are ready for "performance" shoes, I don't see the point in putting up with excruciating pain. Now, with that said, you do need shoes that are snug. Different brands seem to size differently, so you'll have to see for yourself what fits you best. Here's my experience: my street shoes are size 9. My first pair of rock shoes were size 8 5.10 spires -- I was very happy with them. Now I wear size 8 1/2 anasazi velcros, also made by 5.10. A half size larger than the spires, but plenty tight.
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voriand
Dec 17, 2003, 2:13 PM
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Snug but not painful. If you are dropping over a shoe size from your street shoes. You are either:
1. Your street shoes are too big for your feet.
2. You like to induce torture upon your self.
The only people I typically see saying to get super tight shoes are boulders. Of course their route sequence is over in about 10 minutes and the promptly take off their shoes.
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sticky_fingers
Dec 17, 2003, 2:42 PM
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I wear between an 11.5 to 12 in street and my slippers are sized 9.5. They're REALLY tight and painful for the first few weeks, but because they're unlined, they end up stretching a little to conform to my foot...it's all a matter of choice; there's no guidline. Either it's kinda comfortable and you risk slipping off a hold, or they're so tight it makes weighting them unbearable. I'd say at least one size smaller than street though
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bnjohns
Dec 17, 2003, 2:44 PM
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With my first few pairs of shoes, I had sticky_fingers' experience -- real tight at the beginning, but better as time went on. But about a year ago I got shoes that were too tight, thinking that they'd get more flexible with wear and adjust to the shape of my feet. I ended up ditching them after a few months -- I could never wear them for more than an hour or two without serious discomfort. I think voriand gets it right -- 'snug' is the goal.
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cracklover
Dec 17, 2003, 3:50 PM
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Depending on the brand (sizes vary quite a bit) I'd go down about 1 to 1.5 sizes from your street shoe. Also, some shoes (esp unlined leather shoes, eg Boreal Diablo) will stretch as much as 1/2 a size. Artificial leather and lined shoes will stretch much less (eg 5.10 Anasazi).
Don't let them sell you shoes that are too tight - you'll be miserable.
GO
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baylorclimb
Dec 17, 2003, 4:00 PM
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I got madrock Mugens for my first pair of shoes. I got the same size as my street shoe size because I had heard that they didn't stretch...I'm glad I didn't go any smaller. They are plenty tight and didn't get stretched out or anything. So it definitely depends on the kind of shoe you are looking at. Lined or unlined makes a big difference too. And I agree with the statement about footwork. If you don't have good footwork than no amount of tightness in shoes will help plus they will wear out quickly and then you'll have to buy new shoes anyway. (Not that religiously buying new shoes is a problem :lol: ).
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jpearl
Dec 17, 2003, 6:43 PM
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One Size Down.
This is a good general rule of thumb if your first shoes are a beginner pair such as the 5.10 Spires or the LaSportiva Cliffs. I sized my first pair of shoes (Spires) at only a half-size down from my street shoes. They stretched quickly and to much, so I immediatly moved to 5.10 Mojaves a full size down from my street shoes. I've stayed there since.
I know everybody is mentioning many different shoes, from Anasazis to Mad Rocks. Trust me as a climber with three years experience and five pairs of shoes when I recommend the 5.10 Spires as your first shoes. They are specifically made for beginners, and the beauty of them is that they are basic simple shoes. After using them, you'll have a much better idea of which shoes you'll want next based on sizing, stretch, and features.
5.10 Spires one size down from your street shoes are your best bet!
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overlord
Dec 18, 2003, 9:50 AM
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my advice:
look for a lined shoe that fits you and buy it not too tight. that way it wont stretch and it wont be uncomfortable.
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holmeslovesguinness
Dec 18, 2003, 3:26 PM
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It really is something of a personal preference / pain tolerance thing. As others have pointed out, it also depends on the construction of the shoe in question.
Shoes with unlined leather uppers (lots of 'beginner' shoes like the Spires, Cliffs, etc, and some 'high performance' slippers / shoes) will stretch quite a bit (say 1 to 1.5 sizes, maybe more) so you may have to size them pretty tight up front if you want an aggresive fit. They may eventually stretch to the point where they are actually pretty loose.
Shoes with synthetic uppers or lined leather uppers are designed to reduce stretching (say only a half size at most) so you need to size them more comfortably up front. They often cost more $$, but in theory they should hold their shape a bit longer and not bag out as quickly as unlined shoes.
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capn_morgan
Dec 18, 2003, 3:57 PM
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I would suggest visiting your local climbing shop, talk to the nice people there who should know things about the shoes they sell, ie how much they will strech etc. Then purchase a pair from them. Shopping online is great...but its good to support local climbign shops which tend to contribute alot to local climbing.
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bustloose
Dec 18, 2003, 4:21 PM
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YES it is a matter of personal preference, BUT that should also include a healthy dose of common sense. If you buy rock shoes the same size as your street shoe, of course they aren't going to stretch, you're not putting any kind of force on them to cause it. If you buy shoes that took you 15 minutes to just pull over your heel... of course your toes will hurt.
As someone said, your first couple of pairs is no big deal, you're still learning how to use those feet (sometimes this takes decades...) But the fact remains that if your shoes are too big, you will find it very difficult to stand on small holds and your foot work will be very sloppy...
