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Re-Thinking the culture of overly tight climbing shoes: How downsizing upsizes foot pain when climbing

Writer's picture: Becca CatlinBecca Catlin

Updated: Nov 5, 2024



Foot pain when climbing

Eighty to ninety percent of climbers have foot pain when climbing (1,2,3)In those surveyed, climbing with foot pain was considered normal by all participants.  

Blackened toenails, blisters, callouses, corns, claw feet, hammer toes, nail fungus are all common place in climbers’ feet. One of the more painful and functionally limiting consequences associated with climbers feet are bunions (1,4,5).


The literature refers to bunions as hallux valgus. Hallux valgus deformities are often accompanied by osteoarthritis in the first toe. The impact of hallux valgus not only results in pain climbing but long-term impacts on gait and can lead to pain with walking, running, and make finding well-fitting shoes more difficult. A recent study reported 45% of the climbers have pain in the first toe. Structural deformities of the foot are present in 54% of climbers (6,7). 



Foot Pain when climbing hallux valgus

Predisposing factors for hallux valgus in the general public include female sex, age, constricting footwear, and family history. In climbers, it has long been associated with undersized climbing shoes and the cramped position of the foot while climbing. In climbers this condition is not correlated with age but tends to be associated with the number of years climbing and climbing grade (6,8). The harder you climb and the longer you climb, the more likely you are to develop foot deformities and pain. Another finding in the literature is that women are injured at a higher rate than men (6,9). Studies have reported an average shoe size reduction between normal shoes and climbing shoes from 1-2 US sizes or 2-4 sizes UK (4,10).

Foot pain when climbing small climbing shoes
McHenry RD, Arnold GP, Wang W, Abboud RJ. Footwear in rock climbing: Current practice. Foot (Edinb). 2015 Sep;25(3):152-8.

An average climbing shoe length is 0.71 cm shorter than the climbers’ feet (3).

One study observed Hallux valgus in greater numbers in those with greater reduction in the width of the toe box (1).    


Most climbing shoes have some degree of asymmetry where the shoe narrows considerably through the toe region forcing the big toe toward the 2nd toe. The hallux valgus angle increases from 14° barefoot to 21° within the shoe (4). 


Foot pain when climbing asymmetrical rock shoes
Foot pain when climbing
Foot pain when climbing asymmetrical rock shoes

The combination of a shortened length, tight toe box, and pressure on the big toe changes the biomechanics of the foot and increase stress placed on the forefoot. Multiple researchers agree that this practice of overly tight climbing shoes likely leads to foot pathology (2,3,4).



Foot pain when climbing foot position in climbing shoes
A) Foot position while standing in climbing shoes B) Foot position while climbing Krause, Q. M., et al. "Functional Evaluation Using Enhanced Techniques For Precision Imaging In Climbing Shoes (FEETPICS)." Osteoarthritis Imaging 4 (2024): 100204.

As seen in the image above, climbing shoes create excessive angulation of the joint that increases while climbing and is thought to contribute to the development of hallux valgus and foot pain while climbing though further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis (11).


To date, there are no investigations that examine the influence size reduction of climbing shoes on climbers’ performance. Yet, it is still widely believed that small shoes and foot pain are an inevitable part of sport climbing.


The high-level climbing athletes may choose very tight shoes to aid in performance.  However, most recreational climbers will find no significant impact on performance with an aggressively tight shoe. A comfortable fitting shoe with as wide a toe box as you can find, has a less asymmetry, and does not hurt will better serve the non-professional climber.

Climbing shoes should fit snug to minimize any slipping of the foot within the shoe or the toe sliding forward creating large gaps at the heel. Toes do need to be at the end of the shoe to feel and perch on the tiny ledges, but toes do not have to be significantly bent.


edging in climbing shoes

Due to the nature of the sport, a climber’s toes will take a lot of stress. We are often smearing with our toes pressed into extension, a position of compression. We drive off of our toes requiring foot strength to aid in a ridged lever for push off and grip ledges with our toes. Though often ignored, foot strength is a necessary to both make you a better climber and aid in reducing foot pain and overuse injury from climbing. Head to this post for more on how to train foot strength to reduce foot pain and deformity: Reduce foot pain climbing: poor muscle strength can lead to overuse injuries of the foot, this is how to fix it.



References

  1. SM, Gil. Foot Injuries In Sport Climbers: Footwear And Other Associated Factors. International Journal of Medicine & Science of Physical Activity & Sport/Revista Internacional de Medicina y Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte 23.90 (2023). 

  2. Schöffl V, Winkelmann HP. [Footdeformations in sport- climbers] Fußdeformitäten bei Sportkletterern. 1. D Z Sport- med 1999; 50: 73-76

  3. McHenry RD, Arnold GP, Wang W, Abboud RJ. Footwear in rock climbing: Current practice. Foot (Edinb). 2015 Sep;25(3):152-8.

  4. Schöffl, Volker, and Thomas Küpper. "Feet injuries in rock climbers." World journal of orthopedics 4.4 (2013): 218.

  5. Lejonagoitia-Garmendia, M., et al. "Foot injuries in sport climbers: footwear and other associated factors." Revista multidisciplinar de las Ciencias del Deporte 23.90 (2023)

  6. Cobos-Moreno, Paula, Álvaro Astasio-Picado, and Beatriz Gómez-Martín. "Epidemiological study of foot injuries in the practice of sport climbing." International journal of environmental research and public health 19.7 (2022): 4302.

  7. Colò, G., et al. "The efficacy of shoes modification and orthotics in hallux valgus deformity: a comprehensive review of literature." Musculoskeletal surgery (2024): 1-8.

  8. Ray, Justin J., et al. "Hallux valgus." Foot & ankle orthopaedics 4.2 (2019): 2473011419838500.

  9. Grønhaug, G. Self-reported chronic injuries in climbing: Who gets injured when? BMJ Open Sport Exerc. Med. 2018, 4, e000406.

  10. Killian et al, McHenry RD, Arnold GP, Wang W, Abboud RJ. Footwear in rock climbing: Current practice. Foot (Edinb). 2015 Sep;25(3):152-8.

  11. Krause, Q. M., et al. "Functional Evaluation Using Enhanced Techniques For Precision Imaging In Climbing Shoes (FEETPICS)." Osteoarthritis Imaging 4 (2024): 100204.



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