The biggest question I have is how to know that a shoe is the right fit for you. I'd quite like some tests that you can do to see if a shoe is an appropriate fit for your foot. What are the parts you need to squeeze and tug at to properly assess? And what are the spots you don't need to worry about being too tight because they'll loosen, versus the spots that if they're not comfortable on day 1 then they'll never be suitable? It feels like getting a shoe that is the perfect fit is probably more important than one that absolutely satisfies the style of climbing (e.g. I can climb edges in a well fitting soft pair, but not in a poor fitting stiff pair, or I can heel hook in a basic shoe that fits me well even if the heel cup isn't massively designed for that).
I had two good pairs then chose wrong brand for my foot(5.10) in which case the space around middle of foot was slightly too loose. Which makes for farting shoes But much bigger problem is the lengthwise was too short, so it is super hard to take them on(if it can take more than five minutes, it's to aggressive unless you're gonna go to competitions) and in general starts hurting feet a bit too fast. I would say toe being squeezed a bit harder from sides and top is okay, will loosen and be useful for climbing. Back and front should be smaller squeeze. Also at least for my foot, sides of ankles always stay a bit loose, tried like 15 different shoes - so i guess that's how it's supposed to be. Every other part should be tight.
I'm surprised you never got into different foot-shapes. That was something I didn't know about in the beginning and it seems really important! Some shoes just do not suit me at all and it's purely because they are too wide and the toe-box is wrong for the shape of my feet. One size doesn't fit all, and I think probably a lot of people just read about how good a shoe is and expect it to work for them when it might just not be a shape that suits them.
I agree with this. When i picked my first climbing shoes it was more a choice between models in a certain brand rather than technical differences. Mainly due to the fit being different. Also regarding the shape i heard that if you choose an intermediate shoe it is alot easier to hurt your toes when you start climbing, as tendons and muscles arent used to the heavy load. Love the channel btw! Just what ive been looking for!
Speaking of the shape of the feet, does anyone have any suggestions for someone with really skinny feet? I am going to go to REI and try on different shoes, but the closest REI is a smaller location so I might have to go with an online order. Are there any suggestions to start with? (I have not bought my own climbing shoes yet, I have just been using rentals and they are usually too wide for me. The velcro straps usually are just hanging on by like a millimeter of contact.)
@@joshuawyckoff9895 a lot of tenaya shoes are quite skinny and might work (except the Mastia i think). I'd try the Oasi and Iasti? Very comfortable to boot.
whilst this is important its not as much of an issue as people lead newbies to believe. The shoes are designed to fit most peoples feet and as long as the shoe doesnt fit badly on your foot which isnt all that common getting the right size and breaking the shoe in will be fine for 99% of people. If the shoe does just fit badly in multiple sizes you will know because as you try and accomodate a better fit on one part of the shoe it will just hurt another particular part of your foot. If the shoe is a good fit it will fit snugly and uniformly around your foot and not be painful in a particular area.
Whilst its true some shoes are narrower and less comfortable this is sometimes just for performance and not because it only fits people with narrow feet.
The full plastic bag method has it's use - when you have a hot (painful) spot on a toe or your foot because the fit isn't quite perfect for your foot, the reduction in friction the bag provides really helps with that. I wouldn't suggest climbing this way, more, sitting with them on at home to give the shoes a bit of stretch to get used to your feet. Another classic is having a shower with your brand new climbing shoes on, not something I would recommend for natural (leather) uppers, but it can help mould the shoe to your foot a bit better
@@matejeberle364 totally rate it if you can find the right place to do it. There's some really experienced companies that do this... ask around and you'll find a good place :-)
@@matejeberle364 I've resoled with a few great companies and have gotten shoes as good as original (but already broken in). Find a skilled shop and you will look forward to every resole!
Where might I ask are the UK’s best shops for range of technical outdoor climbing shoes? I live in Scotland, and have found few aggressive shoes in the retailers’ ranges (plenty of ‘soft slippers’ for jumping around on volumes). I prefer to try on shoes in store. I will be driving through London, Birmingham and Manchester…
Like all industries in store stock is seriously lacking. The best thing you can do is go through the hassle of ordering yourself a few sizes off a website with a good returns process.
I'm climbing/bouldering for 3 months now and finding the right shoe, that fits my foot was the biggest challenge so far... I started out with a pair of Tarantula Boulders and now moved onto something more aggressive, more precise and more soft. The biggest problem is: I have a very small heel, prelly low instep, but regular/wide forefoot and long toes with a heavy egyptian/roman profile (after the second toe they curve down a lot). So with most shoes I tried, I ran into the issue that either the heel is too baggy (like there was no shoe where I had no dead space in the heel at all) and felt horrible when heel hooking - or the heel was kinda ok, but the toe box was so excrutiatingly painful (especially on the big toe, jamming into the upper toehook rubber patch) that I can barely step on a foothold without pain. Right now I wear the Ocun Havocs and I like them quite a lot -> rather soft, great for smearing, the last is shaped heavily towards the big toe (most other shoes I tried from LS, Scarpa and Ocun were shaped more towards the second toe and for my feet that is not optimal), moderately downturned, decent performance when clawing into very overhanging footholds. This shoe is surprisingly comfortable, can wear it like for almost 1h straight without too much pain - only taking it off occasionally to let my foot breathe. But sadly, the heel is not as good as I would have wished for - it's still a bit baggy and if a route demands for a solid heel hook, then it always feels kinda bad with this shoes. Other than that I can use this shoe for anything - except maybe slab with microscopic footholds - since the Havoc is pretty soft and spending a lot of time on very small holds quickly becomes painful on the toes - I guess this will improve with more experience and stronger toes. But still the heel hooks are the main problem with this shoe. - whenever I know a heelhook is crutial, I switch to my Ocun Bullits - way more aggressive and painful on my feet, the last is just not centered around the big toe as much as I would have wanted it. But it's a great shoe for clawing into holds at overhands and provides significantly more support on small footholds. Wish I would find something similar to the Havocs, with maybe a bit more downturn and a more narrow heel - so I would feel better when climbing overhang - but which still feels good enough on the toes that I don't need to take the shoes of after every boulder, but maybe only after 5-7 boulders...
