Need a stiff trad shoe

Hey ladies!   Getting some arthritis in my toes, so I’m looking for a stiff trad shoe.  I know TC Pros are the go-to, but I have heard that they may not be ideal for smaller people.  I wear a size 6 in my street shoes.   I’m would love feedback on those or the Scarpa Generators (velcro and Mid lace ups).   Any other suggestions greatly appreciated.   Primary climbing area is the Gunks if that helps.  
Thanks!
Jen 

Try the BD aspect (NOT aspect pro). I think they are like 2x4s under your feet.  Zero sensitivity on the wall, but you can push off on them forever! 

Hey Jen!
sorry to hear about your arthritis. 

I would really recommend you the Scarpa Generators. Even though they are pretty hard to break in (had to use the thick sock + hair dryer technique ! And they are still STIFF), they are amazing crack shoes and they are also great at edging. They will remain stiff, I have been using mine for around 3-4 months and sometimes they still hurt me. I think you will like them. However, I would not recommend them for slabs because often times I’ve found they just are so stiff that they won’t bend back if this makes sense ? They literally just stay bent. So very stiff shoes indeed !

The grandstones (adidas now?) are also great! I use them for offwidth and they protect my ankles nicely.

I hope this helps and that you get better ! :-)

I wear size 7 street shoes and I love my TC pros. They took awhile to break in relative to other shoes, but once broken in, I think they are amazing. 

SarahB-

Good to know!   What is your street size compared to your TC Pro size?   Do you go for comfort fit or performance fit? Do you feel they stretched a lot? 

Thanks!!
Jen

Sucks about your arthritis! I'm curious what specifically you've heard about the TC Pros when you say "they may not be ideal for smaller people." Other than many retailers not stocking the smaller sizes! lol. I just got a pair - I wear 37.5 (37s in most other Sportiva shoes) and have worn them a handful of times - so far so good and most importantly, they are helping me wear climbing shoes for multipitches and long days out without my toes going numb (at least not compared to my previous shoes the Miuras).

Leigh- 

Hey!   I have just heard that they are extra stiff (too stiff?) in smaller sizes.   Basically the length of the larger sizes allows for more bend.  That said, I went and bought a pair over the weekend.   Breaking them in now!
Jen 

jmswrote:

Leigh- 

Hey!   I have just heard that they are extra stiff (too stiff?) in smaller sizes.   Basically the length of the larger sizes allows for more bend.  That said, I went and bought a pair over the weekend.   Breaking them in now!
Jen 

Let us know how you go with it! So far I'm finding them better than expected - I can definitely still smear on friction slab and I don't have the best ankle flexion anyway so I'm not finding it too difficult to bend the foot when needed. I hate to say that my tradsformation has led me to becoming a TC Bro, but here I am lol (I wear Solution comps 80% of the time otherwise hahah)

I have end stage arthritis in my ankle and big toe. I HATED my TC pros so much I almost chucked them off a multipitch in Yosemite and finished climbing in my approach shoes (I ended up giving them away). They were just too stiff and painful - never broke in even though I put more than 70 pitches on them because everyone raved about them so I kept thinking someday they were going to suck less? They always felt like the most painful clogs ever. Literally words cannot express how much I hated that shoe - so expensive and just didn't fit. 

Someone told me I was just too light to make them work...like I didn't weigh enough for them to break in. For reference I wear  37 in most sportivas, am 5'4" wearing sneakers and around 108#. 

Now I wear miura lace for hard trad and katanas for easy trad. I just picked up a pair of katana laces because they finally came out with a women's version but I have only put a few pitches on them so can't say if I like them yet. 

BD Aspect are stiff, but not overly.
Butora Mantra and Altura are very stiff and don't break in easily (well constructed and durable, though!) - also come in high/low volume.

Find your size and score a deal on eBay/Geartrade/Mercari/Poshmark.