If you are suffering when wearing your climbing shoes, you probably have bought a size too small, or the instep part is too tight. It is always advisable to buy climbing shoes one or even two sizes smaller to get a better grip on the rocks. That’s why you may need to use a shoe stretcher to stretch your shoes and make them a little more comfortable to avoid foot pain.
There are different techniques you can use to make your climbing shoes bigger. Whether you need to stretch just the synthetic upper or the entire shoe, let’s look at how to break in climbing shoes. With these tips, you will be able to avoid the pain those tight climbing shoes cause you.
Freezing your rock-climbing shoes overnight is a good way to avoid pain and blisters. Below you will find the steps on how to do this. This method can be used on your leather climbing shoes or synthetic climbing shoes.
As we mentioned initially, there are different ways to stretch your climbing shoes and prevent them from hurting your feet. The most effective is by using your home freezer. However, if you need an immediate result, you can use another technique. This time using heat. We explain how you can apply it:
Heat is especially helpful for leather climbing shoes because it makes the shoe material more pliable so the thick socks can stretch the shoes out.
If you are a beginner in the art of climbing, a neutral shoe is the most suitable for you. Or, if you already have experience, these shoes will help you do a long route. The soles of these shoes are thicker and provide stability and support. In addition, the fit is adequate and can relax your feet, which allows you to have a good grip on cracks and you can use them for much longer.
The sole of a moderate shoe is thinner than neutral climbing shoes allowing for more versatility when climbing. It will enable you to climb in cracks and overhangs. They have a lower design. Not recommended as a beginner shoe as they are tighter and can be uncomfortable for people just starting to climb.
The main characteristic of the aggressive shoe type climbing shoe is that they are very tight shoes. The sole is much thinner than neutral climbing shoes. The design of an aggressive climbing shoe is asymmetrical, and they have a curvature in the direction of the thumb. This helps to have more precision and grip on small holds. In addition, they are very snug in the heel for better performance on more challenging climbing.
It is important to emphasize that the type of rock-climbing shoe size varies a lot from one model to another despite belonging to the same brand. Be very careful when choosing sport climbing shoes. When sizing a climbing shoe, make sure that your foot does not slip into the bottom of the shoe easily. It should be snug but not so tight that it hurts your feet.
It’s much better to make a proper purchase rather than trying to stretch your sport climbing shoes. Foot pain is something that can be prevented right from the purchase. If you buy the wrong size shoes and try to break them in, it is possible that if you want to return them, the store will no longer accept them as a return.
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