Exactly what I needed, just put a hole through the leather of my first pair, despite being aware of not wearing through the toe caps so I could have them resoled. Oh well, time to buy another pair!
@@LatticeTraining Oh, yes, my footwork is already getting better, but I mean I ripped the leather that is still inside the shoe, behind the sole, and below my big toe. Very unfortunate, and according to the cobblers, it cannot be fixed. oh well!
for the fit, I usually suggest "not confortable, but definetely not painful". my "life hack" for shoes (helps with fit, stink etc.): classic foot powder from your local drugstore / super market inside the shoes after each session.
Do you have any tips for people with hallux valgus? ( deformed foot shape:)) I just keep climbing but sometimes my feet really are in pain after a session, especially after stepping on small foot holds where I need the toe
I have the same issue! I'm still a beginner/intermediate and ended up buying a wide shoe to accommodate because otherwise it would hurt like hell. I do have dead space around the rest of my toe box so I don't know if this is right.
For technique training (especially on foot work) would you recommend to already wear aggressive shoes or go for more comfortable ones? (Climbing on sight lead up to 6c/7a in- and outdoors)
Markus somewhere in the middle. Im 15 and exactly in your range of climbing and i really needed to work on my fottwork. I bought a pair of tenaya ra’s and focused only on my toes and to relax in every single footstep and i recently did a 6c+ just by relaxing my arms with my toes. The best is to talk to personel at your gym and let them give youtips
I miss something about that in the video. I’ve seen beginners with painfully tight shoes trying to break them in, but the shoe does not fit their foot’s shape. But beeing told its gonna hurt etc. They’ve kept at it. Yes, Number one is find a shoe that fits your foot.
I have weak toes, bunions, and a longer 2nd toe than big toe. Most soft shoes are out of the question for me. I bought a pair of Vapor VS because the Internet says they are the most comfortable intermediate shoes. They hurt my first 2 toes like crazy. So I tried climbing all the warm up routes in Mythos and only use Vapor V for the hardest route. After 2 years my toes are stronger and can handle the Vapor V for 2-3 routes per session. I have tried on Scarpa Instincts Lace before. They feel okay on my feet if I am not climbing. When I tried to climb in them it feels like my toes are on fire. Probably need another year or 2 before I can climb in "advanced shoes".
I also wear vapor vs and have bunions and mortons toe(long second toe). Second toe burns every session. Breaking them in was a pain but I'm also wondering if I should be wearing softer shoes for gym climbing just for the health of my feet.
@@alicewong6875 Stiffer shoes provide more support for my weak toes though. I now climb warm up easy routes with Mythos (a softer shoe) and climb harder routes with smaller footholds in Vapor VS. If I try to wear Mythos on the harder routes, my bunion starts to hurt, not by the shoes, but by the fact that my joints are weak.
this is really comprehensive I love it. I am at a point where I put a hole in my beginner shoes and I am just looking for guidance for new ones really so this was perfect
I currently use the vapor with straps and really like the fit. I mainly boulder indoors. Can you recommend shoes that are similar and would act as a good alternative?
Can anybody recommend some women's climbing shoes for VERY narrow/slim/slander but long feet, that cannot be compressed very easily in a shoe? So far, only flat beginner shoes did the job, as soon as they get a bit downturn, there's just too much air particularly on the top of the foot. Any ladies with long feet here?
I know I'm replying to a 2 year old comment but just in case - I found that one of the only shoes for this type of foot are Ocun Pearl. The back of the shoe was pressing on my ankle so I couldn't get them myself but otherwise they were a good fit.
I have got a pair of vapour Vs. I really like the fit in the front and the overall size but when I stand up on my toes, the heel plastic kind of cuts into my archiles tendon. Is there anything I can do about it?
I have pretty small heel and generally low volume feet at size 43.5 EU street shoe size. I’d try women’s shoes but some brands don’t go up to that size (correct me if I’m wrong) but it’s just what some shops have said since I’d rather try on rather than order online. Currently wearing Madrock Drones HV (no LV’s available) which have a comfortable snug fit at the toebox but still some dead space in the heel. Not looking to upgrade any time soon but any recommendations for a different kind of shoe?
Mad Rock is a good company to try out as you’ve discovered, as is Butora and Unparalleled. Also, be mindful if you have space in the heel and this is a molded heel cup, as with the Drone, you may consider sizing a half size up to make deeper contact into the cup since this will not stretch or deform as a wrapped heel will.
No LVs available in your area at the time you purchased them you mean? I wear Madrock Drones LV. The low-volume thing really feels key. I tried an aggressive shoe that was medium volume and sized it very small--the result was that my toes were too scrunched but there was still dead air on the sides of my feet around the heel and sole.
Wait you mean if I don't buy the same shoe as Adam ondra I won't climb like him? Better tell all those people who climbed for 5 weeks to not buy a pair of la sportiva solutions then
But there is no harm in getting good and tight shoes. Improves technique a lot when you can trust your feet and do more than just standing on you feet.
One thing that wasn't covered is the degree of asymmetry in the shoe. I understand why "performance " shoes are downturned but never clear on why so asymmetric. Can someone explain to me?
Flexing on 1 plane gives u and edge, while flexing on 2 planes gives u a point. So asymmetric shoes try to give u a point which is supposed to allow for better edging!
