Quote Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider View Post
So you really are after shoes that are maybe a 1/2 size smaller than normal? I'm going to stay away from Velcro, I don't mind the extra minute it might take to take my shoes off. I hate the way Velcro straps end up curling; and at times wearing and becoming less 'sticky'. I'll still give bouldering a go, but only indoors. I didn't think about the height at all on Saturday, I was very focussed; I'd watched quite a ferw videos the night before and tried to emulate some of the moves. Today I walked to the top of Mount Torrens and back, whichj is my recent Sunday morning routine; and my legs and glutes are really startiung to hurt now. The glutes get a pretty good workout climbing, esp given the odd contortions...
The velcro of the shoes I had didn't become less sticky at all, I can assure you that somethimes you would like to remove the shoes VERY quickly! If You're standing on a piece of half a centimeter it tends to hurt... I'm sorry but I don't think walking is going to help, especially in bouldering, I climbed about 6 years to a 6c-7a (European) level and my muscles still had pains, every route has different moves so you push allways other muscles to the limit, my advise should be, do it slowly, take you're time, especially on the fingers, don't do bidoits and such the first years, watch you're body closely!
Train the basics very good, especially the feet-work, train heel-hooks with good fitting shoes..... And about shoes, don't buy them too thight in the beginning, buy straight shoes, not curved, the thoes must be curled a bit, check the heel, normally you should be able to test the shoes in the store, be shure if you pull with you're heel on a rock, that it doesn't come off, eventually you will learn after a couple off worned out shoes wath YOU need and how small YOU want it to be,

HAVE FUN!