How Tight Should Climbing Shoes Be? - How to Get The Perfect Fit For Your Climbing Shoes?
Snug and secure, climbing shoes are supposed to fit your feet differently than any other pair of outdoor shoes, hiking shoes or adventure shoes you might already own.
Typically worn without socks, climbing shoes should fit snugly and close to the foot to provide support, allow for sensitivity to enable control on climbs and provide enough grip on the soles to stick to surfaces.
So how should your climbing shoes really fit? How should your climbing shoes feel? What should you be looking for in a climbing shoe? What factors should you consider when looking at climbing shoes?
Our article aims to break down everything you should consider when searching for your next climbing shoe, from shoe type and construction to features and finally, the fit!
Whether you’re a beginner looking to invest in your first new climbing shoes or an advanced climber looking to get an aggressive shoe style to tackle your latest project, this guide is for you. Let’s get started:
The Desired Climbing Shoe Fit:
Regardless of the level of climber you are, there are some basic rules of thumb to look for when trying on climbing shoes.
First, the inside of the shoe should fit snugly and hug closely around your foot, like a second skin. This means there is no ‘dead space or hot spots’ in the shoe. In other terms, no gaps between your toes and the end of the shoe, no extra space in the heel and no space in the arch of the shoe.
These gaps when climbing can cause your shoe to move, slip and slide when performing manoeuvres such as a heel hook or toe hook and prohibit your climbing performance. Gaps in your climbing shoe can also limit the sensitivity of the shoe and your ability to feel the boulders and holds while on the wall.
The shoe heel should also have a snug fit and not cut into the back of your heel at your Achilles tendon. This is particularly important for female climbers to consider as shoes constructed for men can often dig into this point causing pain while climbing.
Next, consider how your toes are sitting while in the climbing shoe. A gentle or slight curl in the toes is preferable as it can allow you to hold more weight on smaller edge holds. However, this should not be painfully scrunched against the top of the shoe, it could be a comfortable curl of the toes.
Finally, the shoe’s overall fit should be comfortable and reasonably easy to take on and off. Trying to shove your foot into a small climbing shoe (we’ve seen it done many times) can actually cause blisters and cause you pain while climbing. The only thing you should be thinking about on a boulder or climb is how to get to the top, not the pain in your feet as you complete a route!
Quick Climbing Shoe Fitting Tips:
- Second-skin snug fit
- No dead space or hot spots
- Comfortable toe curl
General Climbing Shoe Fitting Tips:
Over our decades of climbing shoe fitting experience, we have picked up several helpful tips which can make finding the right climbing shoe fit a little bit easier:
1) Shop in the afternoon or at the end of the day
A common mistake we see is customers shopping for climbing shoes first thing in the morning as they are eager to take a pair to the gym throughout the afternoon or night. But our feet vary in size and can swell throughout the day as our blood flow and temperature change. This can alter your foot size.
So be sure to do your climbing shoe shopping in the afternoon to get the most accurate representation of your shoe size!
2) Visit in-store
While you may be tempted to grab a great deal online, climbing shoes are all about feeling fit and ensuring they are comfortable to climb in. So it’s important to try on the shoe in person if you are after a model that you have never tried before to avoid getting the wrong size.
At K2 Base Camp, our Fortitude Valley store based in Brisbane even has its very own climbing wall inside so you can try out the climbing shoes on the wall, with your climbing style to see if they will suit you.
3) Try on without socks
As you gain experience you will find that you might want to eventually transition to wearing your climbing shoes without socks, it’s important to try on your climbing shoes the same way. It’s completely up to your personal preference and confidence level, however, we find that beginners tend to prefer wearing socks for added comfort.
4) Try on lots of pairs of shoes from a range of brands!
Different climbing shoe brands will vary in size based on their unique fits and styles. It is important to remember, your regular shoe size is likely not what your climbing shoe size will be.
