[cha1n]

But I wouldn't wish any of these shoes on my worst enemy, as an example

http://www.bananafingers.co.uk/evolv-defy-vtr-p-57.html

Oi, I started climbing in Evolv Defys and had very good footwork! Or are you referring to the smell?

[moose]

If you start climbing in baggy, board lasted planks with shit rubber on (I'm talking about you, EB) then all you're doing is teaching yourself shit footwork from day one.
Instead I'd recommend all beginners to find a good high end stiffer shoe that fits well, and don't size them too small.

Very much +1.  When I first started, I was persuaded by a sales assistant that a pair of Boreal clogs were perfect for beginners.  I am sure that their lumpen lack of feed-back hindered my development of footwork - if you can't sense what you're doing, how can you link it with any success?  Worst thing was that they lasted bloody ages!  It wasn't until I bought a pair of decent shoes (Miura lace-ups or Katanas I think) that I realised the incredible gains from the most subtle of movements - how a tiny twist of the ankle can transform the feasibility of a move.  And, the surprising thing for me was, that these "performance" shoes were more comfortable than my Boreal coal-barges.

[joel182]

By technical I mean things a lot more expensive and technically specialised than the  base starter shoes of the time. Climbing shoes should obviously never be baggy but should be comfortable for several hours use for a beginner.

I think the price issue is actually a real problem.  As Stu mentions, the Miura VCS or Lace are a great shoe at any level.  Beginner to advanced.  You may size them a touch smaller as you get better and want more precision, but the original more comfortable version are very applicable for Big Mountain Day^TM climbing. 

For a lot of people, just getting them in shoes where they are actually fitting vaguely well enough is a challenge - I think it's easy for people who have been climbing a while to forget how adapted their feet are to being in climbing shoes, and that a lot (most?) first time shoe-buyers wouldn't be able to deal with a properly downturned shoe.

[Offwidth]

For a lot of people, just getting them in shoes where they are actually fitting vaguely well enough is a challenge - I think it's easy for people who have been climbing a while to forget how adapted their feet are to being in climbing shoes, and that a lot (most?) first time shoe-buyers wouldn't be able to deal with a properly downturned shoe.
[/quote]

Experiences here are also very biased towards those who took up performance climbing (my bias is the opposite, from 15 years in a student club helping new climbers). Many beginners stop after a while and plenty just bumble around (the average lead grade on UKC forums is HS). The range of shoes is also a problem... not many shops hold a really good range so the best fit in the shop might not be anything like the best fit available. The biggest problem in mis-selling is the undersizing to new climbers (as, they are told, thats what all climbers do) with a result that they can only wear the shoes for a few minutes at a time... this is potentially reallly damaging to their feet.