I have visited the Calafate and ICI Ishii Sports shops, and I can't seem to find a comfortable rock climbing pair of shoes for my size (47-48 Euro size).

I'm a beginner climber, and not keen to strapping on to "regular" sized rock shoes, as what seasoned climbers and climbing outfitters seem to recommend...too painful for my taste.

Anyone know of an actual shop here in Tokyo (or Kanagawa) where they do sell my size?

Would I be better off shopping online, having someone back home buy rock shoes for me, and then pay the customs duty for delivery to Japan?

Thanks for reading this.

Have you tried Kamoshika sports in Takadanobaba? I don't know if they'd have your size, but you could give them a call before wasting the trip.

Takadanobaba is their main mountain branch, and they have a fairly good selection of stuff, including climbing gear. Here's the link:

http://www.kamoshika.co.jp/shop_info/honten/honten.html

And here's the phone number: 03-3232-1121

Some Montbell shops also carry climbing gear, athough the assortment is usually not large.

I generally like to try on shoes before I buy, but if all else fails I guess you could order online. If I did this, I'd go for an unlined model that'll stretch and mold well to your feet. Maybe Sportiva Mythos or 5.10 Moccasyms, depending on whether you like an asymetric toe or not...?

I've had good luck with REI orders in the past, and they accept returns for any reason whatsoever, including wrong size.

Let us know what you find.

- Bill

Thanks tokyo bill.

We found shoes at the Harajuku branch of ICI Ishii Sports!

Thanks for the info, dude.

feline

P.S. I did not suddenly have bigger feet...just a bigger friend *wink*wink*

Heh! I was actually wondering about that, but didn't want to say anything...

Glad to hear that you were able to find what you need. I actually have a climbing friend who is having trouble finding big enough shoes for himself. What sizes did you find at ICI in Harajuku?

- Bill

We got Mammut Edge with Euro size of 46, which was the largest in the shop at that time.

I suspect that if he was not a newbie, a smaller size would do, and would have been satisfied with another pair we found at Calafate.

All I can say about the staff at any climbing shops in Tokyo is, they are very accommodating, and would do anything to make the sale.