Keep an open mind when trying on climbing shoes and try on a range of different brands, shapes and styles to fit your perfect fit.
Climbing Styles & The Preferred Shoe Fit
Now you have an idea of how your climbing shoe should fit generally, it’s important to consider the tightness of the shoe and the level of climber you are. Based on what stage you are at in your climbing journey, you will need a different climbing shoe to help achieve your goals and match the type of climbs you are doing regularly.
Alternatively, for advanced climbers, a tight performance-based fit is needed to assist with technical climbs. These should fit snugly and firmly which may require you to take off your shoes between climbs as a result.
Now let’s consider different styles of climbing. As you advance in your climbing journey you may have one specific style of climbing that you enjoy doing more regularly and this should be factored into your shoe choice.
For example, sports routes and gym climbers should have a more curved and aggressive shoe with a tight fit. This is because they are achieving more complex, difficult and technical climbs and are able to remove their shoes between climbs.
However, multi-pitch outdoor rock climbing and long lead climbers will require a shoe with a flatter profile for fitting into cracks, along with durable stiff rubber for all-day climbing comfort.
Climbing Shoe Profiles (Downturn of the Shoe)
After learning about how climbing shoe fit and style may change for different climbing styles and advancement levels, let’s learn about downturn. The term downturn refers to the downward curve of the climbing shoe and how pointed they are.
In climbing, there are three levels of downturn which are neutral, moderate and aggressive. You may have heard these words uttered throughout a climbing gym or in an adventure store before, as it’s one of the first things a staff member might ask you if you head in-store to get fitted. So let’s break down each type:
Neutral Climbing Shoes (A Great Beginner Shoe)
A neutral-style climbing shoe is a flat shoe featuring a comfortable flat sole for all-day wear. This is the shoe recommended for beginners as it is comfy and features medium to stiff midsoles with thick rubber soles for durability. As beginner climbers learn footwork techniques, stiff shoes provide extra support. It is also a more relaxed style, and your toes will typically lay flat in this shoe.
What’s Good:
- Comfortable for all-day wear
- Durable
What’s Not So Good:
- Less sensitivity
- Not designed for difficult or overhanging routes
Used For:
- Beginner climbers
- Multi-pitch routes
- Climbing cracks and low-angle slabs
K2's Top 3 Neutral Climbing Shoe Picks:
Red Chili Spirit - With a triple Velcro closure and vegan friendly materials, the Red Chili VCR is a great choice for a comfortable gym shoe or for long multipitch rock routes – all at a very cost-effective price!
La Sportiva Finale - Perfect for beginners! Soft eco leather combined with a generous fitting toebox and 5mm of Vibram XS Edge rubber make this a super comfortable and durable shoe that excels at long sessions in the gym or the crag.
La Sportiva TC Pro - Multi-pitch/crack climbing all day shoe for advanced climbers. Very stiff and good at edging on slabs and vertical walls.
Moderate Climbing Shoes (Intermediate Climbing Shoe)
You can identify a moderate shoe by its slightly downturned asymmetric shape toward the big toe. These downturned shoes are soft shoes perfect for technical climbing as it places the toes in a stronger position for more challenging routes. The moderate shoe features thinner shoes than the neutral shoe providing more sensitivity for control and grip.
Moderate shoes are also applicable to the widest range of climbing styles and are a great all-rounder shoe to own.
What’s Good:
- Better grip, sensitivity, control and feel
- All-purpose shoe for a range of different climbs
What’s Not So Good:
- Less comfortable than neutral shoes
- Soles wear faster due to thinner rubber
Used For:
- Slabs
- Multi-pitch climbs
- Vertical climbing
- Overhanging sport climbing
- Technical trad climbing
- Thin footholds and edgy climbs
K2 Recommends Below Moderate Climbing Shoes:
La Sportiva Kubo - Comfy and hardwearing gym shoe with stiff rubber and a split sole.
