Mythos Question

I tried on my first pair a couple of weeks ago and was overwhelmed at the comfort of these shoes. One thing I noticed was that I could really size down alot. My question here is how much is too much? I have read that they will stretch quite a bit laterally, but how much will they stretch length wise? Thanks for any insight.

I own mythos spanning from 37 to 40. After stretch, I virtually can't tell the difference between any of them. Most of my other Sportiva shoes are 39, and I can easily wear Mythos in 37.5. They are super comfy, but in reality I find them to be the Jack of all trades and master of none. I keep a pair around for slab climbing and perhaps long easy alpine climbs (but even then I'll usually use my TC Pros), but that is about all I use them for.

I am on my second pair now and have most recently went down 2.5 sizes as well. My makalus and crosslites are both 41. When I was first shopping for them I thought that much downsizing was a bit overkill but it turned out great. They are plenty comfty and have stretched out nicely. I don't find myself dying to take them off every couple pitches. A great all day shoe for sure.

Still a little bitter that Sportiva discontinued the purple Mythos, but that's a different story.

I got the smallest mythos that I could fit my feet into. After a few days of use they stretched out both laterally and lengthwise; now they are very comfortable. I feel fine leaving them on for hours at a time.

Yeah I think I was either 2 or 2.5 sizes down.

Still a little bitter that Sportiva discontinued the purple Mythos, but that's a different story.

Bought a new pair, 3 mo ago.... purple ones they were.

I love mine and am now on my 10th pair, maybe more.

I use mine in a progression.

First, when I fit them, I loosen the laces..or take them out. 42.5 to 43 is my size... I buy whatever I can get my foot into (I think they very some) sometimes I need to get shoes from different pairs, cause my feet vary left to right. When I get a "pair" I buy em.

Second... when they are brand new I save then for hard climbing, edging granite etc. They are tight and painfull buy edge really well.

After some time they break in and get more comfortable, that is when I start using them all the time.

When the good edge goes away and I can leave them on my feet for hours I use them for all day use, They even do OK when you need to hike down some...just loosen up the toe laces and tighten down the upper laces, to keep you weight from sliding down on to your toes.

When they get really stretched out ... bouldering shoes you can walk in.

I love these shoes and I have always have 2 - 3 pairs in rotation.

I can't answer the OP about how many sizes down to buy because they are different from other Sporteva boots I own and they don't match the 5.10, Evolve or any shoe sizeing... I buy 11 to 11.5 street shoes.

One thing I have found out about Mythoes.... if you run the lace out of the last eyelet when your lacing them on, you can make the heal fit tighter, if you run the lace down below the lace that is going back around the heal. (hard to describe, but simple when you see it) Then when you tighten it up- the heal gets snug.

but in reality I find them to be the Jack of all trades and master of none.

I know many folks who believe this and I think it's true to some extent. The people who do not get great performance have narrow feet. Look at the laces, if your foot is so narrow that the eyelets are close together the edge of the boot is not under your foot enuf and you get roll. My feet are very wide and the eyelets are far apart, so far apart that the edges of the tounge are almost visible. This puts the EDGE way under my foot and I can get my consiterable weight on to the edge and make it stay in place right up to my limit... 12b/c face climbing on a good day....

So if the shoe fits... use it.

I had literally the smallest size I could physically stretch over my feet. (note: my foot width I assume is standard, definitely not wide, and narrow shoes are painful) After a few months the toe box seemed to be a size bigger than my foot and seemed to torque around my foot while edging. When I got these I was looking for a comfortable day shoe that would last me a while (through a resole or two). Admittedly, I put these shoes through a ton in that time frame and they were very comfortable. Glad I got them at return equipment incorporated.

I just want to make sure they will stretch length-wise. My street shoe is 11.5. My Scarpa Veloces are a somewhat painful toe jam at 44. The Mythos I tried started at 44.5 and moved down to a 43.5 I fell like I could "squeeze" into 43, provided they do stretch lengthwise. I don't want another pair of biting shoes, but i don't want too much slop after 6 months either. I have some old Coyotes for that. Anyway, thanks for the replies.

When I was younger and was more concerned about grades than comfort, I wore size 37.5 and 38 Mythos. These days I wear size 38.5 Katana Lace which were really tight to begin with (OK now after a year). I also wear Scarpa Vapor V (size 39.5 and not too tight). My street shoe size is 7/7.5.

Adam... I find that the lenght dosent stretch... thats why I remove the laces and figure out where my toes are in the toe box.

I have tryed to go for a shorter pair, 1/2 size smaller, and I could not get them to break in at all.

They strech side to side.

Guy Keesee wrote:Adam... I find that the lenght dosent stretch... thats why I remove the laces and figure out where my toes are in the toe box. I have tryed to go for a shorter pair, 1/2 size smaller, and I could not get them to break in at all. They strech side to side.

I disagree. My smallest pair made my toes curl significantly when they were new. My toes now lay completely flat.

I'm with Jake and csproul. My mythos definitely stretched lengthwise by a significant amount. In the store, my toes were completely curled; now they lay flat, with just a little pressure on their tips from the end of the shoe.

I wear a US 11.5 street shoe(asolo,solamon,garmont,scarpa, etc). My Mythos are size 43; My katanas are 43.5 (for reference my fiveten anasazis are a 44.5) Just bought my second pair of mythos. The first pair lasted 5 years of mostly crack climbing.(I burned thru 3 pair of katanas in 2012 alone) Now they're off to get resoled and i have to break in the new pair. DWS or wear them in the shower. It seems to help stretch them quicker and helps to keep your foot from dyeing purple or pink(terra firma).

+1 for Guy's heel lacing trick. It really holds the shoes onto the heel.

Another trick is to use a pair of dikes to cut out the metal eyelets on the toes. It doesn't damage the shoe(YMMV) and the laces never wore thru the bare leather in 5 years. I have long toes and the eyelets dug into them, this alleviated the problem.

csproul wrote:

I disagree. My smallest pair made my toes curl significantly when they were new. My toes now lay completely flat.

Thats how I fit mine, toes curled under, sort of painfull, at first intill they break in some. I have tryed to get into a smaller pair... toes curled way under... the shoes won that stretch fight. :>)

J Watts, I reverse the lacing to keep the leather part from digging into my little toes

And Bill S. I think you nailed it.

I wear 10.5 - 11 street shoes and all of my Sportivas (Mythos, Katana, and Miura VS so far) are 42.5. They're also progressively less comfortable, respectively, but more capable as you go up the food chain (more down-turned/asymmetrical/aggressive). I go for 44 (really tight) - 44.5 (pushing it) in 5.10s and Mad Rocks (and 45 for Asolo mountaineering boots, but that’s to accommodate thick socks and liners).

The Mythos are the most comfortable shoes of any type I've ever owned (I don't have any bunny slippers, but I bet they'd give them a run for the money) and I could leave them on for a week straight. Depending on such variables as the temperature and route, I can endure the Miuras for anywhere from a bouldering problem to maybe a few pitches.

Maybe I just don't sweat that much, but stretch has never been much of a factor, so I just went with the Mythos that felt firm but comfortable out of the box and no regrets--I've had them re-soled and they're a great shoe with which I've experienced no discernible stretch (no excuses--these can climb 5.14 on the right feet--not mine!) for multi-pitch, trad, or general lounging.

1.5 sizes for me.