Climbing shoe rubber treatment? After a while the rubber gets polished and looses a bit of grip. I ‘ve heard of using alcohol and 60 sanding paper for this. Any idea’s about this?
I'm always looking for new brands and models just to try them and see what's new on the market. Witch brand is Tom using in this video? Never seen those before. Thanks Thomas
@@ClimbersCrag Thanks Tom! That was very well put :). I have been climbing in Five Ten for 7 years and have been on the fence about making the switch but this has pushed me over the edge.
Chat with Scarpa customer service, but the quick is each of those performs amazingly well and similarly, but the Drago for smears and divots, the Chimera for edges, and the Furia S for smedges, and the same can be said for if your climbing style prioritizes foot position then Drago, foot hold then Chimera, and neither then Furia S. Think the Furia S is the better all around shoe, but as predominantly a sport climber then the Chimera tends to be more familiar for me and therefore my usual shoe of choice.
My favorite shoes untill now are the Scarpa VSR's and the madrock Drone HV's. Other shoes is tried are the evolv shamans and some random off brand shoe i dont remember ;p
Some pairs of my shoes were painfully tight when I got them. But now they become too loose. I’d hope they can be half to one size down. Any tips? Can resoling help reduce the size?
Pay attention to the material of the shoe. If they stretched the uppers are probably leather. There's not much resoling can do to fix the uppers stretching.
I know when I started wearing solutions as my project shoes, I wore them in 40, and now I find a 38 fine with a couple older pairs of 38.5 to be my board shoes. Now the solutions are a soft split sole shoe with an unlined leather upper, which means about 1 1/4 stretch, whereas the Katanas have a lining and use a combination of Leather and Lorica for the upper for 1/2 stretch in the toe and 3/4 stretch through the arch. Resoling will not resolve, but just stating that your shoe tolerance will change over time and to account for stretch.
I'm quite a heavy climber due to my height. 83 kg, 2 meters. I often have very painful toes when standing on small edges. Especially when using the outside edge (middle toes). Also sometimes after finishing the route. Is there a type of shoe that could mitigate that?
I just started climbing a month ago and Im a little shorter and lighter than you. But I tryed a handful of shoes before I got rid of a similar pain. Stiffer shoes, not extremely tight and snug to my foot shape made a huge difference for me. I was kind of sold on this new soft shoes for beginners philosophy and also the super tight hype, but because of the pain both of those things crippled me and I climbed so much better when I chose a shoe the same size as my street shoes.
You know why many shoes have a female version as well as a male version? It's not (only) because of colour and marketing. Generally speaking, women are lighter and have less wide feat -> female shoes tend to be slimmer in fit with softer rubber for similar experience. You can also reverse this logic for you, an above average large/heavy guy. Try to go for more stiff rubbers. The stiffer the shoe, the less your toes need to work (theoretically taking away sensitivity and precision, but wearing rubber socks and getting tears in your eyes won't help your footwork...), and since you're 80+ kg, a "stiff" shoe will feel like a medium shoe. General advice, don't go for comp shoes; they are designed for sensitivity, perfict for Japanese climbers who weigh 3 grams. Try something like Scarpa Instinct VS, 5.10 anasazi, La sportiva Miura or something like that. They provide more support. Also, the shoes mentioned come in different aggressions and fittings, so flat doesn't need to mean stiff, just ass aggressive necessarily means soft. Personal favourite is the Skwama, pretty aggressive and flexible midsole, but stiff tip so sharp edges don't penetrate the toe. Also, don't stand on your outside edge :)
@@reefleschmeek4226, not the main point of my comment. But anyway, it's not good technique to stand with your outside edge. You should try not to make a habit out of it. As far as I'm concerend there's no advantages to using outside edge over the tip of your shoe: -Less power (your big toe is by far the strongest toe, not using it means you cannot push as well) -You cannot pivot around that foot (since the flat outside is against the wall, you cannot rotate your ankle) -You push (partially) past the foothold (try standing on a slopy foothold with edge vs toe)
How do you wear tight shoes without your toes hurting like mad. I tried with the Katanas (not laced), I cannot stand on my toes cos they are being crushed.
Get stronger feet and come back to curled toes when your foot is more conditioned. Generally takes a few years to take the really aggressive toes. For now, get a larger size and/or a different model.
Because of the strangeness of climbing shoes, the pain in the toes may be from not enough foot strength, ill fitting shoes, or need to break in. Try on other shoes to find a shape which fits with the features needed, such as a Vapor V/Lace or Instinct VS/Lace from Scarpa or the Miura Lace from La Sportiva or the Narsha HV/LV from Butora. Each should be a moderately aggressive edging shoe, being mindful the lace and velcro versions offer quite different characteristics.
This might be a controversial opinion, but I don't think there's any reason to wear shoes that make your toes curl up unless you are climbing a very steep problem or a roof---something where you won't ever need to stand up on the tips of your toes. Tip-toeing takes more calf-strength and ankle-strength but gives you a lot of control, naturally pitches your hips/weight toward the wall, and gives you another inch or two of height which can be crucial if you're on the shorter side.
@@LatticeTraining Yes is can recommend this as well! or Antihydral but that seems a little more aggresive so i would use that with care. Also i do have splits more often since using drying agents so thats the downside i suppose (much better then wet hands/flappers though)
@@Route_2_V11 I had that too, I didn't know what a split was till I tried RhinoSkin. I get around it by applying it only on fingertips (last pad basically) and every now and again on palms but always avoid the midsection of fingers.
