Shoe Finder
Shop Fitting Guide

Trying Shoes On

You're in a shop, you've found a few options, but there's no experienced climber on hand to help you check the fit. Here are three things you can test yourself.

1

The Toebox

Press down gently on top of the shoe over your toe knuckles — the bumps your toes make through the material. You're feeling for whether your toes fill that space, and whether there's any pain.

✓ GoodFirm resistance with no pain — the shoe is right up against your toes, with no empty space above them.
✗ Too smallPressing causes pain — your toes are being forced against the top of the shoe harder than they should be.
✗ Too bigThe material gives and squishes down — your toes aren't filling the toebox. The shoe is too large.
2

Heel Aggression

With the shoe fastened, try pulling the heel of the shoe off of your foot. Try with your foot pointed and flexed. If your heel slides right out, you need a more aggressive heel — otherwise you will slide out every time you heel hook.

✗ Too aggressiveYour Achilles aches or feels pinched. The heel cup is digging in more than your foot can handle — this won't improve with wear.
✗ Too looseThe heel of the shoe comes off your foot easily.
3

Heel Width

With the shoe on your foot, pinch the heel cup firmly from both sides — squeeze the left and right walls of the heel toward each other. Feel for how much the material moves.

✓ GoodSlight resistance — a small amount of give is fine. The shoe should hold its shape around your heel.
✗ Too wideThe walls collapse together easily. A wide heel box won't hold your heel securely — look for a narrower heel model.

Not sure which shoes to try on first? The Rocksy shoe quiz will point you toward models that match your foot shape and climbing style.

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