I’m a beginner climber and I got Evolv Shamans in my street size a few weeks ago since I read good reviews about them and I got them pretty cheap as they were in the discounted section of my local climbing shop, but only in that size. They’ve been great at allowing me to stand on small edges and get better height on my toes due to the thick rand, but they hurt like hell to wear, making the benefits I gain from using them somewhat moot, as I’m not able to climb and improve as much as I’d like to.

I’ve been wearing them around the house in addition to the gym in the hopes of breaking them in quicker (I’ve had to wear plastic bags on my feet to prevent blisters on my heels and toes from excessive friction) and I noticed they don’t really seem to have broken in that much and still hurt my toes a lot (especially the tops of my big toes), so I’d like some recommendations for the next pair that I get.

I have Morton’s toe/Greek feet and my feet are probably wider and less-arched than average. I’d like to get a more comfortable pair for long gym sessions, so I think I’d prefer lace-up shoes in the future. I’ve narrowed my choices down to the Scarpa Veloce L and the Ocún Advancer LU, both of which are lace-up, apparently suited for Greek feet, and are vegan. I’d appreciate some comparisons if people have experience with them, or if you have recommendations for other shoes that might suit my criteria better, please share them too!