Im a beginner climber I'd be very grateful if you could help me out. Trying to buy my first pair of shoes, everyone says get a comfortable pair...every single pair I've tried on draws blood on my big toe they are so so painful. Does anyone know a way around this ? So far I'm incapable of evening walking towards the wall without crippling in pain. Even in the taranulas and "more comfortable" shoes. I do pointe work in ballet..im used to pain and tight shoes...but this is too much pain! I've tried on loads, any advice?! Thanks :)
use climbing shoes for climbing only. No standing around, no walking around. Climb or get (completely) out of the shoes. La Sportiva Mythos. Flat, neutral shoe, where your toes lie flat, no matter which size you choose. Als always in La Sportiva, go down ~2 EU sizes from your real foot size (meassure them! street shoes also vary in sizes and also peple tend to take them more or less loose, so i say "real foot size" instead of "street shoe size"), starting with foot size -1.0 EU and go down half size after half size. When trying on in a shop, stay longer inside the shoes! Because after 5min the shoe often feels completely different than in the first 20sec after you put them on. Because of the warmth and the preassure of the foot. And also the different subjective feeling of preassure changes over time. In La Sportiva Mythos you can climb all day up a mountain. Put the shoes on and forget about them. Don't forget that you have climbing shoes on, because i could go into the city shopping with the Mythos on my feet. Also the fit don't has to be perfect, since the soft leather gets shaped by your foot. Just very wide feet don't fit inside the Mythos or you may then have to take them way larger, which is bad because your toes are not in the position in the toe box, as the manifacturer intended. Soooo, no I've got to watch the video :)
@@Gomlmon99 thanks for replying. I've tried both narrow and wide shoes, i have a small heel so narrow shoes fit my foot better, but neither changes the pain on my toe anyway! The man that helped fit me the shoes in the shop ended up saying "well..i dont think i can help you then" aha. At this rate I'm a little deflated! I just want some shoes that wont take the skin off my big toe! 🙁 (or is that normal) i dont think ballet messed up my toes as I'm not a professional so I've had the same supportive pair of pointe shoes for years, my toes look normal to me.. 😔
@@philipppuchner1115 thanks for replying :) i knew when i said "walk up to the wall" people would say "they're not made for walking" aha. All i meant was, putting pressure on the holds was more agonisingly painful than just standing up. No one around here stocks mythos but they're on my to-try list (as with any other shoe ever made at this point)! I was told over and over that the toes had to be curved at the top and not completely flat?
Raz McClean They certainly shouldn’t be skinning your toes, that’s crazy. There are certain shoes with a bigger or smaller “toe box” and also shoes that come to a point more centrally or more asymmetrically. However it sounds like you’ve already tried a range so I’m not sure. Your toes should not be scrunched up at the end (certainly not unless you’re an advanced climber at least). I would just go for a larger size as it sounds like you don’t have much of a choice. If it is just skin being taken off and you really can’t find a bigger/better alternative, you could try wearing tape over your toe but it’s not really a long term solution... When you say toes have to be curved over at the top, just to be clear your toes themselves don’t need to be bunches up. They may be referring to the shoe itself having a downturn but if this is the case, it’s not worth it if it hurts.
-Should I use the plastic bag? -no slip it in there right away! -Ah it is so stiff, it even has a little downturn -Yes it's a perfect fit! your welcome, perverts
Dont wear solutions, those are for adam only! hahaha! Classic noob move! Im not saying this. This is what everyone is telling me haha! ok i get it! 60 bucks not well spent. Just kidding, their good for climbing, just not for upside down crack climbing. So i get it tom! sheeit, ill get a new different pair of shoes for crack climbing specific. jeez hahaha.
The biggest question I have is how to know that a shoe is the right fit for you. I'd quite like some tests that you can do to see if a shoe is an appropriate fit for your foot. What are the parts you need to squeeze and tug at to properly assess? And what are the spots you don't need to worry about being too tight because they'll loosen, versus the spots that if they're not comfortable on day 1 then they'll never be suitable? It feels like getting a shoe that is the perfect fit is probably more important than one that absolutely satisfies the style of climbing (e.g. I can climb edges in a well fitting soft pair, but not in a poor fitting stiff pair, or I can heel hook in a basic shoe that fits me well even if the heel cup isn't massively designed for that).
1 year later and now I too would like to know.
I had two good pairs then chose wrong brand for my foot(5.10) in which case the space around middle of foot was slightly too loose. Which makes for farting shoes
But much bigger problem is the lengthwise was too short, so it is super hard to take them on(if it can take more than five minutes, it's to aggressive unless you're gonna go to competitions) and in general starts hurting feet a bit too fast.
I would say toe being squeezed a bit harder from sides and top is okay, will loosen and be useful for climbing. Back and front should be smaller squeeze.
Also at least for my foot, sides of ankles always stay a bit loose, tried like 15 different shoes - so i guess that's how it's supposed to be. Every other part should be tight.
Try them on.. some fit small some fit snug on street size.. I usually size down one size but if I’m doing an greasier project I go almost 2 down..
I'm surprised you never got into different foot-shapes. That was something I didn't know about in the beginning and it seems really important! Some shoes just do not suit me at all and it's purely because they are too wide and the toe-box is wrong for the shape of my feet. One size doesn't fit all, and I think probably a lot of people just read about how good a shoe is and expect it to work for them when it might just not be a shape that suits them.
I agree with this. When i picked my first climbing shoes it was more a choice between models in a certain brand rather than technical differences. Mainly due to the fit being different.
Also regarding the shape i heard that if you choose an intermediate shoe it is alot easier to hurt your toes when you start climbing, as tendons and muscles arent used to the heavy load.
Love the channel btw! Just what ive been looking for!
Speaking of the shape of the feet, does anyone have any suggestions for someone with really skinny feet? I am going to go to REI and try on different shoes, but the closest REI is a smaller location so I might have to go with an online order. Are there any suggestions to start with? (I have not bought my own climbing shoes yet, I have just been using rentals and they are usually too wide for me. The velcro straps usually are just hanging on by like a millimeter of contact.)
