Any way to remove the scuff marks?

I'd offer them to your child, maybe before the birthday, esp. since this is what they wanted and see if they are acceptable. If not, either try to find newer looking shoes or another gift.

Usually womens' shoes are narrower than a mans. How's the width? Me too...I'd try to remove the scuff? The way they fit is really important. And yes....the seller should have said, "scuffed". How hard would that have been....

In rock climbing it's really important how the shoe fits. There's low volume and high volume. Only way to tell us if they put them on their feet.

https://thefrontclimbingclub.com/blog/the-thick-and-thin-of-climbing-shoes/

Send an email with photos. Return them for full refund and buy another gift. Myself...I would not give a gift that looks scuffed and used.

You could still give them to your kid - just not as a wrapped gift. Definitely for a try-on, and return if they don't fit properly - if possible.

I'd get something else too.

And you can convert from men's to women's sizes or vice versa...

I agree with all posters. I really dislike dishonesty. To say an new and clearly is not, it just terrible.

I do agree to offer the shoes, but not as a gift. If they are difficult to find maybe your child won't care if they are scuffed.

Definitely use them for sizing ideas.

Rob i found several pairs of pink rock climbing shoes in men's sizes on Amazon. I would not give your child those that you bought. Get a refund if you can.

Leave it to Amy!

I think I like the idea to have something in hand before they go away to school. Their birthday is not for a couple of months and I won't see them on their birthday. So a second gift might also make sense... Like a harness.

I know what I left out! I don't have time to return them and get new ones to replace before they go back to school.

Can you ship other ones to them at school?

If it comes to that. Sure.

I'd just like to see them open a present in person, because it's been so long! I'm sure they enjoy hanging out with their friends on their birthday, but I miss them

The chart that Carol posted is not accurate, in my experience. I frequently buy women's hiking shoes because I wear a men's 7, but I wear a 9 in women's, and I wear a 40 in Euro. A lot of stores will not have a men's 7, but they all carry women's 9, although often those are sold out, as it seems to be a popular size. Sizing also varies from one brand to the next, often by a full size.

You can get size Wide in women's sizes, I wear 9 wide.

Rob I'd keep them and at least have them try them on and see if they would fit at all. You could certainly mention that they were bought as a gift, and were listed as new so that it doesn't look like you bought second-hand.

Leave it up to them to see what is best......keep them or buy another new pair. Nothing wrong with having 2 pairs anyway.

It's annoying the shoes were scuffed. Are they super clean, "like new" otherwise?

Oops - I fixed that - it's true, I wear a women's size 9 and a men's size 7-7.5...

Good catch, Lars, thanks.

Rob, I think you could make some happy memories by waiting until your child returns from vacation and going on a little road trip shopping expedition with them to find some suitable but beautiful shoes.

Unfortunately I cannot wait until they come back from vacation and go on a shopping trip. Rock climbing equipment is scarce around here, and, more importantly we have to finish packing and jumping through hoops to get back to school.

I WISH. That would be so much fun. Even if we'd done it early we couldn't have done it on a shopping trip in Nashville. Heck, we can't even do it on a shopping trip in East Tennessee, where there are mountains. Used to be able to do that, but there's nothing available. Supply chain issues. 🙄

^^^ That might be a lot of fun.

I read lots of reviews and notice an uptick in complaints about ”new” merch being received in worn used condition. Maybe workers who are feeling a tad passive agressive or are the retired working staff. We know that one big fat cat has a bad rep for not treating his workers very well. (And, way to go, Rotterdam!)

I would try to return them without even asking your child. Shoes and harnesses for rock climbing are so individual as to what type works best for the individual. They are not things that another should purchase for someone unless that someone was with them and satisfied with the product. The wrong harness can be brutal. I would suggest you purchase a less personal item.

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is great at removing scuff marks on shoes (and car upholstery, and lots of other places). They might even come off with Windex, who knows?

Hope it works out and you child lives the climbers!

Sorry, but I bought them before and my child was quite happy.

I think I know her well enough.

Only buying them again because their size has changed, and so has her outlook on life.

We're even going to sew a chalk bag together

If you do a Google search regarding the difference in shoe widths, you'll find information like this:

1. When measured at the ball of the foot, the difference between shoe widths is approximately ¼". A wide width is ¼" wider than a medium width and an extra wide is ½" wider than a medium width.

2. There is approximately a 1/6" difference in length between each half-size (e.g., between 9 and 9.5, between a 9.5 and 10, and so on). For every half size up, the width (across the ball) will increase by 1/8".

One measurement that I have found helpful when converting shoe sizes between genders is the length of the shoe, like what's shown in this chart (far right-hand column in each gender):

If they fit and your kid likes them, keep them but email the company to report that the boots arrived scuffed. A well-run company will appreciate the feedback and may even offer you a discount, either now or on a future purchase. The good news is, these aren't dress shoes, they're hiking boots. If they are well-loved, they will continue to get "broken in."

Every year before school starts, we go out to eat to at a nice restaurant, and my child tells me their top three goals for school and one personal.

They've taken advantage of it before, but their personal goal for this semester was to rock climb weekly. They skipped it last semester and during the COVID sequester. It's what got their weight down, and makes them very happy, to be with their group.

So I totally hope they're going to get a lot of use out of these shoes, like they did before.

Just trying to help them accomplish their goal. We got to set them up for success!

For the record, I'd already sent them an email before I even posted...

When they responded to my email with a full refund I said that wasn't necessary. I said that with the deep discount it made up for the condition. They said donate or give them away. If they fit baby will keep them. And we'll use the money towards a harness, from the same company. If they don't fit, we'll donate them, and buy some that do fit. Rock climbing shoes are REALLY hard to fit. Either way, they'll get our business again.