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Author

new shoes

francesca

24-Sep-2004
6:24:08 PM

I'm just about to buy a new pair of shoes, and after trying on almost every pair in little bourke st, found a
pair that feel just great, but there's a catch. The shoes are red chilli x-cube, and fit better than any shoes
i've had, but - like all shoes - in different sizes on each foot. my left likes the 42, my right the 41. i
managed to sqaush my left into a 41, but only with an amount of pain, and the removing of a callous on
my little toe (slightly messy later on). the 42 on my right though, is tight but not uncomfortable, and i think
it might end up stretching a bit, in which case it'll be a baggy as my 4x resoled stingers.... so, has anyone
here used a pair of these? did they expand much? should i feel the pain, baby, or make my left foot
happy?

tmarsh

24-Sep-2004
8:16:29 PM

Pre-stretched leather. The word is that they will mould to your foot over time, but
that they won't stretch much. Size in them in the shop as you would want to wear
them.

If you're keen and don't ind risking it, you can take your shoes to Dr Phil at natimuk.
He has a hydraulic shoe stretcher. It makes popping noises as it voids your warranty.
It will stretch 1/2 a size no problem. Longevity of the stretched shoe is anyone's
guess. I've done it on some Anasazi velcros and have been blissfully hapy. Your
mileage may vary.

ps: don't try and pull a swifty and put one of each size into the box. I work at Bogong
and am hip to you, Frances.

tim

francesca

24-Sep-2004
8:20:33 PM

damn... i thought i'd get away with it when i sent you off to get another pair of shoes.

i had my stingers stretched by dr phil and it was pretty good, though over time they got a bit bunchy round
the top of the toe.

(anyway you know i'm going to buy them, the only question is when?)

tmarsh

24-Sep-2004
10:12:01 PM

I own a Pair of mismatched 5.10 UFOs. 40.5 and 41. Dozey salesman. I
have done the worst as a consumer and learned from it as a salesdroid.

You would be interested to note that almost everyone has different sized
feet, and most people would only know it when they are performance-sizing
climbing shoes. Although the half-size difference in the case of people like
you and I is less common. You freak.

tim

AlanD

25-Sep-2004
8:37:23 AM

I still can't understand why the climbing shoe manufactures can't supply to their distributors and hence the shops, individual shoes. If such a high proportion of the population have different size feet and fit is so important with climbing shoes, surely the best way to sell shoes is individually and not as a ill-fitting pair.

francesca

25-Sep-2004
4:51:20 PM

i bought the 42s. i could probably squeezed my way through the pain of the 41s but my feet really don't
need any more mangling. took them for a climb today and zowie-wowie they are very nice (maybe the fact
that when i changed back into my old stingers and saw how much they really don't fit anymore had
something to do with it too) great for small front point toe work, pretty good on edging, butthe toe is so
accurate i just want to use that instead. they loosened up a bit as they got warm, but not lengthways, just
more pliable. so i'm going to be doing alot of climbing in the next three weeks before i leave.

rock weasel

26-Sep-2004
8:13:32 PM

I too have tried the dodgy and attempted to get a pair of shoes of different sizes. Pre-stretched shoes sound good. I have owned lined and unlined shoes and find that the unlined shoes generally stretch to accomodate my deformity (a half size difference in street shoes). The problem with this is that 'blow-outs' occur more quickly in the shoe that is tighter. Lined shoes can be agonizing to wear, whereas unlined shoes will give a bit, and to varying degrees when you have different sized feet.

Just wondering if anyone has tried the new La Sportiva Venoms? Thinking of getting a pair, have heard good things about them, but have yet to hear some first hand testimony...

tmarsh

27-Sep-2004
8:03:36 AM

For a performance slipper they are waaaay comfortable. I'm a long-time 5.10 wearer, and had always
dismissed Sportivas as being too narrow. Both the Venom and testarossa were excellent straight out of
the box. They'll probably fit you better if you have a longer big toe than second toe, as they are pretty
asymmetric. Warning though - I haven't climbed in them more than just pulling on and weighting my feet.

tim

francesca

27-Sep-2004
2:10:04 PM

i was originally looking at the Testarossa's, but when i tried them on, no way. Maybe my feet are really
weird (narrow heel, wide across the ball of the foot, big toe a bit longer than the rest) but the were so
uncomfortable and fit so poorly i didn't even bother once I stood up in them. The Red Chili's have been
great bouldering over the weekend, so good I think my fingers are now climbing about two grades below
my toes.

wombats

2-Oct-2004
7:09:18 PM

On 24/09/2004 frances wrote:
>I'm just about to buy a new pair of shoes, and after trying on almost every
>pair in little bourke st, found a
>pair that feel just great, but there's a catch. The shoes are red chilli
>x-cube, and fit better than any shoes
>i've had, but - like all shoes - in different sizes on each foot. my left
>likes the 42, my right the 41.

I have recently bought a pair of red chili spirits and they are my most favourite shoe ever! They felt like a pair of comfy old shoes but new! And the soles are so sticky they make ME LOOK GOOD!

I found they have a bit of stretch but not as much as sportivas or scarpas - just under the standard 1/2 size stretch.

anyway, happy climbing in them... they are joy!

There are 10 messages in this topic.