 I've climbed on and off for years (almost entirely indoors) but recently i've joined my uni climbing club so i've been going weekly. So i've decided its time to invest in some proper gear. Does anyone have any recommendations for climbing shoes a (effectively) beginner? It would be helpful if you could describe the fit as i have slightly funny feet (very narrow ankles and broad forefoot) thanks
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 Trying them on is the only way, decide if you want a slip or board lasted shoe (more or less flexible) and then see how they feel in the shop.
A board lasted shoe will be more comfortable on the sole, but has less sensitivity - good for longer routes or ones where you are likely to be standing on features for longer periods. Slip lasted has greater sensitivity but means that there is less support on the sole but you get more feedback from the rock and can use features better (also better for smearing I find).
Some people prefer ones that are cripplingly small on the feet, I tend to go from something well fitted but not quite as tight. My preferred shoe is a La Sportiva Katana, it fits me foot shape well (I have a similar foot shape to yours by the sound of things) but I would still advocate the trying on of many many shoes. Try a shop that has some sort of feature wall to practice on (your local climbing wall may well have a shop where you can do this to better effect).
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 Trying them on is the only way Wot crabduck sez. Since rock shoes/boots are normally worn tight so there's no slippage when you're trying to stick to a wall, it's very important to try in person. They do need to tight enough that there's little slipping possible within the shoe, but they need to be tolerable enough that you're not in agony as you climb. Pete.
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As they say above. Getting to try a little bit of climbing in them is also very important before you buy. I tried on many shoes that felt fine tostand in, but as soon as I was resting on a grip, they slipped or pinched in a horrid way. Lots of people start of with a pair of Red Chili climbing shoes. They tend to have a wide section across the laces, so you can slacken them off or tighten them up depending on how wide your foot is. They tend to be designed more for comfort as well My fella favours Scarpa Thunders for comfort and is on his second pair. He likes his feet to be flat, rather than crimped for climbing. I think he has small ankles and a broad forefoot - but I don't know much about mens feet. I myself had a pair of Red Chili Spirits (blue ones) and am now on a pair of Spirit Impact zone (orange ones), but I am lady with size 3 1/2 feet! M
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 As said before try on as many as possible, don't think about 'brand' go for best fit and what you will mostly use them for. I have 3pairs of rock shoes, Scarpa Spyders, mostly uesd on climbing walls. Boreal Jokers, Red Chilli Spirit IA's, I will choose the pair I think suits best the climb/type I need try and go on an afternoon weekday, feet swell as day goes on, shop should be less busy, so can take more time and shop-assisant can have time to get proper fit. h
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Cheers for all your advice guys- might drop into the local F&T tomorrow and try their limited range on but i won't hold my breath. I may have to wait till i'm back up north and go to wildtrak
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 I bought my rock boots from F&T, they have all the common ones. I ended up with a pair of Red Chili Spirits as they seemed to fit my feet best though my climber mates suggest the Scarpa boots are better for some reason.
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though my climber mates suggest the Scarpa boots are better for some reason guess at their main reason is "we've got Scarpa boots"...  Pete (with some vintage Boreal Firés!).
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Go to your local specialist shop & try 'em on.. maybe boreal jokers, scarpa vantage...womens fit ones might be handy for narrow ankles. heretically, socks might make them more comfortable, especially for all day use. you ,might end up wearing them anyway when your shoes stretch!
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 I've decided to invest in a new pair of rock shoes myself. I'm a bit of a kit geek in many domains but am totally out of touch with who's doing what in climbing shoes and was hoping I might have some suggestions of things to try out. I know the most important thing is fit - which is nigh on perfect on my old Boreal Ace's (resoled at least four times). But they are wearing out and not taking resoling very well; and I'm a bit better at climbing than I was when board-lasted seemed the only way to go. So... I'm after a lace up shoe to compensate for my odd feet which is made to high enough standard to take a couple of repairs and is suitable for intermediate sport & trad grades (I'm currently climbing up to French 6B indoors & 5C/6A outdoors). So far I've found the Boreal Silex to be a potential candidate; but I like the look of 5:10 and several other brands so was hoping for some ideas. Or comments on the Silex if anyone has used them... Thanks John
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Hey John.I've used Sportiva Miuras for about 7 years now and only gone through 3 pairs.I climb a lot as you know and each pair have had at least 3 re-soles,current pair about to be sent off for fifth.I've found them bomb proof,not even snapped laces.O.k they're expensive but well worth it.
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Thanks Phil, the Miuras had already made my list of potential 'must try these on' as they're sold in my local gear shop in Toulouse. In fact, here's their catalogue of laced climbing shoes... quite a range to look at though not all of them are in the shop right now...any comments
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Sportiva testarossa's are way technical and would probably be a waste,
mythos are a good all rounder.A friend of mine works for 5.10 in the States and says that in the last 2 years their quality control has gone to sh*t so I'd probably avoid them.Scarpa have an all round good reputation too.
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 Sportiva Katanas are worn by a lot of climbers, and they're great alround shoes. However, I've heard of their soft toes wearing quickly. Scarpa's shoes are very good (check out Force and Vantage), and Boreal make very good shoes that last forever - mine are second hand and my feet will give up before the shoes!
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There's still life in my old Boreal Aces... but for indoor grade pushing and bouldering I think I'd be better off with a slip lasted shoe instead of the super-comfy board lasted Ace. If I was planning a longer route outdoors it would always be well within my grade as I've not got great endurance in my climbing muscles - or more likely I'm just carrying too much weight! So I think that narrows the field a bit; lace up slip lasted for intermediate technical climbing (think French 6A - 6B) and bouldering to Font 6A. Of course it has to fit ME, but I'm interested to hear about quality concerns from 5.10 as I've been eying them with interest. John
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Without coming across as enormously offensive, I'd say a new pair of shoes will make less difference than you might hope at that sort of grade, John. On sloping, slabby problems they'll help a lot, but on edging they'll likely be less good. It might be worth borrowing some more technical shoes and seeing how much difference it makes, if this is possible. I was pretty sure my shoes were holding me back a while ago (similar sort of grades to you) then looked at one of my mates who's ridiculously good (8a!). His shoes had massive holes in, he wore socks, and there was basically no rubber left on them!
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Actually, I'm not hoping for much in terms of improvement in grade; more just that I'll learn to use alternative techniques that are hard to achieve in my current shoes. I tried to hook my toe into a overhang hold last week and I just couldn't bend my foot enough to make it work. They're also a bit limited for smearing... and don't smell particularly nice either! That said, my '8a' mate wears technical shoes and never resoles them - replacing once they get worn out. Unfortunately I can't borrow any more techical shoes as I have a club foot so my feet aren't even remotely the same size. I've no sympathy to those who complain about having trouble finding shoes that fit... I've got an inch difference in the length of my feet...  . Last time I wrote to Boreal and they sent me a free-of-charge shoe for my right foot when I bought a pair in the size of my left foot. Hopefully I'll manage something similar this time around as I'd hate to pay for two pairs...
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