UKC

As an old overweight newbie, I'm wondering if any other new climbers experience, toe and foot pain. Towards the end of a session (indoors) after about 8 routes and a bit of traversing/bouldering I find the outside edge of my soles and my big toes are sore. Are there any solutions to this please? do I need to try different shoes or just toughen up and stop being soft? Are there any off wall exercises?
Any ideas would be appreciated or at least someone saying they have experienced similar would be reassuring.

Many thanks

In reply to Banana Cockroach:

Sore feet is pretty normal. They do toughen up with experience but they're never quite tough enough or at least mine aren't!

Pop them out of your shoes or at least release your heels between routes so you can stretch and flex the arches/toes.
jk

In reply to Banana Cockroach:

Tight fitting shoes whether high heeled or climbing shoes will cause feet problems.

Best advice would be to:
1. minimse the amount of time you wear the shoes.
2. experiment with different shoes and makes
3. the next size bigger might be more comfortable, depends how tight you want them.
4. try taking them to a cobblers and getting them stretched. I tried this once, wasnt a great success but helped a little.

In reply to Banana Cockroach: There is a myth amongst climbers that you need to purchase shoes at least 1 - 2 sizes smaller than your feet. I fell for this when I started climbing and put up with the agony. It all came to a head when I went to Yosemite and my toes bled so much that the blood seeped through the leather of my shoe.

As a result, I now purchase shoes that fit, that you can walk in all day and I have never climbed better. I find it bizarre that climbers at the wall and crag alike seem to spend more time taking off and putting on their shoes than climbing. I am sure that tight fitting shoes are useful on mega hard routes but for the ordinary Joe climbing up to E2 / E3, they are just not necessary.

In reply to EeeByGum:
agreed I can climb to about uk5c with virtually zero difference to tighter boots except my feet are comfy.

In reply to EeeByGum: That sound very sensible. Thank you. Just back from the wall with sore feet again. Not as bad as usual cause I thinly my shoes have stretched a bit. What you write rings true. Anyone tried climbing in 5fingers by the way?

In reply to EeeByGum: Yes, being in comfy shoes can get you up English 5c/6a, but my shoes usually only reach the comfy-as-slippers stage after half a year of wearing them.

Cake