How to Stretch Rock Climbing Shoes

Use the old-fashioned approach: Wear the shoes. As time goes by, they will inevitably stretch. They’ll begin to adapt to the shape and contours of your foot. If they stretch too much, you’ll simply need to add a pair of socks (or buy a new pair of shoes).

Try a stretching solution. Most of your standard shoe-repair shops stock something of this nature. Instructions for administering the mixture vary, but they will all require you to wear the shoes after application to initiate the stretch.

Since you’ve already made the trip to the shoe-repair shop, ask them to stretch your rock climbing shoes for you. Typically, these shops are able to increase both the width and the length of the shoe, as well as alter the fit of the instep and the toe. However, don’t expect to take the shoes home that day. Most shops will request that shoes, specifically those of the athletic variety, be left overnight.

If you already have one at home, a shoe stretcher may also do the trick. Not that this is the best, or the most appropriate, technique to stretch any sort of shoe, but it still works. The main issue with using this manner of resizing is that you may alter the integrity of the shoe. Plus, most people’s feet are slightly asymmetrical, meaning that their left is different from their right. When you wear the shoes, they’ll each stretch to that specific foot. When you use a shoe stretcher, you could stretch a shoe beyond what you need.

Place a resealable plastic bag inside each shoe, fill the bags with water and place the shoes in the freezer. As the water freezes, it will expand, stretching your shoes. It's a very economical, if under-acknowledged, method.