How Should Rock Climbing Shoes Fit

The most uncomfortable shoes of the bunch, aggressive climbing shoes allow experienced climbers to pull off a wider variety of stunts. You don’t want your toes to have any wiggle room, but that doesn’t mean that they should be compressed, either. By striking the right balance between the two, you can maximize both the utility and the comfort of your next pair of climbing shoes. But it can definitely feel like it at times, especially when you’re first breaking in a pair of climbing shoes. My best advice is to start a size below your street shoes then keep going smaller in half size increments until they are very snug. Shoes do tend to stretch with use, by about a quarter to a half size, so if they feel comfortable at the very start you should probably go even smaller.

This also means that the shoes will stretch more, so if you like leather-topped shoes, it might not be a good idea to size up. It’s not that bad as it sounds—more or less for the intermediate and advanced climbers. However, if you are a beginner, you may feel the discomfort when you are first breaking in a pair of climbing shoes. The moderate climbing shoes boast a tighter-fitting design. They include a curved, pointed camber that assists in positioning the foot correctly while climbing.

Should Climbing Shoes Hurt?

You want to find a pair of shoes that fit your feet well and minimize the amount of empty space around your feet. Empty space will allow the shoe to rub, causing blisters and sore spots. Many old-timers in the climbing community will tell you that the tighter your climbing shoes are, the better you will climb, but is there any truth to that? Why would anyone climb if their feet were always in excruciating pain?

This causes loose areas and hot spots in the shoe which lead to discomfort because the shoe can’t support your foot like it’s supposed to. If you have a pair of shoes that you bought too big, or an older pair that have stretched out – try wearing socks in them. The socks will fill out the empty space and add comfort. It’s quite common for people to have an old “comfort” pair they’ll use either for gym sessions where footwork doesn’t have to be as precise as outdoors.

Generally speaking, lasts vary from flat mildly asymmetrical to pronounced / aggressively down turned. Although you want to avoid foot-crushingly tight climbing shoes, oversized shoes have their downsides too. For example, if you are a power climber, you will want a shoe that will allow you to climb at a fast pace. Flatter, neutral shoes are designed to be worn with your toes gently curled, while moderate to aggressive downturned shoes are made to be worn with more dramatically curled toes. Certain types of materials offer different fits than others.

How Should Climbing Shoes Fit At The Heel?

On the other hand, some climbers prefer to wear socks in their shoes. This can either be because they prefer to, or because they have problems with smelly climbing shoes. The sizes given by the size calculator refer to the sizes without socks. If you wear socks, you should be aware of this and choose slightly larger shoes.

If possible, the best option is always to try them on in person. Don’t be afraid to ask for a single shoe in three different sizes and give them a test run on the store wall. If there are no brick-and-mortar stores in your area, find an online retailer with a good return policy so that you may order different sizes and return the ones that don’t fit. While most boulderers will opt for the performance fit, you can still spot the odd climber sporting socks while crushing your local V7 classic.

This type of shoe will be tighter to promote better footwork while helping improve foot placement, especially on those technical terrains. In choosing the climbing shoes for beginners, look for a comfortable fitting for both of your feet. Meaning, the shoe must be a snug fit without causing any pain to your foot. However, after you start using it, it is ideal that the toes should have a slight bend and should be touching at the end part of the shoe.

We’ve seen this to a certain degree already, but I mention it again because it’s worth noting that the distinction isn’t between beginning climbers and everyone else. What they’re saying often proves to be true on the rocks—so you definitely don’t want to get shoes that are too big. I have some good news for those who find it hard to accept that they’ll have to give up that amount of comfort. If you’ve been around many climbers, then you have almost certainly heard at least one of them mention something about yoga. Yoga has not only grown in popularity in recent years with the general public,…

You can live through cramped feet, they say without realizing that it could pose more serious issues than that. Typically speaking, you’ll know that you have the right size when there are no air pockets between your toes. This will allow you to get a crimp while keeping you from having potentially-dangerous levels of compression. If you’ve ever spent a day out at the crag, you know that you don’t wear your shoes all day except for when you are on your route. Some like their shoes tight while others like them a bit looser.

Similarly, if your shoes are too big and there’s dead space at the tip of the shoe, your ability to stand on small edges will be significantly impaired. Or, if there is baggy space under your heel, then you won’t get that suction fit that will allow you to stick those gnarly heel hooks. First thing’s first, let’s establish how climbing shoes are supposed to fit.

If you found this post helpful, you’re definitely going to like our other climbing tips here. Here you can choose broadly between narrower and wider heels. The current customer experience data shows that La Sportiva, Scarpa and Five Ten are suited for narrow heels. Boreal on the other hand offers some models for wider heels. Measure your foot following the instructions on the sizing chart. The easiest way to tell if a shoe is too big or small is to look at how much room there is in the toe of the shoe.

It’s only natural to have some more questions about this specialty footwear. Have you ever seen those old-fashioned shoe stretchers that are made out of wood? It turns out that they can also work for rock climbing shoes. Well, we’ve certainly got better climbing shoes than they used to have, but they can still be pretty tight!

Having a comfy pair of climbing shoes with some nice breathable socks can make big days way more fun. Stop suffering for the sake of suffering when you don’t need total precision. This is the hardest step in stretching out new rock climbing shoes. Unfortunately, this adage was never fully dropped, especially since many really underturned, high-performance climbing shoes look excruciating.

They typically only work with rock climbing shoes that have less curvature to them. The more your rock climbing shoes just look like a pair of flat sneakers, the better the old-fashioned shoe stretchers are going to work. Wearing your climbing shoes will break them in naturally.