I'm getting back on the rock more after several years with little or no time to climb. One irritating twist: since the last time I bought comfy trad shoes, I've frostbitten my toes skiing. No tissue loss, but enough permanent swelling of my left big toe to bump me up a full shoe size from where I used to be. Worse, my feet used to be about 1/2 size different, left bigger than right; now it's almost a full size. And needless to say my abused toes don't put up with squishing like they once would.

I finally broke down and bought a second identical pair of shoes for the gym, 1/2 size bigger for my left foot than the biggest size that wasn't hopelessly loose on my right.

It's so much more comfortable and fun to climb with a perfect fit and no toe pain I guess that's the deal for me from here on out: two pairs of shoes every time (sigh).

So I need some comfy new trad shoes and, given the double expense, I really don't want to get it wrong.

I climbed in Newtons for years and I see they're back on the market, but I always hated the synthetic-leather stink and found they changed sizes a lot with every resoling. And the old Newton's toe was so bulbous they were essentially unusable for the occasional fingercrack pitches at granite areas where otherwise they'd have been terrific shoes to edge all day. I have the classic cauliflower-shaped 5.10 feet; nothing else really fits very well except a few Sportiva shoes like the Mythos if sized perfectly.

I climb mostly at the Gunks and on one long yearly trip to Tuolumne so I definitely want edging shoes. I'll wear my gym slippers for everything else.

I am looking at the new "Vmile" from 5.10. But at least one review claims it has a more "euro style" narrow shape, not the classic 5.10 shape like the Moccasym or Newton. And I see things in a Google search about them falling apart, too.

Still it will probably be the Vmile, or the Newton. Of course I'll try them both on, but: someone help steer me right, because at twice the price I really, really don't want to go wrong. Does the Vmile fit like other 5.10 shoes or narrower in the toebox? How are the current versions of both shoes as an all-day shoe for edging routes?

That doesn't sound like fun. You might think about dropping down to the Coyote, which is much cheaper and infinitely more adjustable but stretch a lot. Good luck.

I have a vague recollection of having heard that Acopa was willing to sell pairs of shoes with different sizes for left and right. Not sure if that's actually true or if they still do it, but it might be worth an e-mail to check.

http://www.acopausa.com/

TB, I never heard Acopa did this, but Evolv definitely used to, although I think they may have stopped. The charge was for more than an ordinary pair but wasn't twice as much either. The practice is called "splitting sizes" for those looking for a search term.

TLS (Thor?), Mad Rock shoes may have come out since you last climbed; they're a decent (and cheaper) option for 5.ten-shaped feet. Rubber's decent, too.

Scott climbs in the Flash; I've climbed in them a few times (we have the same size feet) and they're very similar to the Moccasyms - maybe even a bit roomier in the toebox. The Phoenix looks a bit more like the classic lace-up.

Good luck.

Edit add: I have classic five.ten feet, and never found Evolvs or Acopas to fit me comfortably. YMMV ...

Another thing: My classic five.ten feet and I have climbed in Anasazi velcros since many pairs. They're synthetic, tho. But they are a bit stiffer than the Moccasym/Flash, which may be what you want.

Yay!

If you speak to one of the 5.10 reps, they might be able to help get you a set of shoes with different L and R sizes. It's been done in the past but has to be a direct order.