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Aggressive shoes with well fitting heels?

Original Post
Mark Paulson · · Raleigh, NC · Joined Sep 2010 · Points: 141

I have pretty wide feet, which has made certain brands and styles off limits for me. Through trial and error, and forcing shoes to conform to my feet, I've had good luck with Miuras, VS's, Boostics, and now the Furia.

However, in all these cases, there's a little to a lot of air in my heel. Not width-wise, but at the tip of the calcaneus bone. It ranges from just a bit (Miuras) to over a 1/4" in the Furias. I remember trying on the original Booster, and having about a full half inch of space at the end of the heel. The only shoe I've ever had that truly fits perfectly, as in no dead air anywhere, is the Acopa Merlin, which is _still_ my go-to shoe on critical, full weight heel hooks. Everything else either deforms due to excess airspace, or actually pops off my foot.

Does anyone else have this problem, or am I just cursed with shallow heels?

Andrew Williams · · Concord, NH · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 625

Evolv Shamans. I have wider feet with a shallower heel, they fit really well.

adrianna melody · · Hopatcong, NJ · Joined May 2015 · Points: 45

I had this same issue recently with a wide forefoot and narrow heal and went through about 4 pairs of shoes before finding one that fit me right.. Scarpa Vapor Vs fit me super well!

Andrew Williams · · Concord, NH · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 625

I have the Vapor V's as well, but I do have dead space in the heels with those too. so far the only shoes I haven't had dead space with are FiveTen Stonelands and the Shamans.

Mathias · · Loveland, CO · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 306

The 5.10 VCS are built on the Anasazi platform and have a very secure heal rand. They seem to be in most stores I've visited. If the Stonelands work, see if you can find some of these to try.

Edited: I just checked and the VCS are available on the Stonelands platform too. So maybe you've already tried them. They're considered "moderate" rather than "aggressive", but you may find they work.

adrianna melody · · Hopatcong, NJ · Joined May 2015 · Points: 45

Sounds strange..but have any of you with narrow heel tried womens shoes?

Andrew Williams · · Concord, NH · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 625

I wouldn't I have call my heel narrow, but shallow, doesn't extend back as far. I don't think the women's shoe would accommodate my forefoot. Did you end up with the men's or women's vapors Adrianna?

adrianna melody · · Hopatcong, NJ · Joined May 2015 · Points: 45
Andrewww wrote:I wouldn't I have call my heel narrow, but shallow, doesn't extend back as far. I don't think the women's shoe would accommodate my forefoot. Did you end up with the men's or women's vapors Adrianna?
i have mens vapors (the orange ones). but its also a size ummm "chinese foot binding" as the guy who got them from stock for me described them as but they are a size 6.5 ..they didnt have the womens available in the store..the mens fit me perfectly and are only getting better now that they are breaking in. Most womens shoes were either WAY to narrow or WAY to wide so i ended up trying on a bunch of mens shoes to accommodate my weird feet!
Anonymous · · Unknown Hometown · Joined unknown · Points: 0
Mathias wrote:The 5.10 VCS are built on the Anasazi platform and have a very secure heal rand. They seem to be in most stores I've visited. If the Stonelands work, see if you can find some of these to try. Edited: I just checked and the VCS are available on the Stonelands platform too. So maybe you've already tried them. They're considered "moderate" rather than "aggressive", but you may find they work.
Hill on Anasazi has always been the worst part of those shoes. you have to get used to the fact there is a air gap in it that unless you are putting on pressure on your hill, even than it never feels right.
frankstoneline · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 30
ViperScale wrote: Hill on Anasazi has always been the worst part of those shoes. you have to get used to the fact there is a air gap in it that unless you are putting on pressure on your hill, even than it never feels right.
This is variable. The Anasazi heel fits my foot quite well, air pocket free.
Donovan Allen · · Soft Lake City · Joined May 2012 · Points: 356

Hi angle

Thomasrun · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2015 · Points: 0

I have the same issue, wide feet and low volume heel. I had the 5.10 stonelands but got them street size, so my heel kept slipping out. I recently got the 5.10 Hiangle, 1/2 sized down from my street size. They are good so far and definitely no dead space in the heels for me. But I think I should have gone street size for them but they are unlined leather so they should stretch. But if you can get your hands on some katana lace, those fit so well for my feet but they did not have my size, and I'm one of those weird people that need different sizes for each foot.

Chris Rice · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2013 · Points: 55

Aggressive shoes generally have aggressive slingshot rands - and if that is too much for the shape of your particular heel - there is going to be a dead space. Look around for shoes with less rand tension that will stretch back enough to allow the bottom of the heel to conform to your foot better. When you finally find what works for you - buy two pair because I promise they will change it the next year and you'll have to start the hunt all over again :).

Andrew Williams · · Concord, NH · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 625

Not so strange, Thomas. My feet are two different sizes, almost a half size, I think most people's are they just don't really notice it.

I just make my left foot suffer a bit more than my right foot hahaha.

Micah Klesick · · Charlotte, NC · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 3,971

The shamans are good, but they wear out too fast for me. The rubber is softer than most brands it seems. But they fit me really well, while La Sportiva and Scarpa don't fit my heel right.
Anyway, recently I found that I really like the Tenaya Tarifa's for an aggressive shoe. They are by far the most comfortable shoe, while still be aggressive, and fitting well.

Andrew Williams · · Concord, NH · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 625

I did notice the rubber on the Shamans wears quickly, but just an excuse to put some fiveten rubber on them sooner.

Paolo Speirn · · Minneapolis, MN · Joined Mar 2011 · Points: 10

Micah - I'm interested in the Tarifa's as well. What kind of foot do you have and what other shoes (besides the shamans) are good fits for you?

Micah Klesick · · Charlotte, NC · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 3,971

I'd say I have a wider than average foot, which is why a lot of brands don't fit my foot. Until I found the Tarifa's, the only aggressive shoe that really fit me was the Shamans. And after having the Tarifa's for a little while, they are far better than the Shamans as far as fit along the whole foot, and how they feel on the rock. They literally do it all. My last weekend, I did a 5.12 with a stemming crux on multiple slick smears, into a technical crux of the smallest edges I've ever used a shoe on, into a crux involving a couple thin toe jams, and it did better than any of my others shoes by far. I've also used them on 30' roof routes, and their power transfer and toe and heel hooking are incredible. I'd go try a few sizes on and see what you think before buying anything else.

Chris Rice · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2013 · Points: 55
Micah Klesick wrote:I'd say I have a wider than average foot, which is why a lot of brands don't fit my foot. Until I found the Tafara's, the only aggressive shoe that really fit me was the Shamans. And after having the Tafara's for a little while, they are far better than the Shamans as far as fit along the whole foot, and how they feel on the rock. They literally do it all. My last weekend, I did a 5.12 with a stemming crux on multiple slick smears, into a technical crux of the smallest edges I've ever used a shoe on, into a crux involving a couple thin toe jams, and it did better than any of my others shoes by far. I've also used them on 30' roof routes, and their power transfer and toe and heel hooking are incredible. I'd go try a few sizes on and see what you think before buying anything else.
Tafara's???
Micah Klesick · · Charlotte, NC · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 3,971

Tarifa's

Chris Rice · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2013 · Points: 55
Micah Klesick wrote:Tarifa's

:)
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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