How tight should be the shoe when buying climbing shoes ?
egon asked:
As the question says, how tight , does it have to be really tight on ur shoes or be as normal shoes ?
As the question says, how tight , does it have to be really tight on ur shoes or be as normal shoes ?
You want them to be snug. That generally means a full size smaller than your street shoes, which is helped by the fact that most climbers don’t wear socks with friction shoes.
Too loose, and you foot will slide around inside the shoe. This isn’t helpful when your standing on your toes on a tiny protrusion or doing a toe/ heel hook… the sort of things you’re buying friction shoes for in the first place.
Too tight, and you’ll be in agony by the time you finish a route. Advanced climbers don’t mind this but the “no pain, no gain” mentality only kicks in when you’re climbing intermediate and advanced difficulty routes (say, US 5.11 / French 7 and harder.) If you’re a beginner, you’ll wear out your first pair of shoes well before you reach this point.
When in doubt between half sizes, keep in mind that leather shoes will stretch a bit - certainly more than synthetic shoes.
And keep in mind that with friction shoes, just like regular shoes, different brands and models have a different fit. So go to REI, a climbing gym, or any place where you can compare several options. The sales staff can keep you away from advanced shoes (which are supposed to hurt) and help you pick a pair that will work well for you. OMG, I ♥ PONIES!!1
Here`s the rule of Thumb:
If its comfortable its too big, if it hurts its too tight, its uncomfortable the shoe size is good.
So if your normal shoes are comfortable that size is too big for climbing shoes. People usually start a whole size smaller than their sneaker, which is a good starting point. You want your toes curled, not flat like in a sneaker. Think about it is it easier to hold text books or a heavy bag with your arms straight out in front of you (thinks toes flat) or with your elbows bent in front of you (think toes curled)? Your toes are going to be supporting your body weight on small holds, so you want the shoe to help keep them curled. But not to the point where they are hurting after a few minutes.
Will you be climbing outdoors on real rock or in the rock gym indoors? If you`ll be climbing inside go with the velcro, this way you can easily and quickly pop them off and then put them back on in between climbs. Why keep your feet uncomfortable if you`ll be indoors? If you`ll be mainly outdoors laces provide a more secure fastening system and leaves n sticks dont get caught in laces like they do in velcro BeachBum818
really tight
they will streeecccchhhhhh J-SHEEZY