@@joshuawyckoff9895 a lot of tenaya shoes are quite skinny and might work (except the Mastia i think). I'd try the Oasi and Iasti? Very comfortable to boot.
whilst this is important its not as much of an issue as people lead newbies to believe. The shoes are designed to fit most peoples feet and as long as the shoe doesnt fit badly on your foot which isnt all that common getting the right size and breaking the shoe in will be fine for 99% of people. If the shoe does just fit badly in multiple sizes you will know because as you try and accomodate a better fit on one part of the shoe it will just hurt another particular part of your foot. If the shoe is a good fit it will fit snugly and uniformly around your foot and not be painful in a particular area.
Whilst its true some shoes are narrower and less comfortable this is sometimes just for performance and not because it only fits people with narrow feet.
Perfect timing, I currently need to change mine
what's the situation on the bouldering walls with covid? Are they still letting people try them on for a short period on the walls before buying?
@@hydra66 I guess they do...? I'll update you as soon as I actually take care of this.
@@hydra66 in my gym yes you can, you just need to use hand sanitizer on your feet beforehand
The full plastic bag method has it's use - when you have a hot (painful) spot on a toe or your foot because the fit isn't quite perfect for your foot, the reduction in friction the bag provides really helps with that. I wouldn't suggest climbing this way, more, sitting with them on at home to give the shoes a bit of stretch to get used to your feet.
Another classic is having a shower with your brand new climbing shoes on, not something I would recommend for natural (leather) uppers, but it can help mould the shoe to your foot a bit better
Cool
Great informative video, as always.
Addendum: resoling is caring!
I would love to hear more opinions on resoling. :)
@@matejeberle364 totally rate it if you can find the right place to do it. There's some really experienced companies that do this... ask around and you'll find a good place :-)
@@matejeberle364 I've resoled with a few great companies and have gotten shoes as good as original (but already broken in). Find a skilled shop and you will look forward to every resole!
Where might I ask are the UK’s best shops for range of technical outdoor climbing shoes? I live in Scotland, and have found few aggressive shoes in the retailers’ ranges (plenty of ‘soft slippers’ for jumping around on volumes). I prefer to try on shoes in store. I will be driving through London, Birmingham and Manchester…
Gooutdoors and Cotswold outdoor are my favourite for shoes.
Mile End in London.they are so good
Banana fingers
Like all industries in store stock is seriously lacking. The best thing you can do is go through the hassle of ordering yourself a few sizes off a website with a good returns process.
Rock on at Mile End climbing wall. hands down the best climbing shop in the land. Also the best wall too!
I'm climbing/bouldering for 3 months now and finding the right shoe, that fits my foot was the biggest challenge so far... I started out with a pair of Tarantula Boulders and now moved onto something more aggressive, more precise and more soft. The biggest problem is: I have a very small heel, prelly low instep, but regular/wide forefoot and long toes with a heavy egyptian/roman profile (after the second toe they curve down a lot). So with most shoes I tried, I ran into the issue that either the heel is too baggy (like there was no shoe where I had no dead space in the heel at all) and felt horrible when heel hooking - or the heel was kinda ok, but the toe box was so excrutiatingly painful (especially on the big toe, jamming into the upper toehook rubber patch) that I can barely step on a foothold without pain.
Right now I wear the Ocun Havocs and I like them quite a lot -> rather soft, great for smearing, the last is shaped heavily towards the big toe (most other shoes I tried from LS, Scarpa and Ocun were shaped more towards the second toe and for my feet that is not optimal), moderately downturned, decent performance when clawing into very overhanging footholds. This shoe is surprisingly comfortable, can wear it like for almost 1h straight without too much pain - only taking it off occasionally to let my foot breathe. But sadly, the heel is not as good as I would have wished for - it's still a bit baggy and if a route demands for a solid heel hook, then it always feels kinda bad with this shoes. Other than that I can use this shoe for anything - except maybe slab with microscopic footholds - since the Havoc is pretty soft and spending a lot of time on very small holds quickly becomes painful on the toes - I guess this will improve with more experience and stronger toes. But still the heel hooks are the main problem with this shoe. - whenever I know a heelhook is crutial, I switch to my Ocun Bullits - way more aggressive and painful on my feet, the last is just not centered around the big toe as much as I would have wanted it. But it's a great shoe for clawing into holds at overhands and provides significantly more support on small footholds.
Wish I would find something similar to the Havocs, with maybe a bit more downturn and a more narrow heel - so I would feel better when climbing overhang - but which still feels good enough on the toes that I don't need to take the shoes of after every boulder, but maybe only after 5-7 boulders...
Another awesome video. And great timing too! Currently looking for a pair that's pretty versatile..
Exactly what I needed, just put a hole through the leather of my first pair, despite being aware of not wearing through the toe caps so I could have them resoled. Oh well, time to buy another pair!
Yeah that will improve with time! :-)
@@LatticeTraining Oh, yes, my footwork is already getting better, but I mean I ripped the leather that is still inside the shoe, behind the sole, and below my big toe. Very unfortunate, and according to the cobblers, it cannot be fixed. oh well!
An excellent guide, i wish I'd had this when i started
I was literally looking at new shoes to get when this notification came in
if you tell me google aint listening to your brain...
@@zupinu2000 right! It's getting scary...🤔but also, kinda nice. Now they show me what I want before I even know I want it. 😂😅😂
Fantastic video! You covered all the topics!
for the fit, I usually suggest "not confortable, but definetely not painful".
my "life hack" for shoes (helps with fit, stink etc.):
classic foot powder from your local drugstore / super market inside the shoes after each session.
For stink try keeping them outside of the bag when not using them, letting them breath works wonders
@@Supergoat1332works for a year or two, yes. But then.... Oh boy!
Robbie Phillips beat you guys to the punch!!
