Are climbing shoes supposed to hurt your toes? And are your toes supposed to touch the top and end of the shoe? And are your toes supposed to hurt after climbing?

I am starting to climb and have to buy a harness, chalk bad and shoes and I’m on a budget. What are some cheap ones that are ok? Tried looking for used stuff but couldn’t find my size and it’s not much cheaper than just buying it new.

Also is it normal to really hate the feeling of applying chalk to the point it makes your skin crawl?

Also my dad did climbing for a while (at least a few years) in the past and he said it’s easier for short people, is this true? He also said he practiced a lot but seemed to not be good at it no matter what, he could never even complete a 5.10. He was better at bouldering, but also said climbing outdoors was much different and harder than indoors, even with the same ratings. Is this also true?

Also another question- I’m 5 foot 8 but began yesterday and was trying a 5.6, and it was honestly hard to reach some of the holds, to where I could barely reach them. Am I retarded, how do shorter people do it?


Posting here cause climbing board seems dead and I have a lot of questions which need a separate post.