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Big Foot - shoe advice

Big G

15-Mar-2012
11:39:35 AM

I have big feet (size 13) and I need some new shoes. I currently have a pair of scarpa veloce in (i think) a 45. I want a slightly bigger shoe, ideally lace-up but I am really struggling. I have managed to try on a few pairs of red chillis and rock pillars without success. Most climbng shops do not stock big sizes and I am beginning to think a purchase from the US is my only option. I am worried about buying shoes i haven't tried but needs must...

Does any body have any general tips re sizing for different brands - along the lines of 'Evolv are always small for the size'.

shortman

15-Mar-2012
11:59:54 AM

I got a monster foot and find red chillis to be the snugess fit with minimal stretch. Mythos for a lace up is also good for a big foot, but they stretch heaps.

pieman

15-Mar-2012
12:15:30 PM

The shape of the shoe is different across brands; some will suit you better than others.

Case in point: my foot is a bit smaller than yours: about size 10 in street shoes and is quite wide. I've got Red Chilli Corona velcros in 44.5 (gym shoes) and recently got some La Sportiva Miura 42.5 (outdoor "for good" shoes): Miura's feel a bit tighter but not eye-wateringly so. I never would have got the size right without trying them on.

It'll be hard to get something right by guessing size and then ordering over the internet; do whatever you can to get to a few shops and try them on.

Or if you order over the internet get some La Sportiva 42.5's and then when they don't fit post them up cheap here on Chockstone

citationx

15-Mar-2012
12:46:52 PM

I don't know which size 13 you wear, but I wear a US 12. I found the Muira 45s just a bit too big for me. A couple of years back Muira 44.5 was great but in the latest style/size/model I wear a 44. Tight to start but nice now. I use them for slabbing too ;-)
La Sportiva Solutions also work well for me, maybe i'm wearing a 44.5? Can't remember, i think the size has rubbed off.
I love La Sportiva, they've been my last 5 pairs of shoes.

postedit: got the UK -/+ sizing wrong.

plugngo

15-Mar-2012
12:49:44 PM

I also have size 13 feet. I find the Scarpas really uncomfortable. La Sportiva Katanas seem to do the job pretty well. I take size 45 (tight) Scarpas, 44 La Sportiva.

phillipivan

15-Mar-2012
1:26:42 PM

All the Scarpa's I have ever tried to get my foot into seem smaller than similarly labelled Sportivas. I climb in a variety of 45 and 45.5 Sportivas but have not found a Scarpa shoe large enough to sensibly climb in.

Do you live in Melbourne? Bogong have always had some shoes for me to try on in that size range; though not necessarily a particular model I have been curious about.

Now can I complain about how no one makes a size 48.5 non climbing shoe, and their are very few options for size 49? It sucks. (Not quite true I have some Lowa's that fit great at 48.5, but am bummed to see they don't make many other shoes to that size).

Big G

15-Mar-2012
1:51:43 PM

I've heard before that la sportiva are good for the bigger sizes but haven't been able to find any big enough to try on.

BTW - 13 UK, not particularly wide in the foot though.

dmnz

15-Mar-2012
4:32:20 PM

My winter boots are a 48, eg UK13
And I've owned Katanas in a 42 as well as Evolv Pontas Lace in 45 and 46(the latter is a bit more comfy). I've bought all my shoes locally and I would say shape is also a big factor.

Look at what shoes, not just climbing, have fit you well in the past and go from there. Climbing Anchors seem quite good at ordering sizes in too so maybe try them.

BoulderBaby

15-Mar-2012
9:41:46 PM

On 15/03/2012 Big G wrote:

>BTW - 13 UK, not particularly wide in the foot though.

Just to help with the confusion, UK13 is an Australian 14(We use US sizes) and an EU 48/49 depending on brand.
If your foot is a UK13 that would really suck as not many brands facilitate (well.. IMPORT) these sizes in Australia.