Yeah we just saw that, funny!!! Who'd have thought the coincidence?! :-D
@@LatticeTraining It's hilarious! probably has to do with the fact that you were all recently together!! :-D either way, I love all three channels!(;
@@LatticeTraining It's got nothing to do with the fact I bugged your phone before you left Scotland... ;) ALL YOUR SECRETS ARE MINE!!!
@@RobbiePhillips I guess you 'cracked' their phones eh
@@MitoNoche guess I did 👊😜
Do you have any tips for people with hallux valgus? ( deformed foot shape:)) I just keep climbing but sometimes my feet really are in pain after a session, especially after stepping on small foot holds where I need the toe
I have the same issue! I'm still a beginner/intermediate and ended up buying a wide shoe to accommodate because otherwise it would hurt like hell. I do have dead space around the rest of my toe box so I don't know if this is right.
For technique training (especially on foot work) would you recommend to already wear aggressive shoes or go for more comfortable ones?
(Climbing on sight lead up to 6c/7a in- and outdoors)
Markus somewhere in the middle. Im 15 and exactly in your range of climbing and i really needed to work on my fottwork. I bought a pair of tenaya ra’s and focused only on my toes and to relax in every single footstep and i recently did a 6c+ just by relaxing my arms with my toes. The best is to talk to personel at your gym and let them give youtips
Mainly go for a shoe with a good fit and plenty of versatility! Slightly downturn would be a rough "mid-line" approach with this
@@LatticeTraining Thanks for sharing your advice! :-)
What about the shape of the foot. Some shoes just don’t fit a foot where the middletoe is the longest.
Not an expert, but fit is first id say! If you look at different brands you can find different types in all kinds of shapes.
Scarpa has a lot of different fits, some with the longer midtoe like the velocity
I miss something about that in the video. I’ve seen beginners with painfully tight shoes trying to break them in, but the shoe does not fit their foot’s shape. But beeing told its gonna hurt etc. They’ve kept at it. Yes, Number one is find a shoe that fits your foot.
What are the shoes at 6:14
I have weak toes, bunions, and a longer 2nd toe than big toe. Most soft shoes are out of the question for me. I bought a pair of Vapor VS because the Internet says they are the most comfortable intermediate shoes. They hurt my first 2 toes like crazy. So I tried climbing all the warm up routes in Mythos and only use Vapor V for the hardest route. After 2 years my toes are stronger and can handle the Vapor V for 2-3 routes per session. I have tried on Scarpa Instincts Lace before. They feel okay on my feet if I am not climbing. When I tried to climb in them it feels like my toes are on fire. Probably need another year or 2 before I can climb in "advanced shoes".
I also wear vapor vs and have bunions and mortons toe(long second toe). Second toe burns every session. Breaking them in was a pain but I'm also wondering if I should be wearing softer shoes for gym climbing just for the health of my feet.
@@alicewong6875 Stiffer shoes provide more support for my weak toes though. I now climb warm up easy routes with Mythos (a softer shoe) and climb harder routes with smaller footholds in Vapor VS. If I try to wear Mythos on the harder routes, my bunion starts to hurt, not by the shoes, but by the fact that my joints are weak.
this is really comprehensive I love it. I am at a point where I put a hole in my beginner shoes and I am just looking for guidance for new ones really so this was perfect
I currently use the vapor with straps and really like the fit. I mainly boulder indoors. Can you recommend shoes that are similar and would act as a good alternative?
Can anybody recommend some women's climbing shoes for VERY narrow/slim/slander but long feet, that cannot be compressed very easily in a shoe?
So far, only flat beginner shoes did the job, as soon as they get a bit downturn, there's just too much air particularly on the top of the foot.
Any ladies with long feet here?
I know I'm replying to a 2 year old comment but just in case - I found that one of the only shoes for this type of foot are Ocun Pearl. The back of the shoe was pressing on my ankle so I couldn't get them myself but otherwise they were a good fit.
I have got a pair of vapour Vs. I really like the fit in the front and the overall size but when I stand up on my toes, the heel plastic kind of cuts into my archiles tendon. Is there anything I can do about it?
I put sports tape on my Archilles. It helps a little bit.
I have pretty small heel and generally low volume feet at size 43.5 EU street shoe size. I’d try women’s shoes but some brands don’t go up to that size (correct me if I’m wrong) but it’s just what some shops have said since I’d rather try on rather than order online. Currently wearing Madrock Drones HV (no LV’s available) which have a comfortable snug fit at the toebox but still some dead space in the heel. Not looking to upgrade any time soon but any recommendations for a different kind of shoe?
Mad Rock is a good company to try out as you’ve discovered, as is Butora and Unparalleled. Also, be mindful if you have space in the heel and this is a molded heel cup, as with the Drone, you may consider sizing a half size up to make deeper contact into the cup since this will not stretch or deform as a wrapped heel will.
No LVs available in your area at the time you purchased them you mean? I wear Madrock Drones LV. The low-volume thing really feels key. I tried an aggressive shoe that was medium volume and sized it very small--the result was that my toes were too scrunched but there was still dead air on the sides of my feet around the heel and sole.
Wait you mean if I don't buy the same shoe as Adam ondra I won't climb like him? Better tell all those people who climbed for 5 weeks to not buy a pair of la sportiva solutions then
hyau23 haha! 😁
That's me! I haven't sent any v14s yet so I'm demanding a refund
But there is no harm in getting good and tight shoes. Improves technique a lot when you can trust your feet and do more than just standing on you feet.
Word!
you didnt' tell them they have to wear two different shoes while climbing? But Adam did it in Silence!
One thing that wasn't covered is the degree of asymmetry in the shoe. I understand why "performance " shoes are downturned but never clear on why so asymmetric. Can someone explain to me?
