Stretching Rock Climbing Shoes

Size

• Besides finding the right pair of rock climbing shoes for your type of climbing, one of the most important factors is the fit. While this may seem like a minor detail, you shouldn't try to get away with improperly fitted shoes, even if they're on sale. This kind of thing may work for a pair of dress shoes, but not for a sport that depends on your footing. By and large, your shoes should fit snug, not tight. You know the difference, so don't tell yourself otherwise. Since you'll want to feel the terrain under your feet, a snug pair of rock shoes will assist in that. When they're too constricting, your dogs will just get pinched. Doesn't sound too comfortable, does it?

Misconceptions

• For years, there's been a misconception revolving around shoes in general, which has sort of spilled over into the pairs worn for sports and athletics. This being that they'll stretch. While there is some definite truth to this belief, a pair of shoes only has so much give, and this give is dependent on the material used in the construction. Each material, be it natural or synthetic, has its own elasticity. If you try to stretch a certain pair too far, you'll compromise the integrity of the shoe. The same can be said about rock climbing shoes. Despite the fact that the shoes will inevitably stretch as you use them, rock shoes too only have so much give.

Features

• That being said, the best method of stretching rock shoes is to wear them. As you climb, your shoes will stretch. Yet, not in some random, indiscriminate way, they'll stretch to the contours of your own feet. After time, of course, your shoes will eventually stretch out, so to speak, and you'll need to get a new pair. The length of time it'll take for this to happen depends on the amount of time you spend climbing. Some people go through a number of shoes in a single year.

Considerations

• If you've got a pair of rock shoes that are too tight (and you don't want to return them), you can always swing by your neighborhood shoe repair to start the process, either by picking up a solution or having the cobbler do it himself. Most shoe repair stores stock a solution that can chemically help stretch your shoes. Instructions vary by brand, but the majority will have you wear them to aid the mixture. Otherwise, you can drop them off and have the shoes stretched specifically to your size. Either method will work; just remember that shoes only have so much give, and you don't want to destroy the reliability of your climbing shoes.

Warning

• Be warned about stretching your rock shoes with a shoe-stretcher. This isn't the best method for an important piece of equipment to rock climbing. When you use a shoe-stretcher, no matter how good, it can only stretch to the shape and form of the device. It's sort of like that "one size fits all" mentality. There's no such thing. And since everyone's feet are different, a shoe-stretcher doesn't really do the job to the requisites of this type of shoe.