UKC

So, I've gone and done it. After all the advice i give to folk about buying comfy shoes, i've gone and bought shoes that are painful! Anasazi pinks to be exact!

Normally a size 9.5, I tried a few different shoes on over the last few weeks and settled on a size 9. Not too uncomfortable for the 5 minutes in the shop....

So, I've used them twice indoor bouldering. Can wear them for around half an hour, but the top and side of my big toe is marked, and ******* painful, when I take them off. Though these marks don't develop into bruises.

So the advice I'm after is.... Will they stretch much more? Will my feet get used to them? Or is it best to cut my losses now, sell them second hand and get something less torturous to wear? I have been told, much to my dismay, 5.10 rubber doesn't stretch too much!

In reply to jack_44:

They will stretch. I am a 9.5 street shoe and wear an 8.5 pink (i think, they may be 8). I can wear them for a two hour stint, by which time they are uncomfortable. I wear them multipitch tradding but need to flick the heels off at belays.

I guess it depends on how they fit your feet (in your case maybe worse than mine?) and your level of pan tolerance.....

In reply to jack_44:

I have Verdons which just killed me, so much so I was going to lob them. Then one day (weeks later), put them on, sigh, perfect ever since.

In reply to jack_44:

Although they don't stretch much lengthways, they do give widthways and mould to the shape of your foot around the toe knuckle. I would say that a half size down would make for a fairly precise fit and that actual shoe size should be comfortable. You can experiment a bit with lacing for fit. I would stick with them for a bit and see how they go.

James

In reply to jack_44:

I bought my pinks in the same size as my street shoe because when I tried them on they seemed pretty tight; I found the size down very tight indeed. Given that I bought them for trad climbing, I thought the bigger size would be fine. Having worn them quite a bit now they have definitely stretched out, so much so that they're almost too big for indoor bouldering as I can feel my feet move around in them. They're still great as an outdoor shoe though as they are super comfy now and I can happily wear them all day without discomfort. So I'd give it a few more weeks to wear them in a bit, although I'd say if they're still super uncomfy after 30 mins of wearing after breaking them in a bit more then they're probably not the shoe for you! Hope this helps.

In reply to jack_44:

I always break in new shoes by wearing them around the house with a pair of socks on. It's VERY painful, but seems to work after a little while. Persevere! (I only have 5.10s)

In reply to jack_44:

If they don't stretch I'd keep them for hard stuff and buy a cheaper comfy pair for millage.

In reply to Greasy Prusiks:

In reply to jack_44:

They are likely to stretch a bit and get a bit softer and more comfortable (though they won't change that much). Wear them in with a few sessions wearing them for 20-mins at a time.

If, after time, they are not getting comfortable enough then:

I once had a pair of shoes that got very painful pressing down on the top of the big toe nail. I got a drill and, with a 7-mm bit, drilled a hole in them exactly at the pressure point. This made them softer in that area, and after that they were supremely comfy, no pain at all! And the hole did not spread or reduce the life of the shoe.

In reply to jack_44:

Thanks folks. Will give them time before making a decision. Maybe wearing them around the house for breaking in/being laughed at by housemates!

In reply to jack_44:

try giving them a good spray inside with water so they are really wet. Helps them stretch to your foot shape. Have done this for years with agonisingly tight new shoes and it works a treat.

In reply to jack_44:

5-10 pinks have synthetic uppers and aren't supposed to stretch much, but in practice they do a bit and, as someone said, essentially mould to your footshape over time. I used to be a big fan of the old pinks and have a pair of the new ones. I think I have them half a size down from street shoe size as well, sounds about right to me. I'd persevere a bit if I were you as I think they fit a fairly wide range of foot shapes; not being particularly downturned/asymmetric etc and being lace ups. They probably suit narrow feet more than wide but are quite forgiving.

In reply to jack_44:

Pinks really mould to your foot. Mine feel a bit tight the first few times and then afterwards get good and comfy whilst maintaining performance. I think they're a brilliant shoe. Persevere!

In reply to jack_44:

If you can wear them new for half an hour, it sounds like, if anything, you've bought them too big! When I break in a pair of Anasazis, I reckon on ten minutes max first time, but within a few sessions they are fine for single pitch/indoor use (ie half an hour!). But my feet seem to be the perfect shape for them - I know other people who don't get on with them.

In reply to jack_44:

They do not stretch 1 bit!!!
However, you're in luck coz I'm a size 9. I'll give you a tenner for 'em. We can split the postage.

In reply to jack_44:

Yhm

In reply to jack_44:

As I think has been said below, if you can wear them for half an hour straight out the box before they give you any grief, then they're probably too big if anything. My pinks stretched a lot length ways, when I first got them they were pretty tight on my long middle toe which I'd previously broken, they have since stretched out to such an extent that I don't use them at all any more, they're like slippers. This I think is compounded by me having narrow long feet, not good for the pinks imo. You shouldn't have any problem with them being too tight.

In reply to jack_44:

What James Mann said. Also, half an hour is enough for a pair to climb hard things in.

A good cycle to get into is to use a newish pair for climbing outside and an old pair for the wall, as they tend to be more comfy by then but less precise. That way the newish pair will keep it's edge for longer than if you use each pair for everything.