When shopping for my next pair of aggressive bouldering shoes, I found that my heel would slip slightly out of the shoe when aggressively pointing my toes. the instinct is the first and only shoe I found that didnt do this.I also have extremely wide feet, and these do not bind my toes together like I found that many other shoes did. however, they are slightly shallow in height, so every once in a while I have to pop my heel out because I felt pressure from the toe rubber pushing down right on top of the knuckle of my big toe.they are decently stiff, which is good for me because I weigh ~190 pounds. BUT, dont let the sx edge rubber scare you; I have not noticed that they are slippery when smearing on volumes. They still grip quite well for heavier climbers, while ... MoreWhen shopping for my next pair of aggressive bouldering shoes, I found that my heel would slip slightly out of the shoe when aggressively pointing my toes. the instinct is the first and only shoe I found that didnt do this.I also have extremely wide feet, and these do not bind my toes together like I found that many other shoes did. however, they are slightly shallow in height, so every once in a while I have to pop my heel out because I felt pressure from the toe rubber pushing down right on top of the knuckle of my big toe.they are decently stiff, which is good for me because I weigh ~190 pounds. BUT, dont let the sx edge rubber scare you; I have not noticed that they are slippery when smearing on volumes. They still grip quite well for heavier climbers, while still being sensitive enough for overhangs and roof problems. the toe is very pointed and quite precise, which is good for improving your footwork.I've come to realize I prefer one big velcro strap over more intricate lacing systems, like the la sportiva solution lace or the evolv phantom lacing system. I feel like a big strong velcro strap locks my heel down into the shoe better than thinner laces. That's just my opinion though; I know that others disagree.Now for sizing: take this with a grain of salt, since I have quite wide feet and I have never been able to downsize aggressively like other people on forums say they do. My street shoe is US 11 (sometimes 11.5). I got the instinct in EU 43.5, which equals US 10 1/3. I could probably size down to a 10 for ULTIMATE tightness, but im sorta a baby and dont like cramming my feet into super tight shoes. With the 43.5, my toes are slightly curled, toes touching the front, but do not feel like theyre suffocating. Good mix of performance and comfort, and I can wear them for several attempts before popping them off.For other reference, I tried the Evolv Phantom in size US 11.5, which was my comfort fit where I could where them for longer periods of time without having to take them off, and in size US 11, where I pretty much had to take them off after every boulder problem I tried, because they were too tight.Sizing was a huge problem when I was shopping for new shoes, so hopefully this helps anyone that is interested in the instincts!

I got the instincts recently in both the men’s and women’s versions (I wanted the men’s for outdoors because they have the harder XS Edge rubber and the women’s for indoor because of the softer XS Grip 2 rubber).I wear a size 8 (41) street shoe and got the men’s in 41 and the women’s in 41.5 since they’re lower volume (and in case anyone is interested in sizing between men’s and women’s, that half size difference seems to make them fit very similarly). The fit is pretty good, though definitely snug, and there is some pain through the break in period.So far, they seem like a good shoe, but the break in period is long. After probably 5-7 indoor climbing days, I still get pain on my big toes and have to tape them to be able to wear the shoes with reasonable comfort. ... MoreI got the instincts recently in both the men’s and women’s versions (I wanted the men’s for outdoors because they have the harder XS Edge rubber and the women’s for indoor because of the softer XS Grip 2 rubber).I wear a size 8 (41) street shoe and got the men’s in 41 and the women’s in 41.5 since they’re lower volume (and in case anyone is interested in sizing between men’s and women’s, that half size difference seems to make them fit very similarly). The fit is pretty good, though definitely snug, and there is some pain through the break in period.So far, they seem like a good shoe, but the break in period is long. After probably 5-7 indoor climbing days, I still get pain on my big toes and have to tape them to be able to wear the shoes with reasonable comfort. From the reviews I’ve read online, apparently it will get better, but some people said it takes as many as 20 wears to get a true break in.Other than that, I find I get pretty good performance from the shoe. Good edging and pretty good grip (probably slightly better with the women’s version), thought my feet feel a little clumsy as I wait for the shoes to break in more. Smearing isn’t great, but I suppose that’s expected in a shoe that is a bit more aggressive.Overall, I’m pretty happy with the shoe, and hoping they break in a bit better.

These were my first pair of shoes after my beginner shoes so I haven't tried many different shoes yet but I love these shoes. The toebox gives me a lot more confidence so I can "trust my feet" on small little holds. With them being an aggressive shoe they do great on overhang stuff as well. The only thing currently I've found where they don't excel is on volumes with dynamic jumping, which is just due to them being aggressive so you don't have as much of your foot on the volume/hold.Be warned though if you're going from a beginner shoe to these be ready for your feet to hurt. Mine killed me the first few times. They still hurt when wearing them now that they're broken in but it's much more managable. As others have said the shoes don't stretch due to their ... MoreThese were my first pair of shoes after my beginner shoes so I haven't tried many different shoes yet but I love these shoes. The toebox gives me a lot more confidence so I can "trust my feet" on small little holds. With them being an aggressive shoe they do great on overhang stuff as well. The only thing currently I've found where they don't excel is on volumes with dynamic jumping, which is just due to them being aggressive so you don't have as much of your foot on the volume/hold.Be warned though if you're going from a beginner shoe to these be ready for your feet to hurt. Mine killed me the first few times. They still hurt when wearing them now that they're broken in but it's much more managable. As others have said the shoes don't stretch due to their material so I would suggest trying them on first.