Scarpa Instinct VS Women's Climbing shoes-39

Bought in 1 EU size down. Compared with La Sportiva Solution Women's that I have with 1.5 EU size down which I wear comfortably after 2 sessions, this pair is very much harder to break-in, and the toe box is narrower. I still feel pain in the big toe knuckles after 5 sessions of bouldering. Yet a good pair of climbing shoes with sticky rubber.

Best shoe I've ever owned

I have small heels, and have struggled for years to find a shoe that actually fits my narrow/small heels. In the past, I have never been able to securely heel hook anything because the heel slides out of even very aggressive shoes. But these shoes changed that completely and I am able to heel hook securely. I know that there are also men who also enjoy the women's version of this shoe because of the smaller heel; honestly if there was a version that had even smaller heels I would definitely buy that but for now these are as perfect as shoes can get for me. I have gone through two pairs already and these are the only shoes I will continue buying. There is one area where my second toe pushes against the top a bit hard and that tends to wear out more quickly, but other ... MoreI have small heels, and have struggled for years to find a shoe that actually fits my narrow/small heels. In the past, I have never been able to securely heel hook anything because the heel slides out of even very aggressive shoes. But these shoes changed that completely and I am able to heel hook securely. I know that there are also men who also enjoy the women's version of this shoe because of the smaller heel; honestly if there was a version that had even smaller heels I would definitely buy that but for now these are as perfect as shoes can get for me. I have gone through two pairs already and these are the only shoes I will continue buying. There is one area where my second toe pushes against the top a bit hard and that tends to wear out more quickly, but other than that this is a shoe that I can wear for 3-hour long sessions at the gym and hard projects and never feel like I have to take it off.

Don't size down!

Not sure why MEC says to size down because that is a bad idea. I got my street shoe size (or maybe was 0.5 down) and they were still so painfully tight that after 5 months of wearing them, I decided to sell them. They will NOT stretch so don't buy them thinking they will. Agreed also with other reviewers that the rubber wears fast (because it is soft and thin rubber) - but why would you not resole the shoe? I needed a resole after 5 months. Once resoled with regular rubber, they will last as normal. I don't buy based on the rubber because I always resole and all climbing shoe rubber lasts a year TOPS.Otherwise, these are "comfortable" for a performance shoe and excellent snug heel as well. I just wish I had gotten a slightly larger size.

Good climbing shoe, long break in period

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.

Great first moderate shoe!

I love these shoes! For reference, I wear a women's tennis shoe size of about 7, and I do mostly indoor gym climbing in the US.I normally fit 5.5 in other moderate/aggressive climbing shoes, but this shoe seems to run a 1/2 size small, so the 6's in these fit well. They are a great step up from my LaSportiva Tarantulace shoes (also size 6, but stretched out). The moderate downturn and tighter fit make a huge difference!I also tried on the Skwama, Vapor V, and Miura, but this shoe was the only one that fit my narrow flat feet. This shoe had the least amount of "bunched up" of fabric under the velcro strap, so they hug my flat feet better. This shoe also had the tightest-fitting heel; however, it is still just a tad large (I can squish the sides by about 1/4 inch ... MoreI love these shoes! For reference, I wear a women's tennis shoe size of about 7, and I do mostly indoor gym climbing in the US.I normally fit 5.5 in other moderate/aggressive climbing shoes, but this shoe seems to run a 1/2 size small, so the 6's in these fit well. They are a great step up from my LaSportiva Tarantulace shoes (also size 6, but stretched out). The moderate downturn and tighter fit make a huge difference!I also tried on the Skwama, Vapor V, and Miura, but this shoe was the only one that fit my narrow flat feet. This shoe had the least amount of "bunched up" of fabric under the velcro strap, so they hug my flat feet better. This shoe also had the tightest-fitting heel; however, it is still just a tad large (I can squish the sides by about 1/4 inch on each side), but I only notice it being a problem when I try to heel hook on small ledges. These also tend to pull on the achilles (good luck finding a shoe that doesn't!), so I stick a piece of athletic tape over the tendon.Overall, I would highly recommend these shoes. They have a comfortable toe box, good ankle mobility, grippy rubber on the toe for toe hooks (great for crack climbing as well), and stiff rubber along the back of the heel for heel hooks. I have also been able to wear these for 2-3 hours at the gym without having to take them off, although they do take about 30 minutes to break in each time I go to the gym.I have had no issues with the durability of the material after climbing with them for 100+ hours.

My favourite all arounder

I'm onto my third pair of these, I like them so much. They have a large enough toe box and a narrow LV heel that fits perfectly. I find them sensitive enough for tiny feet and great for slab and overhung routes. They last a decent amount of time but I have had to resole them after maybe 5 months of climbing 3-4 times a week. I will keep purchasing these.

Nice versatile shoe!

This climbing shoe is my favorite. It's versatile for bouldering, inside sport climbing and rock climbing. It is very precise. It works well on slabs. It fits large foot. The heel fits my foot better than the men's model. I wear 39 in this model with a confortable fit and I normally wear 7,5 US woman.

Perfect fit

The whole Instinct line is phenomenal and this is my go-to shoe for any sport climb that requires putting all my weight on tiny foot holds. ! I have a high volume foot, medium-width toe box, and narrow heel. With the Instinct VS, VSR, & S(R), I've been wearing 43.5 and went up to 44 on the W Instinct. The other instinct models were slightly too tight at 43.5 and had too much space in a 44, but the W Instinct fits perfectly! Other brand size comparisons: Evolv Shaman- 10.5, La Sportiva Solution Comp- 42.5, Tenaya Ra- 10

Sick bouldering shoes

Huge upgrade from my five tens. Used them a dozen times now and I couldn’t have picked out a better pair. I climb mainly indoors, strict bouldering, it’s definitely gets better after 5 climbing sessions. I have very minimal arch so it took some getting used to. Very sensitive to the holds, love the traction. I’ve been missing out this whole time. Didn’t know it could get better!!!!

runs too small

Everyone says “size down a half size from your street size!” I did not do this. In fact, I bought 8.5 and I normally wear 8-8.5 in street shoes. I swear to god, I have been breaking these in since May. It is now December. MEC doesn’t carry these in store so I originally bought an 8, sent them back, bought 8.5, thought they’d break in but they’re not. My feet hurt so badly every time I climb and I think I’ll get ingrowns if I keep climbing with these. I’d say even size up a half size from your street size - I wish I had!