I am looking to get some new shoes. I climb mostly indoors, and I would like a stiffer sole(midsole) & some moderate downturn without sacrificing too much comfort. I have researched for a quite a bit(more like a ton!) and would like some Scarpa Feroces.
I am also interested in getting some La Sportiva Solutions, and am curious what a good size for those would be as Moosejaw is having a sale. Maybe 40.5, 41.0, or 41.5?

My street shoe size is 9.5(42.5). I currently have some Scarpa Reflexes size 9.0(42.0), which I do NOT recommend even to beginners. They were tight at first, but have stretched to PERFECT fit except a little dead space in the heel. They were actually pretty decent at first for me, but are now mushy and low-performance. The TAC-100 rubber is just awful(slippery & no stick).

Anyways I was just wondering if some people could shed some light on Scarpa sizing. It says half a size-2 down on their website for Scarpa. How do the Feroces size compared to the Reflexes? I heard the Feroces don't really stretch that much. Reflexes stretch about half a size.

I know I'm new to the forums, but any help on these two shoes soon would be much appreciated since I will be ordering online.

Thanks,
Alex

Thanks for the quick reply. Well, I'm glad you like them a lot. That reassures me I chose a good shoe after all my researching

Um, I don't like my shoes too painful really, maybe a half size up from pain if they do or don't stretch. I can take some which I did with breaking in my Reflexes. Actually now that I look, my Adidas shoes say 9.5(43 & 1/2) but I see what you are saying with EUR sizing variation ... so my 42 Reflexes would fit into the .5-2 downsize category well. I don't really have a place close to try them on, and the store I'm talking about can only order them in for me/doesn't have them in store to try on.

Scarpa runs pretty consistently right? So I think a 42.0 might be good unless this model runs a bit larger. How much would you say yours have stretched? Just curious what other climbing shoes do you have? I'm pretty new to climbing, but I climb a lot. My footwork is probably okay for a new climber. Scarpas give me that made to last quality feeling. Thanks for your help! Anyone else have other experience with this shoe or the Solutions?

Editing is weak?

I am looking to get some new shoes. I climb mostly indoors, and I would like a stiffer sole(midsole) & some moderate downturn without sacrificing too much comfort. I have researched for a quite a bit(more like a ton!) and would like some Scarpa Feroces.
I am also interested in getting some La Sportiva Solutions, and am curious what a good size for those would be as Moosejaw is having a sale. Maybe 40.5, 41.0, or 41.5?

The Solutions are anything but stiff and both shoes have a *very* aggressive downturn.

Maybe you should do some more research.

That's kinda what I was thinking.

I think you might have a hard time going from a low end show like the Reflexes to something really down turned like the Feroces, or especially something like the Solutions.

These shoes are designed to really concentrate the power from your foot for climbing on overhangs. To make the most of these shoes you will need a snug fit. It takes some time of stuffing your feet into small shoes to get used to it and have a "comfortable" fit that is actually tight enough to take advantage of these shoes.

A shoe like the Katana might be a better shoe for what you're looking for (assuming that they fit). They are a good all arounder that you should still be able to fit comfortably. You might also want to look at the Forces (though I much prefer my Katanas for overhanging routes and generally leave my Forces for vertical terrain, YMMV).

And of course if you still want these more aggressive shoe, by all means buy them. But you should try them on first and think about their fit in terms of their function and if you can get away with wearing them as loose as you're hoping to.

Thank you for your input! The shoes I am looking for are an aggressive to semi-aggressive design. I feel the Solutions are probably too unwieldy for my skill right now. Haha! I looked at the Vapor V's and the Boostics. I read they were a bit softer, and didn't look as durable or tight fitting as the Feroces. I understand they are expensive, but after my last crappy shoes I want performance along with quality & a bit of comfort. Moosejaw has no more Boostics after the price drop today, lol. Great to hear you wear the same size in all your Scarpas.
Are the the Solutions and Feroces similar in performance(or similar performing style)?

But Money...

Why do you hate on the reflexes so much? They are a great shoe for what they are: a flat, inexpensive, board lasted, full-leather shoe.

Have the Reflexes been re-designed? Because I have a pair - they are probably 8 years old now - and they are most definitely SLIP LASTED.

I'm not sure on the grades, so I can't help you there.
I have started climbing steep overhangs yet, but want to get to that point sometime. I do routes with small micro edges more often I would say.
My footwork isn't sublime or anything(I probably do make noise with my feet, not sure), but I don't scrape the wall a lot though unless I'm dynoing then toeing the wall or doing a pull-up.
I understand shoes won't magically make me a better climber I have to get a stronger upper body(especially), lower body, and core... It's way more about me and my climbing skills than shoes, but from my understanding shoes can help promote progression through the grades too.

Thanks for your insight. What are the grades of routes in general? like 5.8a - 5.12c and V12... I don't know about those things yet, but would like to learn about the ratings.