Same reason. It gives a strong narrow tip to the shoe
to point all the force into shoe tip
Flexing on 1 plane gives u and edge, while flexing on 2 planes gives u a point. So asymmetric shoes try to give u a point which is supposed to allow for better edging!
The asymmetry of a last for edging is akin to tension of a heel for pointing, basically keeping the foot in place while applying pressure.
What cameras do you guys use to shoot these videos?
Climbing shoe rubber treatment? After a while the rubber gets polished and looses a bit of grip. I ‘ve heard of using alcohol and 60 sanding paper for this. Any idea’s about this?
I'm always looking for new brands and models just to try them and see what's new on the market. Witch brand is Tom using in this video? Never seen those before.
Thanks
Thomas
Unparallel shoes . Really stocky rubbers.
Tangentially related, I adore Unparallel, and they even do split sizing! I have two pairs of their Sirius.
Thomas - here's a link to the range! darkventures.co.uk/unparallel-2-c.asp
Hey Tom, how are you finding the UP line up compared to 5.10?
@@ClimbersCrag Thanks Tom! That was very well put :). I have been climbing in Five Ten for 7 years and have been on the fence about making the switch but this has pushed me over the edge.
Where I could find information when to use Drago vs Furia S vs Chimera :)
Chat with Scarpa customer service, but the quick is each of those performs amazingly well and similarly, but the Drago for smears and divots, the Chimera for edges, and the Furia S for smedges, and the same can be said for if your climbing style prioritizes foot position then Drago, foot hold then Chimera, and neither then Furia S.
Think the Furia S is the better all around shoe, but as predominantly a sport climber then the Chimera tends to be more familiar for me and therefore my usual shoe of choice.
My favorite shoes untill now are the Scarpa VSR's and the madrock Drone HV's. Other shoes is tried are the evolv shamans and some random off brand shoe i dont remember ;p
Some pairs of my shoes were painfully tight when I got them. But now they become too loose. I’d hope they can be half to one size down. Any tips? Can resoling help reduce the size?
bad shape to your feet, try different shoe
Pay attention to the material of the shoe. If they stretched the uppers are probably leather. There's not much resoling can do to fix the uppers stretching.
@@EtherealDoomed Thanks! Yes, they are leather uppers (La Sportiva - Katana and Solution). Don't know what to do with them now.
I know when I started wearing solutions as my project shoes, I wore them in 40, and now I find a 38 fine with a couple older pairs of 38.5 to be my board shoes. Now the solutions are a soft split sole shoe with an unlined leather upper, which means about 1 1/4 stretch, whereas the Katanas have a lining and use a combination of Leather and Lorica for the upper for 1/2 stretch in the toe and 3/4 stretch through the arch. Resoling will not resolve, but just stating that your shoe tolerance will change over time and to account for stretch.
I'm quite a heavy climber due to my height. 83 kg, 2 meters. I often have very painful toes when standing on small edges. Especially when using the outside edge (middle toes). Also sometimes after finishing the route. Is there a type of shoe that could mitigate that?
I just started climbing a month ago and Im a little shorter and lighter than you. But I tryed a handful of shoes before I got rid of a similar pain. Stiffer shoes, not extremely tight and snug to my foot shape made a huge difference for me. I was kind of sold on this new soft shoes for beginners philosophy and also the super tight hype, but because of the pain both of those things crippled me and I climbed so much better when I chose a shoe the same size as my street shoes.
And also a stiffer shoe that could distribute the load
You know why many shoes have a female version as well as a male version? It's not (only) because of colour and marketing. Generally speaking, women are lighter and have less wide feat -> female shoes tend to be slimmer in fit with softer rubber for similar experience.
You can also reverse this logic for you, an above average large/heavy guy. Try to go for more stiff rubbers. The stiffer the shoe, the less your toes need to work (theoretically taking away sensitivity and precision, but wearing rubber socks and getting tears in your eyes won't help your footwork...), and since you're 80+ kg, a "stiff" shoe will feel like a medium shoe.
General advice, don't go for comp shoes; they are designed for sensitivity, perfict for Japanese climbers who weigh 3 grams. Try something like Scarpa Instinct VS, 5.10 anasazi, La sportiva Miura or something like that. They provide more support. Also, the shoes mentioned come in different aggressions and fittings, so flat doesn't need to mean stiff, just ass aggressive necessarily means soft.
Personal favourite is the Skwama, pretty aggressive and flexible midsole, but stiff tip so sharp edges don't penetrate the toe.
Also, don't stand on your outside edge :)
@@Pietervanloon1996 Outside edge is useful on plenty of climbs
@@reefleschmeek4226, not the main point of my comment. But anyway, it's not good technique to stand with your outside edge. You should try not to make a habit out of it. As far as I'm concerend there's no advantages to using outside edge over the tip of your shoe:
-Less power (your big toe is by far the strongest toe, not using it means you cannot push as well)
-You cannot pivot around that foot (since the flat outside is against the wall, you cannot rotate your ankle)
-You push (partially) past the foothold (try standing on a slopy foothold with edge vs toe)
How do you wear tight shoes without your toes hurting like mad. I tried with the Katanas (not laced), I cannot stand on my toes cos they are being crushed.
Get stronger feet and come back to curled toes when your foot is more conditioned. Generally takes a few years to take the really aggressive toes.
For now, get a larger size and/or a different model.
Because of the strangeness of climbing shoes, the pain in the toes may be from not enough foot strength, ill fitting shoes, or need to break in.
Try on other shoes to find a shape which fits with the features needed, such as a Vapor V/Lace or Instinct VS/Lace from Scarpa or the Miura Lace from La Sportiva or the Narsha HV/LV from Butora. Each should be a moderately aggressive edging shoe, being mindful the lace and velcro versions offer quite different characteristics.