La Sportiva Katana Lace - Stiff edging and slab shoe for all-round climbing.
La Sportiva Miura - Excellent crack climbing or all round comfortable edging shoe.
Aggressive Climbing Shoe (Most Advanced)
Aggressive climbing shoes are distinguishable for their very downturned and pointed toe and heel tension. The point places the toes in a strong position for challenging technical climbs and provides more power for placements on small holds.
Like moderate shoes, aggressive shoes feature a thinner amount of rubber to enable complete control while also sticking to the wall with a great grip.
Aggressive shoes should fit firmly and tightly for performance. As such they are typically worn in climbing gyms indoors as they should be taken off between climbs to allow your feet to breathe.
What’s Good:
- Great grip, sensitivity, control and feel
- Sticky rubber and thinner soles
What’s Not So Good:
- Least comfortable climbing shoe style
- Doesn’t fit into cracks well
- Rubber wears faster
Used For:
- Technical climbing
- Small holds
- Steep routes and terrains
- Boulder gyms
- Challenging outdoor routes
K2 Team's Favourite Aggressive Climbing Shoes:
La Sportiva Skwama Vegan - Comfy performance gym shoe and now available in Vegan version.
La Sportiva Solution - It is our go to shoe for hard sport climbing or for bouldering outdoors.
La Sportiva Futura - Loved by many competition climbers and champions, Futura is perfect for volume smearing or competition climbing.
The Skwama Vegan takes La Sportiva's best-selling high-performance shoe and makes it vegan. Retaining the same sensitivity and flexibility, the Skwama Vegan is the ultimate shoe for overhangs, slabs, and highly technical routes. Designed for performance, this model is sensitive, snug-fitting, and flexible, utilising a breathable "SkinLike" insole that contours the foot without the addition of animal-derived products. Using a three-layer construction, the "SkinLike" insole consists of anti-odor microfiber on top of a breathable adhesive, bound by structural microfiber, meaning you can maintain the comfortable feel and cleanliness of leather without animal products.
The women's-specific version of our high-performance Solution; purposely built to provide the solution for modern bouldering problems. Wrapped in sticky Vibram® XS Grip™ rubber and drastically down-turned, the Solution sports a moulded 3D heel cup and the patented P3® power platform which retains the downturned shape of the shoe. This creates a shoe that hooks, grabs, edges and smears on any feature you can find. The Lock Harness System® surrounds your foot and unifies it with the upper for a perfect fit.
Climbing Shoe Materials:
After considering the climbing shoe fit and your preferred style of climbing, it’s important to consider the materials as this can influence the stretch and mould of your shoe over time.
Unlined shoes offer the most stretch and breathability but unlined leather shoes can stretch up to a full shoe size after some wear.
Alternatively, upper leather-lined climbing shoes can stretch up to half a size or less but are more rigid and tend to keep their shape.
Finally, synthetic shoes barely stretch at all. However, they breathe much less and can’t wick away moisture as effectively as a result.
Climbing Shoe Closures:
If you were to talk into an outdoor adventure store, such as your local K2 Base Camp, you may notice climbing shoes tend to have two main looks, a Velcro or lace closure. This primarily impacts the fit of the shoe but also comes down to your preferred climbing shoe aesthetic.
Lace Climbing Shoes:
Lace-up climbing shoes are the most versatile style as you can customise and adjust the fit entirely. This makes them a great option for people with narrow feet as Velcro can often cause gaps and limit the fit and support of the climbing shoe. Lace climbing shoes can also be worn looser or tighter as your foot swells or changes.
However, lace climbing shoes are less convenient for taking off between boulders or climbs and the laces themselves can sometimes get in the way of more technical manoeuvres.
Velcro Climbing Shoes:
Alternatively, Velcro climbing shoes offer a blend of both comfort and performance and are extremely convenient for taking on and off between climbs. A go-to for those with average to wide feet.
