When selecting the best rock climbing shoe for your use, most people seem to agree that finding a pair that has a good fit is an obvious starting point.
The fastening system (laces, Velcro, etc) is designed to secure the fit, not make the fit. Sure you may use it to take up a bit of sag in one place and there is definitely a point where it can make the heel feel nicely locked in.
If you find yourself pulling on every lace hole up the shoe: that is using the laces to make the shoe fit. A good fitting climbing should feel great before you approach the fastening system.
Yanking on the fastening system is dumb. Doing this just accelerates the stretching process and deforms the shoes. Your shoes will stretch and mould to your foot over time and pulling in hard on the laces is a sign of a poor model choice for your foot shape.
Women’s rockshoe models typically have a lower internal volume that suits more slender feet. There are plenty of unisex models that also have this fitting. If you your foot that is slender or thin in profile search out these models. There are plenty out there.
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