Choosing in between two shoe sizes??

I had a chance to try on katana laces and they fit my feet really nicely. So I’m planning on picking up theses shoes in the future if I ever get a chance. I usually wear a street shoe size 9.5 (EU 42.5) and the katana laces felt really snug and nice to me with EU 42. The 41.5 size was kind of painful to put it on and it felt uncomfortable in my opinion. However, I’m wondering if I should consider getting the 41.5 because the shoes will stretch out eventually?? I have no experience in getting aggressive shoes so I appreciate everyone’s thoughts in this!

You've not said what kind of climbing you want them for but - judging from your other questions - it sounds like you are just starting, mostly indoors, but looking to do more outside. The Katana lace is an excellent outdoor shoe. They are on the stiff side compared to many modern shoes which makes them great for small edges or pockets, good on cracks, but a bit less effective than softer shoes on large plastic volumes. I wouldn't worry about indoor performance too much though, even in the gym they are far better shoe than you are a climber at this stage of your development! They are leather so may stretch a little, especially in width, which means there is a slight risk a pair fitting comfortably now will become a tiny bit too big for very precise edging as they get older. On the other hand, your feet swell over a day, especially if it is hot, and a pair that are uncomfortable in a shop can be agony at the end of a warm day outside.

I suggest buying the size that fits now. They will be more enjoyable to climb in and you'll be better able to judge if you'd rather size-down as you gain more experience. The worst case is they stretch to become a good all-day shoe for longer routes, perhaps wearing thin socks. Everyone other than die-hard boulders should have a shoe like this in their quiver!

duncan... wrote:

You've not said what kind of climbing you want them for but - judging from your other questions - it sounds like you are just starting, mostly indoors, but looking to do more outside. The Katana lace is an excellent outdoor shoe. They are on the stiff side compared to many modern shoes which makes them great for small edges or pockets, good on cracks, but a bit less effective than softer shoes on large plastic volumes. I wouldn't worry about indoor performance too much though, even in the gym they are far better shoe than you are a climber at this stage of your development! They are leather so may stretch a little, especially in width, which means there is a slight risk a pair fitting comfortably now will become a tiny bit too big for very precise edging as they get older. On the other hand, your feet swell over a day, especially if it is hot, and a pair that are uncomfortable in a shop can be agony at the end of a warm day outside.

I suggest buying the size that fits now. They will be more enjoyable to climb in and you'll be better able to judge if you'd rather size-down as you gain more experience. The worst case is they stretch to become a good all-day shoe for longer routes, perhaps wearing thin socks. Everyone other than die-hard boulders should have a shoe like this in their quiver!

Thanks for the advice! I probably won’t pick them up till I wear out the shoes I have right now. It was a question I had in mind when I tried them on!

And yes, I think I’m looking forward to transitioning to outdoor sport climbing slowly!

Something like the katana lace will stretch a bit but not a ton, maybe a half size. I second Duncan, get a shoe where your toes touch the front when new but feels snug instead of painful. You don't need a painful break-in process when you're starting out, comfort will allow you to climb more. But don't get them so big that your toes aren't touching at all, my first shoes back in the day (LS tarantulace) stretched quickly and I'm heavy ish so edging outside felt insecure. For the gym, you can climb in anything, but something stickier like xs grip 2 rubber (on the solutions, etc) is a lot better on plastic. The xs edge rubber (what's on the katanas, tc pros, etc) is great outside but I find it slippery on plastic.