La Sportiva Tarantulace

Hi guys, I just got my first pair of climbing shoes. When I went in and tried on the tarantulaces the salesperson at REI recommended a 37.5. I ordered a 37.5 and they are painfully tight. I've heard they stretch a lot though so should I just suck it up and hope they stretch as much as people say they do or should I go up to a 38? Thanks.

biggest mistake of new climbers is to listen to the salesman tell them to get them tight. You do not need tight shoes, espescially as a newer climber. The most important thing is to get them comfortable.

Use REI's return policy and exchange them for a bigger size.

When people talk about shoe stretch, they are talking about shoes stretching in width. No shoe will stretch to become longer.

If the shoes are tight around the top of your feet, and the shoes aren't made of something synthetic, then they will form to your foot.

If they are tight around the toes and are too short for you, then you need to go up a size

For most climbers there is no reason to have painfully tight shoes. Snug to loose is good depending on the climbing. If they are just gym shoes I am going to go more towards comfort and velcro (that is just preference though).

just don't listen to 99% of the shit most people tell you. it pretty much works in most instances.

So, pain and comfort are subjective. This makes it really difficult to give/get advice on shoe fit, and your best bet is to try on multiple sizes to compare. Pain (rather than discomfort) is generally bad and to be avoided, in particular if it feels like joint pain from having overly curled toes. I usually aim for toes that are slightly curled or flat, depending on what I am using the shoes for. While shoes will stretch, if they're too painful to wear and you experience sharp pain whenever weighting your foot (e.g: standing on a small edge), chances are it's a bad fit.

Keep them. They're gonnna fit like slippers if you go up in size and stretch them out. Those shoes are known for stretching. BTW have flip flops available and don't stand around in them or belay in them. They should be uncomfortable when you are standing around. That means they'll fit when your climbing.

jleining wrote:biggest mistake of new climbers is to listen to the salesman tell them to get them tight.