UKC

I have tried to search the forums but with no avail...

Is there a specific way you go about mould your new rock boots to your feet....for the last 20 years I have gone with the tried and tested just keep wearing them till they don't hurt method.

I have heard about soaking etc to get a more instant mould, this would be ideal as the pain between climbs is well...pain... just wondering on the results and opinion before.

I just break them in very gradually, take 2 pairs to the wall or crag and wear the new ones for a very short period. Takes a while, but doesn't involve much, or even any, pain.

Take your time in the shop trying on lots of models and buy one which as closely as possible fits your foot shape.

Sorry if this is a very obvious question, but are you taking your new shoes off between climbs? Breaking in new shoes is going to be far less painful if you do it starting with little stints of five minutes at a time, rather than trying to wear brand new shoes continuously for a couple of hours.

Best method I know for heat-moulding new shoes is: double-bag shoes in plastic bags as hermetically sealed as you can manage, put in a nest of towels in a large pot, pour boiling water over the top, leave them until the rubber's warmed up and softened -- about 15 mins, IIRC -- then put them on and wear them as long as you can. That really does work to accelerate the breaking-in process.

But I'd try the obvious things first.

And if you're finding new shoes agonizing even for a few minutes, then I'd seriously consider if they're too small and/or a bad fit for your feet.  Uncomfortable is one thing, excruciating is another!

Thats quite a description and what I was after! Yeah uncomfortable is more accurate than excruciating!

Much obliged!

Good luck! I found pouring several kettlefuls of boiling water over my brand-new shoes a little nerve-wracking ... But with careful bagging, you can keep the leather pretty much dry.

If they're leather I soak them in warm -lukewarm water and then wear them around the house and then a session or two at the wall, it's doesnt seem to stretch them but does help them mould to my toes quite quickly.

Your feet my emerge somewhat dyed and probably wont do athletes foot much good.

I usually just grimace through a few sessions but if you really can't take it this looked interesting

youtube.com/watch?v=bUPDp9KiGd8&

I soak them in water before their first session, and climb in them wet for a couple of hours. It's worked wonders for every pair I've tried it with (about 6 and counting).

This seems to fast forward the break-in process massively and once is enough even with synthetic shoes. I used to wear them wet around the house (or in the bath) but your foot spreads differently when stood on edges so I think climbing wet-footed is best.

Be wary of using boiling water, like leaving under glass in the full sun it can reverse the glue curing process and cause the soles to peel off!

It sounds flippant but buy ones that fit. If they are sore between climbs then take them off. If you can't find ones that fit in your local shop try somewhere else. If buying online be prepared to send a lot of pairs back. 

I want my shoes to have that precise just out of the shop fit for as long as possible, once they are stretched then they don't climb quite as well. This tends to be just as the rand starts showing through where then sole used to be, so off they go for resoling. These shoes they get used for training until the uppers fail and I get new shoes for that precise just out of the shop feeling for my hardest projects.

Repeat ad infinitum.

Jesus. If you lot are seriously having to soak your shoes in water to get the right fit they are either way too tight or it's the wrong shoe for your foot.

This.  Having been through plenty that haven't fitted in the past, I'm a big fan of fit.

A good way to speed up breaking in your new boots is to.

1 put your boots on

2 place waterproof plastic bag over each foot 

3 stand in a bowl of hot water [ not boiling ] for as long as you can.

4 take the bags off and walk about in the boots.

Repeat as many times as you like until they feel better.

This method speeds up the breaking in process but wont stop them hurting altogether. 

This is probably the best shoe selection advice. I've got painful toe joints through years of cramming my feet into incorrectly fitting rock shoes.

Oh and don't after taking over an hour of a staff members time then go and buy the same model online just to save a few quid. 

I totally agree with you Jenny.

I always bought/buy my climbing shoes and equipment from a retailer. ALL online sales are the main reason for empty High streets.  

In the past, advice was to buy very tight fitting shoes, hence my earlier reply to you.