How do I test my climbing shoes? (2023)

How do you test climbing shoes?

Assessing the fit:

Toebox – all of your toes should be right in the end of the toe box, with no dead space. Heel – this should be snug and secure; you don't want your shoe to come off on the crucial heel hook! Sides – your shoe should be snug around the side of your foot too.

Climbing shoes should be tight but not excessively painful around your toes. To make sure you're able to trust foot placements and feel secure inside the shoe, your toes should feel slightly compressed in the rubber toe box, but not painfully so! The shoe should fit to your heel well, with no wiggle room in the heel.

Climbing shoes should feel snug all around your foot, without gaps or dead space that will reduce sensitivity. Gaps around the heel or under the arch can cause the shoe to slip and slide around when you heel hook or cam your toes into a crack. Beware of shoes that are too short.

Generally speaking, there should be about one finger's width of space between your longest toe and the end of the shoe. Another way to check this is to slip a finger between the heel of your foot and the heel of your shoe. There should be just enough space for your finger to fit nice and snugly.

Honnold's go-to approach shoe is the La Sportiva TX2. A favorite of many climbers, the TX2 is a lightweight, breathable shoe that uses the popular Vibram Mega-Grip to deliver a reliable and resilient shoe.

Socks can help reduce chafing. If your shoes are causing you pain in some high-rubbing areas, a thin pair of socks can help reduce friction and will add a layer of protection. A pair of socks can help break in, and stretch, a pair of climbing shoes.

The fit of climbing shoes not only changes the biomechanics of the foot, but it also increases the load and stress applied to the fore-foot. In addition to bunions, corns, calluses, toe rot, subungual hematoma and pitted keratosis, overly tight climbing shoes can cause a number of chronic toe and foot issues.

To optimize performance and ensure a stronger grip, more experienced climbers suggest buying a climbing shoe that is 2 sizes smaller than the size used for other types of footwear.

It's because of the thick stiff soles – they are not designed for maximum sensitivity. Due to the relaxed fit they are not that good for very difficult overhanging climbs. Don't worry about this too much: You can definitely do overhanging routes with neutral shoes.

To optimize performance and ensure a stronger grip, more experienced climbers suggest buying a climbing shoe that is 2 sizes smaller than the size used for other types of footwear.

Are climbing shoes supposed to hurt?

Breaking in climbing shoes will always be a slightly uncomfortable process. Afterall, your feet are being used as a climbing shoe stretcher, so expect there to be some level of uncomfort. That said, this should never be an extrucatinly painful process.

Beginners should wear their shoes half a size to one full size smaller than their street shoe size, more or less irrespective of their climbing discipline.