Big G

16-Mar-2012
6:30:00 AM

On 15/03/2012 BoulderBaby wrote:
>On 15/03/2012 Big G wrote:
>
>>BTW - 13 UK, not particularly wide in the foot though.
>
>Just to help with the confusion, UK13 is an Australian 14(We use US sizes)
>and an EU 48/49 depending on brand.
>If your foot is a UK13 that would really suck as not many brands facilitate
>(well.. IMPORT) these sizes in Australia

Yep, UK 13 (I'm originally from the UK). And yes, it sucks (the shoe situation, not being from the UK).

Just another area in which Australian retailers let us down. Buy local - I wish, I could!

dmnz

16-Mar-2012
11:27:52 AM

On 16/03/2012 Big G wrote:
>On 15/03/2012 BoulderBaby wrote:
>>On 15/03/2012 Big G wrote:
>>
>>>BTW - 13 UK, not particularly wide in the foot though.
>>
>>Just to help with the confusion, UK13 is an Australian 14(We use US sizes)
>>and an EU 48/49 depending on brand.

>
>Just another area in which Australian retailers let us down. Buy local
>- I wish, I could!

1/ not particularly wide is not a very useful descriptor in terms of getting a technical fit. Is that ankle, forefoot, etc. How deep is your foot? If you're from the UK your foot is probably a bit thicker and may have trouble fitting in some of these European brands. If it were as simple as length and width, it;d be a lot easier which it sadly isn't

And re Australia using US sizes, I disagree. With some brands yes but not always. I always run off both my UK and EU sizes as find them most consistent across the brands. I've found in the higher size range, US sizes to be a bit of a sh*t fight and don't find them reliable enough. EU seems to be the best in my opinion.

But back to Big G, again I urge you to try Climbing Anchors ( I have no association with them other than as a happy customer) to find a larger size rock boot as they will happily order in for you. RE boots you will find most streetwear goes to about a EU46, UK11 and outdoor to about a EU47, UK12 in Australia. Once you hit the UK13 well pretty much overseeas is the best option atm unfortunately for you wanting to try things on first. Even then you will have problems getting sizes.

Big G

16-Mar-2012
1:42:57 PM

>1/ not particularly wide is not a very useful descriptor in terms of getting
>a technical fit. Is that ankle, forefoot, etc. How deep is your foot?
> If you're from the UK your foot is probably a bit thicker and may have
>trouble fitting in some of these European brands. If it were as simple
>as length and width, it;d be a lot easier which it sadly isn't
>
>And re Australia using US sizes, I disagree. With some brands yes but
>not always. I always run off both my UK and EU sizes as find them most
>consistent across the brands. I've found in the higher size range, US
>sizes to be a bit of a sh*t fight and don't find them reliable enough.
> EU seems to be the best in my opinion.
>
>But back to Big G, again I urge you to try Climbing Anchors ( I have no
>association with them other than as a happy customer) to find a larger
>size rock boot as they will happily order in for you. RE boots you will
>find most streetwear goes to about a EU46, UK11 and outdoor to about a
>EU47, UK12 in Australia. Once you hit the UK13 well pretty much overseeas
>is the best option atm unfortunately for you wanting to try things on first.

Happy to look anywhere - I have checked out climbing anchors before.

I think - wvertyhting you have said above just highlights the difficulty with climbing shoes. I would say my foot is long, uniform width from from front to back and not especially deep (I also have fairly flat feet) my ankles though are quite large. I manage to fit into scarpa veloce 45's but they are a little bit too tight but more importantly i will be shoeless when they need a resole.

THe advice above is all good and I am trying to track down some la sportiva in a decent size to confirm they are the ones.

Sonic

17-Mar-2012
11:03:54 AM

The reason you all think La Shitivas fit so well is because the last they make their shoes on is so much smaller than all the other brands. For instance, a Scarpa 42 is actually equivalent to a 39.5 in Sportiva, hence why people with larger feet can find their size, because a 45 (which is a more common size) is actually more like a 47 or so.

There are 13 messages in this topic.