Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman
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I am looking into getting my daughter her first pair of climbing shoes. She has a size 8 street shoe. Are the shoes "designed" for a woman really different? As a beginner, I'm seeking in order, comfort, sticky rubber then performance for her. I was also thinking a 7.5 |
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Foot proportioning is supposed to be a little different, but everyone's feet are so different, so who knows for a specific person. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable about the details will chime in. |
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Women tend to have a higher arch, narrower foot and smaller heel and that's what woman-specific shoes account for. Scarpa has a very complete women's line from aggressive to comfortable. |
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Dan Cucci wrote:Women tend to have a higher arch, narrower foot and smaller heel and that's what woman-specific shoes account for.Exactly- but that obviously doesn't apply to all women's feet, so just don't assume that will be best for her foot. I (a woman) wear size 8 street shoes and have always purchased men's shoes since my forefoot is pretty wide. Size of course varies a TON with shoe brand- I'm a 6.5 in evolv, 36.5 in La Sportiva, and 39.5 in Scarpa, and those are all sized with a fairly tight/performance oriented fit in mind. Hope that helps. |
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Adam Stackhouse wrote: Are the shoes "designed" for a woman really different?Yes. They are cut differently. In terms of quality I don't think there is any difference though. I know a few males that wear female shoes because they fit their foot better. Their shoes don't seem to wear out any faster than mine... |
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Eddie Brown wrote: Yes. They are cut differently. In terms of quality I don't think there is any difference though. I know a few males that wear female shoes because they fit their foot better. Their shoes don't seem to wear out any faster than mine...I'm not too worried about craftsmanship. Most all of the biggies make their shoes pretty well. I am finding that the vendor I would be purchasing them from (like others) have a ton of "mens" shoes and just a few for the gals. The emphasis of my question is about the cut and other design elements mentioned above. She is 10yr old first timer, so comfort is what I want her to have so she can focus on the activity without being discouraged by ill-fitting shoes. |
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I would go to a local store and have her try on both gender specific and general shoes, find what she likes the best, and make sure the size feels just a little tight as first, and they should loosen just a little over time, even if they're synthetic. |
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Have her try on some evolv rockstars, or the purple elektra. Obviously, evolv isn't helping anyone with their spelling, but their women specific shoes are great. The lower volume is excellent for any young person with a smaller foot. |
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Both of my young ladies (11 and 8) prefer comfy shoes over those high-performance constricting ones. I'd take her to your favorite outdoor store to try on a bunch of different shoes. Pick out her favorite and get it a size or two bigger than you would have if her foot were done growing. Most likely she'll not need the high performance of that super tight shoe, and she'll enjoy her early days climbing without feeling the pain in her feet. |
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Adam, |
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I have been teaching my niece on and off since she was 3 (she's 9 now) and on my most recent visit bought her a new pair of shoes. She ended up picking Moccasyms because of comfort. A bonus is they stretch for a long time so they should last at least a year(kids feet growing and all). For consideration, my wife loves sportiva womens mythos. Comfortable and technical. |
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Sounds like you are getting some good advice. I would wonder if it would make sense to buy the shoes a little looser even if she had to wear a thick sock to start out. As was pointed out above her feet are still growing. |