Hello! I have been searching for a trad shoe for a while now and nothing seems to fit. I have the curse of narrow low volume heel paired with a wide forefoot. The only shoe I have found that works is the Tenaya Iati however I was wondering if there is a stiffer more trad oriented shoe that would also fit my weird foot shape. If possible id like to avoid laced but if you know a pair that might work post them down below. Looking forward to hopefully finding a shoe that works!
Sacrpa vapour lace or velcros? I've found them good for a wide foot, comfortable and great performance wise.
Fit is far more important than the model. Obviously depends on rock type, but personally I much prefer a soft shoe outdoors as you can smear onto natural features.
What size are you? If it's an option try on ladies models as these are generally lower volume on the heel (but also on the forefoot, so might not help).
Surely if the Iati fits you well then the Oasi is worth a look. It may not have the stiffness you are looking for but is built on the same last so the fit shouldn't be too far off and the shoe is geared more towards comfort - if you are looking for something that can be worn all day.
The main differences are described here: https://boulderingheights.com/tenaya-iati-vs-oasi/
I also have a pretty weird foot shape (wide bunion toe and narrow heel) and found the new TC pro to be very comfortable. A great, stiff shoe for all day mulitpich. The Scarpa Generator is also supposed to be very good and be a real contender to the comfort of the TC pro. Though these are laced.
I love my Iati's. They're the most comfortable shoe I've owned, I had them resoled to use as my indoor shoe but more often than not I'll just wear them all the time indoors and out.
I was also looking for something that would fit the same but would be a wee bit stiffer.
I found a pair of Scarpa generator mid's on eBay quite cheap so took a punt on these. Only worn them for one pitch outside but the fit seems to be pretty good in the forefoot. Heel maybe seems a little baggy maybe but I'll have to try them a bit more to give a proper recommendation.
I'd try a pair of crocs
I second the Scarpa Vapour range.
Bit old fashioned, but like you I have a wide forefoot and love the LaSportiva Mythos. Double lacing system which allows custom adjustment all the way down the foot, and you can wear them all day. Don‘t know what grades you’re climbing at, but for me at +/- E2 the only thing that is problematical is the rare heel hooks on small sidepulls. Otherwise they‘re great allrounders.
Scarpa Maestros were amazing for that foot shape. I too have a narrow heel, wide (some would say shovel-like) forefeet and arthritic toes that need stiff shoes and these are 100% my favourites ever. Comfy, supportive and more than good enough for f7a+/low extreme pottering. Unfortunately they're now discontinued but there I think the Generators are supposed to be quite similar so could be worth having a look at.
Personally, I've found with this particular foot shape that lace ups are the best. YMMV but I'm yet to find a well fitting slipper or velco shoe that works without giving me a super baggy heel.
I have the same shape as you and I wear the lace Unparallels (whatever the regular ones are called - Up?) but presumably you've tried them.
I'm also a Tenaya fan (Iati/Mastia) and wear either new style TC Pros or the Women's Katana Lace for trad. I find anything Scarpa to be way to deep in the heel (Generator and Vapour Lace both have this problem for me) for the amount of forefoot width. The heel on the TC pros has a bit of spare room side-to-side, but no problem with excess depth, and it's not a shoe I find myself doing much heel hooking in!
I'm a 41.5 in Iatis and a 42.5 in TCs, if that helps. 42 is fine in Katanas (they don't make the Women's model any larger) but they're less of an all-day shoe, better for harder single pitches
Ocun are worth looking into, they actually do some different models for different foot shapes and their sizing info specifies sole length as well as shape. They also guide you on whether you want performance or comfort fit. I got some, a beginner oriented model with a stiff sole and simple lacing, can't remember the model. I went for a tightish fit to bunch my toes deliberately and they are nice & narrow in the heel. Unfortunately I stubbed my toe badly around this time, it has yet to fully recover so I've been climbing in some comfy old 5.10 Spires or some less grippy Scarpa Tarantulas at the wall.
It would be worth trying the Tenaya Masia, my go to shoe for the last 10 years now.
It's so hard to recommend a shoe to someone else, because there are so many factors at play...
Maybe you could explain a little more about rock type, weight, grade. If you climb long pitches and weigh more than 75kg, a reasonably stiff pair of shoes probably would be beneficial.
My absolute favourites are Katana laces, but they feel awful until broken in, so they're not easy to get a sense of. La Spo Finale is a very comfortable flat shoe, but wouldn't be my choice for anything pushy. Unparallel UP Lace is also comfy and fairly flat and supportive fit, but climbs nicely.
I don't like the Instinct Laces because the toe box is very painful on my big toe. I don't really like the look of Generators or TC Pros because they look too stiff and insensitive and I don't get the craze... I'm not completely sold on the current model of Scarpa Vapors, as they're ok but neither super comfy nor super precise. Most Tenayas feel too soft and too narrow for trad, to my tastes, though I wore the Inti quite a bit for a while. Some people have recommended the Ocun Jett to me, as a stiff, comfy but reasonably performance oriented trad shoe, but I've never tried it.
It's a nightmare, but... eventually you'll hit on the right ones, if you try a few different models and persevere.
The Oasi is very narrow in the forefoot if fitted correctly, and it is a very soft shoe. I love them for bouldering and, once worn in, single-pitch sport, but I'd never recommend them as a trad shoe. They can be painful and require a lot of your calves and feet on longer pitches.
I have the same foot shape and find La Sportiva Katana Laces the perfect shaped shoe for my foot - arguably over gunned for what I'm leading (typically VS/HVS with maybe the occasional E1 if I'm feeling strong, and up to 6b sport) and they look a bit downturned out of the box, but they soon flatten out into a really comfy, supportive all rounder. (Bear in mind they are a completely different shape to the Katana velcros though which I find much narrower.)
I have also used the Otaki's in the past and they are a very similar shape but velcro so worth a look - not quite as supportive though so I prefer the Katana lace ups. I also have a pair of TC Pros which again are a similar shape but stiffer - great for edgy/mountain rock, but a little lacking in sensitivity on smeary stuff until well worn in.
I have the same footshape and due to working for an outdoor shop have tried most of the popular models on the market with the exception of Tenaya and Boreal. Thus far best results have been from Katana Lace and Instinct Lace. Instinct Lace 1 size down has been fine for walls up to 1000m and around 15hrs wear, Katana Lace I've had tighter so far for harder pitches but planning on trying it a little larger for the bigwalls. TC Pro was excellently comfy but a little insensitive for my taste - I think I sized it a little small though.
If you're lightweight then Skwamas are amazing but for anyone over 75kg they get very soft very fast.
good info on the scarpa range and their relative fits here:
https://world.scarpa.com/page/climbing-collection-structure
Also I've never found a shoe with a particularly wide heel cup, what's your issue with the heel widths on your narrow heels? and is it relevant for a general trad shoe?
You probably need to say where you climb and where you want to climb in your new shoes - as much as your foot shape. Personally I think "trad shoe" in the UK is essentially meaningless because of diversity of rock types. For climbing mountain igneous rock in the Lakes or Scotland I'll take the same shoe that I use for sport climbing in the Peak, and the shoes I often use for trad climbing in the Peak on grit are my softer ones which I might also use for bouldering or smeary sport climbing on granite. But trad climbing on limestone around here? I'd probably use the same one as I use for sport climbing on limestone around here!