Help!

[u/New-Berry-2732]

Hi, I’m struggling to transition to my second pair of climbing shoes. My first is the La Sportiva Mythos, they are snug and comfy, my street size is 39 and they are a 37.5 (but they don’t look that small next to my everyday shoes). I have slim feet and have tried quite a few shoes, buying online and returning. I got close to ordering La Sportiva Kubo in 38.5 but went on holiday so held off. While on hold in Denmark I went to a climbing shop and the attendant convinced me to go Scarpa Vapor V in a 40. They are shorter than my Mythos and a bit painful but she said no pain no gain and that they would stretch…Have worn them at home for brief periods last 3 days and they are still sore. Should I persevere / is there any hope?

[u/Vivir_Mata]

You got bad advice. The Vapor V already has a pretty bad break-in period and there is no point to using the "no pain, no gain strategy" with them. They should be snug, form fitting, and a little uncomfortable, but not painful when climbing. You can expect to gain about 0.5 sizes with break-in, so try on a larger size to see how that feels to you and then size down to whatever you think can reasonably get you to the fit you want.

Vapors or Kubos are great options for a second shoe, but I would be sizing them differently.

[u/New-Berry-2732 → u/Vivir_Mata]

Thanks