This might be a controversial opinion, but I don't think there's any reason to wear shoes that make your toes curl up unless you are climbing a very steep problem or a roof---something where you won't ever need to stand up on the tips of your toes. Tip-toeing takes more calf-strength and ankle-strength but gives you a lot of control, naturally pitches your hips/weight toward the wall, and gives you another inch or two of height which can be crucial if you're on the shorter side.
@@stephantom8237 Definitely agree.
Great video! Any tips on how to manage sweaty hands/feet?
RhinoSkin dry solution!! It's just brilliant.
@@LatticeTraining Yes is can recommend this as well! or Antihydral but that seems a little more aggresive so i would use that with care. Also i do have splits more often since using drying agents so thats the downside i suppose (much better then wet hands/flappers though)
@@Route_2_V11 I had that too, I didn't know what a split was till I tried RhinoSkin. I get around it by applying it only on fingertips (last pad basically) and every now and again on palms but always avoid the midsection of fingers.
another awesome vid madudes
Thanks again!
I did not know the plastic trick, usually I use chalk so my feet are dry and it's easy to put the shoes
That makes shoes a lot more nasty
Advice for skinny feet? Can’t fit my long toes in mythos and the heel is way too big on scarpas.
Had similar issues, the La Sportiva Theory, is Perfect for me, went down from 42.5->38.5
Anything by Tenaya, I have long toes as well
Are those Unparallel? They look like it.
Yes they are :-)
@@LatticeTraining Good to see them getting some love!
10:52 was so innocent
anyone always get bruised toenails on their big toes from climbing shoes/climbing? idk why i always get them
Im a beginner climber I'd be very grateful if you could help me out. Trying to buy my first pair of shoes, everyone says get a comfortable pair...every single pair I've tried on draws blood on my big toe they are so so painful. Does anyone know a way around this ? So far I'm incapable of evening walking towards the wall without crippling in pain. Even in the taranulas and "more comfortable" shoes. I do pointe work in ballet..im used to pain and tight shoes...but this is too much pain! I've tried on loads, any advice?! Thanks :)
use climbing shoes for climbing only. No standing around, no walking around. Climb or get (completely) out of the shoes.
La Sportiva Mythos. Flat, neutral shoe, where your toes lie flat, no matter which size you choose.
Als always in La Sportiva, go down ~2 EU sizes from your real foot size (meassure them! street shoes also vary in sizes and also peple tend to take them more or less loose, so i say "real foot size" instead of "street shoe size"), starting with foot size -1.0 EU and go down half size after half size.
When trying on in a shop, stay longer inside the shoes! Because after 5min the shoe often feels completely different than in the first 20sec after you put them on. Because of the warmth and the preassure of the foot. And also the different subjective feeling of preassure changes over time.
In La Sportiva Mythos you can climb all day up a mountain. Put the shoes on and forget about them.
Don't forget that you have climbing shoes on, because i could go into the city shopping with the Mythos on my feet.
Also the fit don't has to be perfect, since the soft leather gets shaped by your foot.
Just very wide feet don't fit inside the Mythos or you may then have to take them way larger, which is bad because your toes are not in the position in the toe box, as the manifacturer intended.
Soooo, no I've got to watch the video :)
Hmm that isn’t normal at all. Have you tried wide vs narrow shoes? Are you going too small? Perhaps your feet are a little messed up from ballet?
@@Gomlmon99 thanks for replying. I've tried both narrow and wide shoes, i have a small heel so narrow shoes fit my foot better, but neither changes the pain on my toe anyway! The man that helped fit me the shoes in the shop ended up saying "well..i dont think i can help you then" aha. At this rate I'm a little deflated! I just want some shoes that wont take the skin off my big toe! 🙁 (or is that normal) i dont think ballet messed up my toes as I'm not a professional so I've had the same supportive pair of pointe shoes for years, my toes look normal to me.. 😔
@@philipppuchner1115 thanks for replying :) i knew when i said "walk up to the wall" people would say "they're not made for walking" aha. All i meant was, putting pressure on the holds was more agonisingly painful than just standing up. No one around here stocks mythos but they're on my to-try list (as with any other shoe ever made at this point)! I was told over and over that the toes had to be curved at the top and not completely flat?
Raz McClean They certainly shouldn’t be skinning your toes, that’s crazy. There are certain shoes with a bigger or smaller “toe box” and also shoes that come to a point more centrally or more asymmetrically. However it sounds like you’ve already tried a range so I’m not sure.
Your toes should not be scrunched up at the end (certainly not unless you’re an advanced climber at least). I would just go for a larger size as it sounds like you don’t have much of a choice.
If it is just skin being taken off and you really can’t find a bigger/better alternative, you could try wearing tape over your toe but it’s not really a long term solution...
When you say toes have to be curved over at the top, just to be clear your toes themselves don’t need to be bunches up. They may be referring to the shoe itself having a downturn but if this is the case, it’s not worth it if it hurts.
Buy la sportiva solotions, climb 9c easy
what a pain buying climbing shoes, my local that has climbing shoes barley has any in my size trying to get the fit just right is a second job
This gives me GCN vibes
Also construction. Need to know that so you don't buy shoes that last 2 months
-Should I use the plastic bag?
-no slip it in there right away!
-Ah it is so stiff, it even has a little downturn
-Yes it's a perfect fit!
your welcome, perverts
"No one shoe is the perfect shoe". Sorry but La Sportiva Skwama! :p
Nah, Solution Women :P
Five Ten Anasazi
Dont wear solutions, those are for adam only! hahaha! Classic noob move! Im not saying this. This is what everyone is telling me haha! ok i get it! 60 bucks not well spent. Just kidding, their good for climbing, just not for upside down crack climbing. So i get it tom! sheeit, ill get a new different pair of shoes for crack climbing specific. jeez hahaha.