Slip-on Climbing Shoes:
If your main concern is convenience, slipper climbing shoes are the ultimate option. Easy on and off, these shoes offer the unrivaled comfort in the gym or in the crag.
Women’s Climbing Shoes vs Men’s Climbing Shoes Fit
Did you know there are differences between women’s climbing shoe fit and men’s climbing shoe fit?
Women-specific climbing shoes feature a narrower fit, smaller heel cup as well as a higher arch and in-step. Some women’s climbing shoes also feature a longer toe bed and forefoot volume. This means the climbing shoe is cut lower around the ankles and heels to stop the shoe from digging into the Achilles tendon.
In fact, the women’s style climbing shoe is often recommended for men with low-volume narrow feet.
Climbing Shoe Fit FAQs
Climbing shoes should hug the foot snugly, firmly and comfortably. The overall fit should feel like a second skin without any gaps or hot spots. It is important to get the fit just right when it comes to climbing shoes. Shoes that are too loose may cause your foot to slide around inside of them, resulting in blisters and reduced performance. On the other hand, tight climbing shoes can be painful and restrict circulation.
A good rule of thumb is to purchase a pair of tighter shoes that fit just snugly but still allow you to wiggle your toes and bend your foot easily. Make sure to try them on with the socks you will be using for climbing and walk around in them for a few minutes before making your purchase. This way, you can ensure that you are getting the right fit for peak performance and comfort.
When it comes to the fit of your climbing shoes, remember - just right!
While climbing shoes should be snug they should not be overly tight shoes. If your toes are crammed into the toe box, or you feel a pinching sensation when trying them on, then they are probably too small. You should be able to wiggle your toes and have enough room at the front of the shoe to allow for the natural movement of your foot while climbing. If your climbing shoes don’t fit like this, they are likely too small.
It is normal for climbing shoes to feel tight and uncomfortable at first. The material that they are made of will stretch over time, so they will gradually become more comfortable with use. If the discomfort persists after several uses, then you may need to get a larger size or try a different model.
Your toes should be slightly curled in climbing shoes, but not so much that they are uncomfortable or painful. You want to find a balance between enough grip and support while still being comfortable. This will vary from person to person, depending on how flexible or stiff their foot is. Start by curling your toes just slightly and gradually increase the curl until you find the perfect amount of grip and comfort.
Getting the fit just right for your climbing shoes is essential to ensure peak performance and comfort while climbing. Make sure to try them on indoors with your climbing socks, walk around in them for a few minutes, and make sure that you have enough room at the front of the shoe for your toes to move naturally. Your toes should be slightly curled, but not so much that it is uncomfortable or painful. With the right fit, your climbing shoes will help you take your performance and comfort to the next level!
Climbing shoes typically feature tight and snug fits, as this helps to provide support and a better grip on the rock. Depending on how flexible or stiff your foot is, you may need to size up or down from your street shoe size. Popular brands such as La Sportiva and Scarpa offer many different models of tight-fitting climbing shoes.
The fit of climbing shoes can vary greatly from person to person, depending on how flexible or stiff their foot is. Generally speaking, many climbers find that they have to go down a size in climbing shoes compared to their street shoe size. This can be extremely dependent on the different brands' fit and size, for example, it might be ok to go half a street size down with a Red Chili brand shoe, however, the same person might need to go down one whole size with La Sportiva climbing shoes.
This might seem confusing at first but most of leading brands will list on their website their recommended size down guide. When trying them on, you should make sure that your toes are slightly curled and that there is enough room at the front of the shoe to allow for the natural movement of your foot. If you feel any pinching or cramping sensation, then the shoes are probably too small, and you should try a larger size.
As always, if you ever need any help finding the right fit feel free to visit us in-store or contact us today to take advantage of the K2 team's combined experience of knowledgeable climbers, who understand the importance of finding the right fit and style of shoe to maximize your performance to find the perfect pair of rock climbing shoes for you. We look forward to helping you reach new heights!