UKH

What aspects affect how much a climbing shoes stretches? I have heard leather stretches and synthetic doesn't but which bit of the shoes is actually stretching? 

My old Scarpa Vapour apparently leather upper and took about 3 months for those to be even close to comfortable plus a session in a hot bath (no idea if that made any difference just glad the colour didn't run!)

I think the new ones are synthetic so if you make the switch would it be wise to upsize by half thinking I might not get that "give" that made the old ones tolerable

Always ended up with indent marks on top of my big toe after 20mins or so (this was going just 1/2 down from my street shoes.

Failing that anyone got ideas for a narrow foot bouldering shoe with 2 velcro or laces and a good toe rand to toe hooks (happy to go womens fit)

 

 

 

 

 

In reply to thesimonsays: .Go and try a lot of shoes on - online recommendations are very unreliable.

 

 

In reply to thesimonsays:

The amount of stretch you get in leather depends hugely on whether it's lined or not; unlined leather (like in  Moccasyms or Cobras) stretches a LOT, lined not so much.

Also it's only the upper that stretches, so if a shoe's too short, that won't fix it.

Since you mention toe rands in particular -- my impression is that you get minimal stretch in any part of the shoe that's covered in rubber.  So the exact kind of lining may not make a different at that spot anyway.

Do you definitely need two straps? Otherwise some of the Sportiva velcros might fit the bill -- the Solutions and Skwamas are very popular, and all have women's/low-volume versions.

In reply to thesimonsays:

What grade are you climbing?

I'm quite happy to get shoes that are "comfortable" and not have a 3 month wear in period or have a hurting toe after 20 minutes, but I'm climbing at 6b+ - 6c indoors and would rather be climbing that worrying about my feet.

If you're climbing 7c of higher, and this matters to you, then by all means torture your feet to gain grades, otherwise just climb and be pain free.