I don't have any lace climbing shoes, but so far I know quite a few people who have Velcro shoes that have torn and the Velcro strap is no longer attached. My shoes are actually very close to tearing it seems as well.

I have never seen anyone whose lace shoes have torn though, but I'm sure it happens, I just don't know at what rate compared to Velcro shoes.

There may be some brands that have similar sizing, most likely by chance, but overall brands can have very different sizing to their shoes. Even different shoes from the same brand tend to have different sizing.

I believe he said in one of his recent videos, or just in a video he was in, that he downsizes his shoes a few sizes less than he used to a few years ago. I can't remember the reason why he said he does it.

I would say you should always try them on and see what works for you. The same principles apply to choosing neutral climbing shoes as they do to choosing aggressive climbing shoes - try them on and feel what feels best for you.

I would keep in mind the intended usage of the shoes though, since if you are getting neutral shoes, you may be climbing longer routes such as in sport and trad climbing, in which case, downsizing to something very tight may feel very painful and uncomfortable due to wearing the shoes for so long.

For me the fit of climbing shoes has always been the same based on the shoes. I haven't changed my shoe size since I started climbing a few years ago, even when I try on shoes I already have, like the Evolv Shaman 2, I still find that the best fit is the same size I got when I first bought them a few years ago.

I don't really think there is a general best length. For me personally, I cut them just enough to not be too short, but don't leave enough to hear the nails on the wall. If they are even a little bit longer than that, they tend to sometimes get bent backwards while grabbing the holds, which obviously is not very pleasant.

It for sure can if you wear the wrong shoes! It would also likely be a combination of other things such as wearing climbing shoes that are too small and landing badly, which could be bad regardless of the shoes, but wearing shoes that are not good for you would most likely increase the risk of bad landings.

Even without combining shoes and other factors, wearing climbing shoes that are not right for you, such as shoes that are too small, can cause damage by itself if you wear them for too long and if they are really too small.

Being well educated about how well sized climbing shoes should feel, mindful of if you got it wrong, and disciplined enough to listen to your body should help prevent damage to your feet though.

For me, after climbing for about a year, I noticed that my toes are more squished together, especially the tips of my toes. They have a sharper square shape rather than a round shape.

It sounds like either the shoes are not the right shape or fit, or there is a pressure point on your big toe. Or maybe you put too much weight on your big toe rather than spreading the weight across all of your toes?

Usually yes, but it should really be more of an uncomfortable feeling rather than actual pain. If you are used to climbing shoes, it may be fine, if not, you get used to it pretty quickly, assuming you didnt size down too much.

I like training static and slow movements for climbing. I feel it translates the best to actual climbing.

I usually find a pull up bar and just do a lot of different grip width variations. Some narrow grip, some shoulder width, and some as wide as I can. All of them are done slowly and controlled, so I don't jerk myself up. I start from a complete dead hang position, slowly pull myself up, and even more slowly lower myself back down.

I also try to pull myself further up, so that I am in between a regular pull up and muscle up.

Training one arms is probably my favorite though, it also really requires very minimal gear, basically just a pull up bar.

Anything body weight and slow movement helps me, so pull ups, push ups, handstands, etc.

I put a vitamin E cream on my hands before I fall asleep. I feel it really helps after sessions that leave me with pulsating red fingertips with little to no skin. The one I use is from Jason, its a 25,000 IU cream, but there are also oils with 75,000 IU, I haven't tried that yet though.

Leaving the cream on overnight does help quite noticeably. It doesn't completely heal the skin after one night, but usually after a second night of doing this I can climb again the next day.

As long as you feel that they are the right fit for you, then yes. I remember when I bought my first real pair of climbing shoes after my beginner shoes, I tried downsizing as everyone had told me I have to, but even the salesman asked me to not downsize because the it just didn't fit me properly. What ended up being a "performance" fit for me was actually my street shoe size. This is in spite of everyone telling me I have to downsize to the smallest size that I can stick my feet in, regardless of the pain. So as long as you don't listen to that advice and you get what ever you can climb in without terrible pain, or without any pain at all, it should be fine.

Slightly, but not too much! Though, many climbers may say its just a matter of how comfortable you are with curled toes. If its not painful and it doesnt negatively impact performance, maybe its ok.

Honestly, getting the right size and just wearing them will really get the job done.

If your shoes are just not the right size though, then it maybe either not get better, or it may be a very long process. Not being the right size also includes shoes that are too big, so keep that in mind.

One thing I like to do is to bend then around and scrunch them up before putting them on. I do this for about a minute and it really helps soften then up and makes them much less painful.

There isnt a rule that says you need one, but, if you are going to use chalk then I would say yes, you do.

You could put your chalk in plastic containers like many new climbers do, but this is really not efficient, and its very easy for the chalk to spill and get knocked over.