How Tight Should Climbing Shoes Be?

Having problems with how tight climbing shoes should be? You are not the only person with this problem. Well, lucky for you there is an answer to your question.

You have probably seen people struggle to put on their climbing shoes! And that got you wondering, just how tight climbing shoes are meant to be. 

Here is the thing, if your foot doesn’t just slip onto your foot it’s probably too small. Granted, your shoes are supposed to fit tight but fit right. 

Note that, your shoe should fit snugly at the heel but is not supposed to be painful! What’s next you might ask? Easy- Use your common sense and wear the perfect fit for you!

How tight should climbing shoes be?

Here is the thing, your shoe is the interface between the rock and you. Sure enough, the wrong fit will draw back your progress. Some other climbing shoes should be tight at first without any pain. 

They will ease up once you have had a chance to break them in over a period of time. Here are some of the things you should consider on shoe tightness.

01. There should be no dead space in the toe box: 

The toes should be touching the end of the toe box. When there is space in the toe box, the foot will not stay rigid when placed on a foothold. What’s more, is that your toes should not be painfully bunched in the toe box. 

Climbing shoe toes should not be curled. Climbing shoes toe space should allow the toes to be flat or comfortably curled.

02.  Snug fit at the heel:

If you stand on your toes the back if the shoe should not pitch your Achilles heel. The shoe should be a perfect fit. The tighter the shoe, the better it will perform. Pay attention to your feet! If they hurt, you are pilling then into too small a shoe.

03. The shoe must slip on easy:

If a shoe is difficult to put on, it’s probably too small. Make sure your shoe puts on easy but is not loose. You should not struggle to put on shoes!

Tight climbing shoes. Why not?

Too tight climbing shoes might not only slow down your progress. They might cause lasting damage to your feet. Listen to your feet!  Do not have them painfully bundled up in a small shoe.

ü  Tight-fitting climbing wear can stunt the foot growth of kids. Be aware that kids’ feet grow quick and they might need two to three shoe changes in a year. Make sure that climbing shoes for kids are flexible!

Climbing shoe blisters, bunions, corns, nerve or blood vessel damage, are just some of the chronic problems that come with wearing climbing shoes that are too tight.

ü  There have been no proven benefits to wearing shoes that are too tight. What is the need, therefore, to suffer through painful shoes?

ü  Tight shoes make it difficult for your foot and ankle to absorb fall impact. That means it’s a risk to wear shoes that are too tight. Why risk your life?

Choosing the right shoe

More often than not I have heard people exclaim that climbing shoes are painful! This led me to wonder, how should climbing shoes fit? I have since realized that climbing shoes might be uncomfortable but not painful. 

How do you find the right shoe, you might ask?  The right shoe can be found by trying on shoes at different times in the day. You might want to do some exercise before shoe picking. An important thing to note is that climbing shoes might hurt in different seasons. 

For example when it’s got, feet swell. Swollen feet, make your shoes hurt. What does this mean for you? You might want to consider buying shoes for different seasons.

Here is the thing, a properly sized shoe will have your toes a little curled up. However it’s not supposed to be painful. It’s known that your toes should either be flat or curled.

Though snug, climbing shoes should not hurt. If your shoes hurt, they are too small.

You might be wondering why climbing shoes hurt big toes. Either the shoe is too tight or the toe box is too narrow. The simple solution is to find a shoe with wider toe box or a shoe that fits better. What’s more is you could find climbing shoes for big toes.

There are various methods that can be employed

Use toe protectors

Wear socks

Use shoe pads

Apply paper tape

Your toes should beat the end of the toe box. What’s more is, there should be no dead space.

There should be no space in the toe box.

It’s recommended to get into a hot shower whilst wearing your shoes.

When you feel pain while wearing them.

Final verdict

You have grown accustomed to the tight climbing shoes way of life? Good! However if your feet hurt and get infected, something is wrong! You can only reach your full potential with healthy feet! There are so many climbing shoes a on the market. Choose wisely. Pay attention to the size and fit! Remember, climbing shoes should fit right but fit right! Although snug at the heel, the shoe is not supposed to be painful!

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