As you probably have noticed, climbing shoes are not exactly the comfiest shoes. When getting a new pair, climbers always struggle to find new ways to break them in quickly and efficiently, to soften their soles, or to adapt them to the shape of their feet.
You can find hundreds of articles with tips on how to best break your climbing shoes in, but it seems like there is no one-size-fits-all rule to make those incredibly tight shoes comfier. We are here to share some pro climbers tips passed on throughout climbing history and give you some advice to keep in mind when trying on your next pair of shoes.
Karen Lane, Black Diamond
First of all, if you have had a painful experience with synthetic shoes (assuming you got the correct size), we recommend switching to leather shoes. Leather uppers are much softer and tend to break in faster. They also perfectly adapt to your foot shape.
Consider also the shoe structure: while there are some general rules, such as soft shoes are better for bouldering or more experienced climbers, you can always try to mix it all up and find a good balance between soft and stiff soles. You can also try less aggressive models to maximize comfort and fit. Finding the perfect pair of climbing shoes will also depend on toe box configuration, shoe symmetry, and sole width.
If you are a woman and can’t find the right fit in the women’s shoe collections, try the men’s or unisex versions too. Women’s specific models are usually tighter fitting and low volume, while men’s are wider. If you have tiny feet, consider trying on kids’ models. Besides being smaller, they are specially designed for young climbers with improved fit to ensure optimal comfort.
Karen Lane, Black Diamond
What we would NOT reccomend
If you already bought a pair of new shoes and they are sitting there waiting to be used, here are a couple of tips to ease your way in. As mentioned before, leather shoes will break in quickly. Wear them with a pair of thin socks and let the magic happen. Some climbers ask their friends (and their more experienced feet) to keep them on for a couple of sessions. While saving you from the initial pain, it might not be the best idea as your climbing shoes should adapt to your own foot shape.
Generally speaking, climbers want to keep their performance shoes away from the gym to save them for outdoor projects. Wearing them for a couple of indoor bouldering sessions could prove helpful to break them in and avoid some pain at the crag. Walking and jumping on the gym mattresses will also help feel less pain and soften them more quickly.
You might find all sorts of crazy advice online, such as walking around home or taking a shower with your climbing shoes on, or warming them up with a heater or a hair dryer. We strongly recommend avoiding such solutions as they would irreversibly damage the shoe profile and materials.
And now let's have a look at our climbing shoes' page!
And now have a look at our climbing shoes page and pick yours up!