UKC

Just purchased a new pair of climbing shoes and I am a beginner so not sure if they are the right fit. They feel quite tight but not sure if this is normal? Should I order a size up or just stick with these?
cheers!

In reply to NikLong:

Snug but not painful I would say. Also depends on how long you wear them. At a wall you can slip the heels off for relief between routes. Unlined ones will tend to stretch more.

In reply to NikLong:

They are not like street shoes, you do want your toes touching the end but they shouldn't hurt either.

In reply to NikLong:

Hi Nik,
You want a snug close fit, you don’t want your feet sliding around inside the shoe when your trying to apply force through small footholds. I would stick with your pair for a at least a month if your climbing a couple of times a week.
If the shoe uppers are made from leather then it should stretch somewhat and begin to mould to the shape of your feet and feel more natural. Synthetic fabric shoes do also stretch but less so in experience.

Try wearing the shoes around the house to break them in a bit.

In reply to NikLong:

As everyone has said, tight yes, but not painful for a few hours worth of wear. First few sessions in them might be fairly uncomfortable after an hour or so but that is normal until they are broken in. After a bit of use they'll start to soften a little bit and may stretch slightly.

As you get more advanced you might get more high performance shoes which will be a bit tighter and more painful for longer but even those will break in eventually. For now though you'll be fine with tight but wearable. Comfort on the scale of street shoes is not to be expected though.

In reply to NikLong:
You can pretty much guarentee the fit will be wrong for beginner use if they feel even a bit painfully tight trying them on. If you wear them and stretch them they will still be too tight and you might not be able to send them back. The best thing to do if they are painfully tight is return them now and get a refund and then go to a well stocked climbing shop with sales staff who know about beginner's climbing shoes and try shoes on until you find a set that fits. I'd strongly advise any beginner to wear a pair that feel snug but not tight whilst wearing thin socks (more comfortable for most who are starting out and stops your shoes from stinking): you should be able to have pain free non-stop climbing for several hours (anyone telling you otherwise is an idiot and needs locking in a room with a bunch of podiatrists...the fashion for over-tight poor fitting climbing shoes have trashed generations of new climber's feet and the resulting likely arthritis in old age, if you can climb through the pain, is no fun at all). Another place to try shoes is on hire at indoor walls (also look out for advertised shoe testing sessions at walls). Also read this article based on best practice advice:

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/climbing-shoes-is-pain-insane