UKC

decent non-beginner shoes for square feet

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 ripper 10 May 2023

I have wide feet and pretty square toes - second, third and even fourth are about the same length as my big toe. Surely this is not SO rare, yet I've never really managed to find a shoe that fits the shape. In the past I've got away with the old Anasazi VCS, and also had Scarpa Vapour V, and now a pair of Sportiva Kubo which feel like they'll last well but are not very good on small edges. None of these, however, have been ideal, it's always been a case of finding the 'least worst' option. Anything even remotely pointy means my third and fourth toes are far too painfully crushed, while the big toe could still comfortably go tighter.

Has anyone else ever found a shoe that fits this shape, but offers reasonable performance levels? flat or moderate downturn, not too soft... all suggestions welcome.

 Macleod 10 May 2023
In reply to ripper:

There's not much out there but La Sportiva Mythos are probably worth trying on. Not super high performance, but they're not bad and some people with even-length toes seem to get on with them.

I've also known some people to have luck with evolv for this sort of foot shape.

Good luck

In reply to ripper:

I'm watching this thread with interest. Despite having used a fair range of shoes over 30 years, I've yet to find one that really fits my similar broad (albeit maybe a bit less radically square) foot shape. Obviously there has to be some sort of a point or performance would be hopeless: however, the predominance of narrow, asymmetric, downturned, pointy-ended shoes must mean a lot of people struggle. There's a definite gap in the market  

 TobyA 10 May 2023
In reply to ripper:

Only my 4th toe is noticeably shorter than my big toe, and my feet are wide. Both of these models have been great at my not very high standard - up to 6b/HVS sort of stuff. https://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/footwear/climbing_shoes/scarpa_quantic_and_... 

Rock and Run have been selling off both models at nearly 50 percent off, I though about just buying another pair of Quantics to put in the cupboard and  to have for the future at that price. 

 midgen 10 May 2023
In reply to ripper:

Katana Lace have a pretty wide squarish toe box, comfy but still technical.

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 Max factor 10 May 2023
In reply to ripper:

Scarpa have a chart that describes fit to various foot shapes. Their most technical shoe for a wide, square shaped foot is the Scarpa Veloce. 

https://www.scarpa.co.uk/climbing-shoes/veloce/

The Arpia is described as a technical narrow square shape. 

The fitting chart is here, https://world.scarpa.com/page/climbing-collection-structure

Good luck.

Post edited at 22:15
 bouldery bits 10 May 2023
In reply to Max factor:

The Veloce is a really great shoe but is actually aimed at being indoor specific. The rubber is pretty soft. 

I've similar shaped feet to you from what you describe and have had success with the Drago and the Instinct S (new blue and black version).

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 Clazza94 11 May 2023
In reply to ripper:

I have very wide feet (relative to their length) with big toe/2nd /3rd the same length. 
After much searching and trying on I settled for: La Sportiva Genius. 

 Neil Morrison 11 May 2023
In reply to bouldery bits: an option, if they were the right fit, would be to wear them until they need a resole then get a nice slab of vibram XS edge put on them. Or Grip if that was more in keeping with the structure of the shoe.

Post edited at 07:43
 Adam Russell 11 May 2023
In reply to ripper:

Scarpa instinct (Velcro or lace up) are worth a look for a wide forefoot. 

 Jon Greengrass 11 May 2023
In reply to ripper:

No, I gave up climbing for over 10 years, because I was fed up of being limited by footwear rather than footwork.

When I took up climbing again the best fitting shoe I found was the Ocun Ozone+ (+ for the wide fit model )  its quite high volume so there was a lot of dead space above my toes so they were still a bit floppy.

My best shoes were actually an ancient pair of 5.10 ascents that were 2 sizes to big, that I stripped the rand and sole off of, unstitched the forefoot, cut the leather to fit my foot shape and stitched them back together and resoled them myself.

 MischaHY 11 May 2023
In reply to ripper:

I work for an online outdoor shop so come across this a lot. It depends a little on toe profile but the following options work well: 

For all-round: 

La Sportiva Skwama - very wide, fairly neutral toebox. Sizing 1.5-2 sizes down from street. 

Scarpa Instinct Lace - wide, leaning towards greek foot profile. 0.5-1.5 sizes down. (personal fave). 

For indoor: 

Scarpa Veloce - hard to beat for comfort, some don't get on with the heel. 

Scarpa Instinct S - similar fit to Instinct Lace but softer and a slipper. 

Wild Card:

Tenaya Oasi - seems to work well for fairly square feet when others don't. 0.5-1 size down from street. 

The new kid on the block: 

Scarpa Generator - an ultra wide trad shoe. It's mega comfy but even 0.5 down is enough for really good performance. 

Hope this helps! 

 abr1966 11 May 2023
In reply to ripper:

I haven't rock climbed in a few years but similar feet....Boreal shoes were always the best fit for me...

 nufkin 11 May 2023
In reply to ripper:

Some good picks already; a non-specific suggestion that seems a little counter-intuitive but  often seems to work for my blunt feet is to generally consider more asymmetric shoes. The more radical inward sweep can be easier to stuff the toes into than more even shoes

 laughitup 11 May 2023
In reply to ripper:

The new evolv tc pro rip-off looks super wide. https://www.evolvsports.com/int/yosemite-bum-66-0000062303

-1 for the new katanas, which aren't nearly as wide-friendly as the old ones. 

I found the VSR the comfiest of the instincts. The skwamas are super wide but haven't actually owned a pair yet and the tenya oasi or whichever one the Sharma signature is are wide too - old Chris must have some wide tootsies 

OP ripper 11 May 2023
In reply to ripper:

Thanks all, now I just need to find a stockist that has most of the above in my size so I can try them all side by side...

Or, as I've often said, win the lottery and pay someone whatever it would take to build me a bespoke pair based on a 3d scan of my feet

 midgen 11 May 2023
In reply to laughitup:

> -1 for the new katanas, which aren't nearly as wide-friendly as the old ones. 

Well that sucks, my old pair are nearly worn through.

Skwamas are a similar fit, I go down two EU sizes from my street shoe for bouldering. Might just try some slightly larger Skwamas as a comfier all day shoe.

 Dave Garnett 11 May 2023
In reply to ripper:

If you can find something in Tupperware the right length you could slip it into a normal-shaped shoe?

 SkirtingBoard 11 May 2023
In reply to ripper:

Another vote for the Ocun Ozone plus. Great shoe and as the name suggests it's designed for the wider footed amongst us. They recently updated it however and I've not tried the newer model yet, but I don't see why it would be significantly worse.

 laughitup 11 May 2023
In reply to midgen:

Certainly does. Regret not buying a bunch when they were on sale due to the new version coming through. I had to go down .5 eu size in the new ones but they are much tighter across the midfoot/smallest couple of toes which means they are more painful and I can't get my big toe tight enough to the front of the shoe making them far worse at edging on the front.

 beardy mike 11 May 2023
In reply to ripper:

I have these sort of feet I think. The last two pairs I've had have worked really well for me, the Boreal Ace which I bought in quite a large size owing to it's stiffness meaning I don't have scrunch my feet into them like crazy, and the La Sportiva Kataki which is apparently a lace version of the Katana and which fitted me much better than the Katana - really really like them both...


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