Wide rock climbing shoes DIY

I used to be able to buy wide rock climbing shoes, but not in the last 20 years. In desperation, I found that I could buy size 14 shoes in the brand I want, and they fit perfectly in the toe box. Then I just cut off the back of the shoe and deal with the aftermath. I've done it about a dozen times now and have it pretty dialed in. 

***I have a long more detailed explanation here hosted on my main website. But these are the highlights:

These are the $180 pair of shoes I'm about to butcher. They fit my size 7 EEEEEE foot in the toe:

Cut the heel off:

No going back now:

Trimmed feathered the edge to prevent hot spots:

Stick the heel in the shoe like a telescoping ski pole until it fits your foot. Gorilla tape it in place and climb at the gym to test the fit:

Mark seam edge, punch one side:

 The two parts of the shoe punched on one side only:

Do a baste stitch (four stitches). Put it back on your foot, pull the un-punched side tight and mark with your white pen. You can also tape it and walk around:

This has gone on long enough, many more details and photos on my website linked above. If you have normal feet, thank your lucky stars. 

wtf.

Thanks for the photos. That’s some serious strange. I’m glad you’ve figured this out for yourself. That’s actually pretty neat. 

That's awesome. I love modifying gear, but have never tackled anything that ambitious.

Hi Mark! I recognize those custom shoes. It was fun climbing with you in JTree this last year. 

Next level stuff here Mark, strong work! I would think that there’s a niche market for what you’re doing here, roll with it. Possibly a good side gig if you were to modify shoes for fellow climbers. There’s gotta be a lot of people in your unique foot situation. 

Chop Shop!

Have you looked at Butora shoes? I think they have wide sizes? Maybe you send them an outline of your foot and they custom make you some. Can't hurt to ask? 

I have wide feet too and I've never been able to fit scarpa climbing shoes. I have used their ski boots but that's primarily due to moldable inner boot. Those eurofeet are narrow than us flat footed Americans.

Red Chili makes some super wide shoes, wider in the toe box  than any brand I’ve come across. 

Bobby! Yes, that was fun in Jtree. Headed back real soon. I did have a guy custom make me shoes from foot molds, but he went out of business. I can't blame the shoe manufacturers. They are all about profit, and there aren't enough of us freaks with weird feet to stock the wide. I met a guy with two feet different lengths. He always had to buy two pairs of shoes to get one set that fit. I hope this helps someone out there and they don't have to go thru the 'growing pains' that I did. I have no interest in doing this for profit. I'm retired.  It's far too much custom, hands on work. We'd have to live together for a couple days. Dave Page was right. There is no money in it. You are on your own. But it's not that hard. I've done it ten times over the last decade. I've made them in the parking lot at Squamish on a rest day.

Damn, when there is a will, there is a way! Amazing work. Curious - do you have difficult time finding hiking and running shoes?

Yo great work but also damn dude I'm seriously in awe of the girth of those hush puppies! I bet you float on top of snow like an elf out of LOTR with those thangs

i was the slowest swimmer on the school team. My feet are so wide they are square. I can order street shoes to fit at hitchcock wide shoes

Wow. I thought I struggled with 3E/4E feet. Seriously impressive work! May not look the prettiest but no one’s saying that about climber feet anyway haha. Such a crazy, custom and niche solution. In awe at the ingenuity.