Having trouble finding downturn shoes that don't cause excruciating pain -- pls help!

I've been climbing for nearly 20 years in La Sportiva Mythos, and have always loved them for their comfort. But recently I've been shopping around for my first pair of downturned shoes for harder sport climbing and bouldering (and by harder, I mean mostly 5.12 / V6 ish).

I've tried on Mira VS, Solutions, Testarossas, and Geniuses, and all have caused unmanageable pain in the knuckle of my big toes. What I'm wondering is if this is something that will go away after the break-in period, or if there is some way to mitigate the discomfort.

Most folks who I have talked to said that these shoes tend to be uncomfortable when they are new, but not excruciatingly painful. I don't think it's that I'm trying sizes that are too small, as there is room in the heel in most of the sizes I've tried. I've tried loosening the laces a bunch, but that doesn't seem to help much. I literally cannot put standing pressure on my big toes without the pain being unbearable.

Should I just try wearing new shoes on the sofa for a couple weeks until they soften/stretch slightly and my feet get used to them? What are my options?

Try the Evolv shaman. They are designed to have room for your knuckels. Also. Sometimes flat shoes just fit some feet better.

Tenaya

climbing friend,

it sound slike you try on the shoes that are bad fit for your quite stinky feet, and must try other brands. You should be able to size them quite snug and comfy, or down to very painful if you desire.

I second trying the new Evolv Shamans, they're incredibly comfortable for a downturned shoe, and perform very well.

TC Pros climb 5.14, they should be fine, get those.

I climbed for 8 years in mythos, up to 12c, and then i got a pair of TC pros and they kinda changed the game for me. Lately, I've been trying to get some even more aggressive shoes as well, even though I have no patience for painful shoes. I hated the miuras, and just got some vapor vs, which are pretty good. I still think the TCs are the best shoe around for me.

Here's a third vote for Shaman's, it sounds like you really need the knuckle box feature that they have. Super comfortable shoes that climb great.

I can only wear downturned shoes with a cupped sole shape. All the others either have too much wiggle room or excruciating pain depending on size - none of the LS models you mentioned work for me. I don't know how anyone wears the non-cupped aggressive models. Evolv/Mad Rock/Scarpa all have them on at least a few of their high end shapes, and then it's just a matter of deciding which company's shape fits your foot best - for me, it's just Evolv and Mad Rock that work.

TLyons TC Pros climb vertical/slab 5.14...it sounds like he's looking for something for overhangs.

The OP says nothing about overhanging routes.
You can't climb anything if you are in excruciating pain.
TCs are more aggressive than the Mythos but not wildly turned down as the Solutions and can be sized relatively comfortable and still preform well.
If something cant be climbed in TCs, work on your technique and do a few more push up/ pull ups, shoes wont make the difference.

That's a rather myopic perspective. Different shoes are suited to different purposes...even TC doesn't wear the Pros when he's bouldering or climbing steep sport routes. The TS said he was looking for downturned shoes for bouldering, so it's pretty clear that he's looking to get on something overhanging...otherwise, he wouldn't need a downturned shoe. Sure, one theoretically could climb steep sport routes with TC Pros, but you wouldn't be much better off than with Mythos.

Another vote for the Shamans. I've found mine to be very comfortable. I can knock down several bouldering problems without any need to take them off

Check out the Katana Laces, I've found them to have the best comfort:performance ratio of any downturned shoes I've ever owned. Mine were slightly painful when new but broke in to be comfy yet still very high performance.

I usually hate downturned shoes but I have fallen in love with the LS Python, although I'm not sure if they are still being made. It's slightly downturned slipper with one velcro strap at the top. Half the time I don't even need to use the velcro because it just fits the shape of my foot so perfectly. It is also a fairly soft shoe so will be similar to the mythos in that sense.

They aren't so comfy for all day long climbs but are plenty comfy for single pitch if you take them off to belay. They're only ever painful if I haven't climbed in them for a week or two (when they aren't worn for that long they start to stiffen up a bit and have to be stretched out slightly) but it only takes one session to get them back to normal fit.

You also have to remember shoes fit a little tight/uncomfortable brand new out of the box compared to a good break in. Not saying get shoes that hurt to stand in by anymeans. You could maybe try a pair of your buddies aggressive shoes he's had a while.

I'm going through the same thing. Been climbing in the Mythos. Looking for a more aggressive shoe for steeper routes and overhanging boulder problems. I've tried on almost EVERY shoe out there. I had finally found a pair that were pretty comfortable out of the box: Tenaya Tarifa...

But...

After one day of climbing with them, no more. They went from being super comfortable to me not being able to even stand up in them. No joke. I couldn't put any pressure on my feet what so ever. My feet could not support my own body weight. I had to go back to the Mythos.

I don't know what it is. I don't know how everyone uses these super down-turned shoes that are sized 3 sizes too small. It baffles my mind.

cashmab wrote:I've been climbing for nearly 20 years in La Sportiva Mythos, and have always loved them for their comfort. But recently I've been shopping around for my first pair of downturned shoes for harder sport climbing and bouldering (and by harder, I mean mostly 5.12 / V6 ish).

La Sportiva geniuses are apparently very comfortable and i love my speedsters no edge. The evolv shammans and their "love bump" is used by pretty much all high end down turned shoes, from the sounds of it you don't have a hugely wide foot so i wouldn't buy this seasons shamans (pretty wide) and last seasons model can be picked up pretty cheap now.

If Mythos were comfortable right out of the box, you might have a more symmetric foot. Most of aggressive shoes will be built on asymmetric last, this might explain the pain you are feeling on your big toe. Look for less asymmetric shoes. Again, different companies will use different lasts for their shoes, you might need to shop around.

Evolv sells "Luchadors", comes in both laces and velcro.

FWIW I'm terrible at shoe sizing. I was told when I started climbing years ago to go "as tight as you can stand". The result: I have one part of shoes that I can only wear for an hour or 2 now,and really hurt my toes if I accidentally kick the wall a bit, and another pair that gives me the same problem as you, my big knuckle on the left foot ends up in so much pain I can't climb.

I recently bought another pair of shoes because of this, and was still stuck on the "tight as possible" mentality. I bought at REI, and probably returned 4 pairs of shoes before I got the sizing right. My big toes is pretty much flat, and my small toes are just slightly curled and the shoes are comfortable, and I don't feel like I lost any control.

FWIW you may just be using shoes that are too small for you.