In reply to Bisonkills:
> (In reply to Bisonkills)
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> Oh, if anyone can provide general advice on what a good fit should constitute, that would be helpful! I’m currently seeing two opposing opinions.
The problem is that words like "tight" "pain" and "comfortable" are all subjective.
Rockshoes need to be tight enough that there is no movement of your foot inside the shoe, this means far tighter than normal street shoes/trainers and yes your toes should be touching the end. First impressions of having no movement in your shoe might be that it's hurting and too tight, but whilst I wouldn't describe a well fitting pair of rockshoes as comfortable they certainly shouldn't be painful.
Regarding toes most people fit rockshoes with their toes bent. Try to stand on a skirting board with bare feet you will see that you instinctively bend your toes. Fitting shoes with your toes flat means that when you curl them up to get maximum holding power, you instead pull them back from the end of the shoe and away from the hold.
We currently stock over 40 models of rockshoe! One reason being that no two people have the same shape feet and it is essential that you try on a selection of different models to find the right shape shoe for your foot. If a shoe is uncomfortable/painful in just one area disregard it, as going bigger will just leave you with an baggy badly fitting shoe.
Regarding stretch ALL rockshoes will stretch/give to some extent over time. Generally unlined leathers will stretch the most, synthetic materials and lined leather (like in the Joker) won't stretch a lot but will give/ease over time. Bear in mind however that the rubber won't stretch, so the length of the shoe is pretty much fixed.
Rockshoe sizing is at best subjective, so don't get hung up on what it says on the box and instead focus on how it actually feels/fits on your foot. I once tried on our entire range of rockshoes and for a comparable fit I took anything from a UK 4.5 to a UK 8 on my size 7.5 foot.