Good bouldering shoe for small heel

I have been climbing for about 2 year and I mostly boulder, up to a v5-6. I have the solution comps but the heal is a bit lose. Are there any shoes that have small heels but a normal sized toe box. I have been looking at shoes like the evolv phantoms, instinct very and the unparrallel flagship. There are no stores near me so I can't just try them on. Thanks for the help

Look on mountainfootwearproject.com, you can sort by heel size and foot width independently 

I have hard to fit heels and the Instinct line is my favorite. The VS, VSR, even the new S slipper are all good. Evolv Phantoms fit my heel even better but I don't like the shoe otherwise that much. 

However, literally no shoe I have ever tried has eliminated the air bubble under my heel when I point the toe down, even with extreme downsizing, using women's version, etc. It seems to be a foot shape issue not a sizing issue (I have very flat feet FWIW). It's not an issue for heel hooks tight to the body, but I have a hard time getting very extended heel hooks to stick (like you might do if you were traversing sideways and using a high heel to free an arm to cross over). 

Try the women's version. 

Prav C wrote:

I have hard to fit heels and the Instinct line is my favorite. The VS, VSR, even the new S slipper are all good. Evolv Phantoms fit my heel even better but I don't like the shoe otherwise that much. 

However, literally no shoe I have ever tried has eliminated the air bubble under my heel when I point the toe down, even with extreme downsizing, using women's version, etc. It seems to be a foot shape issue not a sizing issue (I have very flat feet FWIW). It's not an issue for heel hooks tight to the body, but I have a hard time getting very extended heel hooks to stick (like you might do if you were traversing sideways and using a high heel to free an arm to cross over). 

Which of the instinct line has worked best for you

I use the VS and VSR and they have the same fit. I tried the women's and the heel fit more snugly around the sides but still has an air bubble below the heel. If you don't have air under heel problems I'd go with the women's.

Solutions slip off my heels too. I wear Instincts (laced) for anything edgy or techy and 5.10 Hiangles for anything steep and most of the bouldering I do. They both fit my heel very well.

Prav C wrote:

I use the VS and VSR and they have the same fit. I tried the women's and the heel fit more snugly around the sides but still has an air bubble below the heel. If you don't have air under heel problems I'd go with the women's.

Also what did you find wrong with the phantoms

Prav C wrote:

However, literally no shoe I have ever tried has eliminated the air bubble under my heel when I point the toe down, even with extreme downsizing, using women's version, etc. It seems to be a foot shape issue not a sizing issue (I have very flat feet FWIW). It's not an issue for heel hooks tight to the body, but I have a hard time getting very extended heel hooks to stick (like you might do if you were traversing sideways and using a high heel to free an arm to cross over). 

Ever tried lacing like this?

Testarossas are not  exactly “bouldering” shoes, most people prefer Velcro for ease of on/off for bouldering. But they are the only ones that fit my heel well.

Was reminded of it again just today. I’ve been wearing La Sportiva Kubo’s for gym lately — comfy, Velcro, and they fit me well enough… except the heel. Not a problem on 99% of gym routes, but today I was trying a bouldering problem with a heel hook, and couldn’t place my heel securely on a far out hold, no matter what. Switched to Testarossas, and the heelhook happens with other even trying. 

Webfoot wrote:

Ever tried lacing like this?

I use a heel-cup lacing technique that some runners use to keep the heel in, works better than this, IMO.

 This video starting around 1:00 min 

There's nothing wrong with the phantoms, I just personally don't like them. The toe is very downturned so it's hard to smear in them. Also they kind of feel clunky but that is subjective. Plenty of ppl like and climb hard in them. 

I've not tried those lacing techniques, I've actually never noticed Laura Rogora lacing her shoes like that! I only have Velcro shoes but might be worth giving laces a try.

When Ive tried Evolv Zenists I noticed their heels were shallower so i didnt form a bubble in the heelcup when flexing the foot forward because the back did not push against my achilles. I love my phantoms but they kind of hurt my index toe knuckle (mortons toe). 

Since Evolv keeps coming up: consider the new Shaman Lace. A small heel like the other Evolv shoes mentioned, but with the added benefit of laces. You can do some lacing tricks to really lock in the heel. There's a women's/ LV version which will have a smaller heel.

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Edit with photo: I do a double-pass of the laces through the uppermost lacing eyelet. Eyelet is wide enough to easily allow this. This double-pass make a big difference in locking in the heel fit.

I have heels so narrow I could chop wood with them. The Butora Gomi narrow (the hot pink one) is hands down the best bouldering shoe I’ve ever owned. No dead pocket at all for me.

Just a fun fact. Laura Rogora doesn’t wear Sportiva.

https://www.wildclimb.it/prodotto/pantera/

Yeah the solutions don’t fit my heel well either. Futuras do but not a fan of the No edge. After many years of sportiva recently went to scarpa vsr and real happy with the fit of that shoe for my narrow foot and small heel…

My current shoe is the Butora acro comps and when I was breaking them in the heel felt super small. It’s definitely super tight and deep but super nice shoe so I bet it could be right for you! I think they have acros at REI or at least used to to try on. Also butora is super good for bouldering