So, experiment, next pair of shoes, go a bit smaller, see how you like it. Personally I like little wee shoes that will conform to my foot and fit like a glove (for those keeping score, that would be about a size 9 street shoe, and a size 6 anasazi lace up or velcro). so what if I can't wear them for an hour straight?... you take your shoes off after each route anyway, don't you? who the heck stands around the crag eating lunch with their rock shoes on...?
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enzo
Jan 4, 2004, 11:13 PM
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I think you should get a cheap pair of shoes first, atleast until you can get some better fot technique. Downsize about a size or so. I wear a 10.5 and my first shoe was a 9. Then after about a year or so, when you have better technique, get a pair of shoe that fits you best. If you're more into leading and top roping, you want to get a more comfortable fitting shoe, because you don't want to be painful while you're on the wall the whole time. If you're a total bouldering freak, get a really tight technical shoes( slippers work well because it's easy to get those bitches off your hurting feet). I you're a little bit of both, get something that is in the compromise. I myself went with anasazi southwests, a good comfortable, technical shoe. But I downsized to a size 8. about 2.5 sizes. I could have gone three, but I didn't feel the need since they were super tight anyways. And remember any shoe you get will strech and conform to your feet. SO for the first couple weeks, your feet are going to hurt like a mother. So when your shoes feel awkward and unneccesarily tight, remember that they will stretch. And the point of getting tight shoes is so that your feet are more dense. Think of it this way, a wooden edge can stay on a small foothold much better than an edge of sponge. Hopes this answers it once and for all
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scubasnyder
Jan 4, 2004, 11:25 PM
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tight enough but not tight enough to hurt, i get my shoe size and its good
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daggerx
Jan 6, 2004, 5:57 AM
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your new so I would just go one size down unless u gets mad rocks then only a 1/2 size.
I size my shoes a diff. I normally ware a 11.5
for bouldering I ware a 8-9
for sprot around a 9
indoor a 8.5
long trad 10
short trad 9.5
anyway thats just me and I have been climbing for 12 years.
DX
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ikellen
Jan 7, 2004, 4:57 AM
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I normally wear a 12 in mens. I bought a pair of Mad Rock Phoenix's in 11, and they fin almost perfect. They are tight enough that there is no room around my toe or heel, but its not foot-binding tight. I would say try shoes on and find what fits best. Usually a half to one and a half sizes down is a safe estimate.
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dymondbak37
Jan 7, 2004, 6:13 AM
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All I can say is, if you get MadRocks, buy them in your street shoe size. Holy crap those things don't even flex when you're foot is in them. It's horrible. Actually when I think about it, I wear 12.5 and mine are just that. So get a half size bigger than your street shoe size. Note - Only for MadRocks - Specifically Hookers.
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coldclimb
Jan 7, 2004, 6:23 AM
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I got my mad rock hooker zips a half-size smaller than my street shoes. It's prefect, for me. It's not perfect for dymondbak. What you want to do is try them on, and buy whichever size you prefer. It's all different for different people. :)
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almightyavocado
Jan 10, 2004, 9:09 AM
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I have recently started climbing at a local indoor wall and am improving but I need shoes to advance any further. Can anyone advise me on how to buy them and anywhere where I could get them cheap. I also am worried coz I have massively wide feet but they are not that long! Will this make it difficult to find climbing shoes?
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chossmonkey
Jan 10, 2004, 2:56 PM
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It took me a couple of years to get down to the size I'm at now and have been at for the last 7 or 8 years. I usually down size about 2 or 2.5 sizes. After wearing tight shoes you feet will become accustomed to it and each time you buy shoes you will probably buy smaller until you reach the point that you can no longer cram any more foot into any less shoe. The most important thing is that your foot doesn't move inside the shoe once you get them broken in. Avoid slippers because they will get sloppy in a hurry if you can't handle the super tight fit and have to buy them a little big. I assume you are renting shoes now? Find what size is comfortable for you now and go from there.
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almightyavocado
Jan 10, 2004, 3:39 PM
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I'm not renting shoes, I'm just using trainers and its difficult. Are there any good brand names you could reccommend.
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cracklover
Jan 10, 2004, 3:41 PM
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In reply to: I have recently started climbing at a local indoor wall and am improving but I need shoes to advance any further. Can anyone advise me on how to buy them
For your first pair of shoes, do some research before you walk into the shop. In particular, find out about the different types of shoes, and the types and shapes of lasts (board vs slip, straight vs cambered). Here's a starter for you: http://www.rei.com/rei/learn/noDetail.jsp?URL=/rei/learn/climb/chrockf.jsp
Try to find a shop where they're 1) knowledgeable about climbing and about climbing shoes 2)have at least a little artificial boulder where you can try edging and smearing and 3) have a reasonably good selection.
Then go in, ask a lot of questions, and try on a lot of shoes. Buy what fits your feet best, while giving you the mix of sensitivity and support that makes you feel confident. Don't worry about the hype regarding which type of shoe has stickier rubber. Chances are that before you're skilled enough to be able to tell any difference between C4 and Fusion 3, it'll be time for your first resole, and you may have blown a lot of money for nothing.
Finally, after talking to a bunch of beginners, I've revised my estimate on sizing. I now suggest you go from 1/2 size to 1 size down from your street shoe (depending on the fit).
Hope some of the above is helpful.
GO
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oudinardin
Jan 11, 2004, 3:30 AM
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I love shoes. Let's talk about shoes.
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almightyavocado
Jan 11, 2004, 7:50 PM
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Thanks for your help. How long does it take to break in a new pair of shoes?
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