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Contrary to popular belief, footwork is just as important in rock climbing as upper body strength, so you'd better have a good pair of shoes. The best climbing shoes for you will depend on your experience level, your foot shape, and the type of climbing you're interested in doing. And even when you use those factors to narrow down your search, there's still a lot of room for variation: Rock climbing shoes can range from flat and accommodating to aggressively downturned and toe-crunching (like, in a good way). While just about every seasoned climber has their personal preferences—and the one Goldilocks-esque shoe that suits them just right—there are a fair number of shoes that climbing experts agree are a cut above the rest. Here, we'll take a look at expert-recommended picks and learn about the most important features to look for when shopping for climbing shoes.
How to Shop for Climbing Shoes
Across the board, the experts we spoke to all stressed the importance of trying on multiple pairs of shoes in person. Don't just sample different brands and styles, but try on sizes up and down from your street shoe size. You can also try to get a feel for different closure systems, test out softer shoes versus stiff shoes, and see how a flatter shoe fits compared to a more aggressive shoe. Doing so at an outdoor supply store will work, but it's even better if your local climbing gym has a retail section and you can test them out directly on a route. That way, you'll get a better feel for their fit, flexibility, and whether they'll help you move off footholds and engage with the wall.
Since most climbing shoes are made of some combination of a rubber outsole and a leather upper, they will stretch with wear (although ones made with synthetic materials will stretch less). So it's generally wise to buy shoes that are on the snugger side to begin, but they shouldn't feel downright painful when you try to move in them, Adrian Ballinger, a big mountain climber, skier, and certified mountain guide, tells SELF.
This process is definitely more time-consuming than buying the first shoe you find online, but Stephen Bittner, director of retail at The Cliffs Climbing + Fitness, tells SELF that “being comfortable in your shoes gives you more confidence in your feet, which always equates to climbing better.”
Even if you don't make your final purchase IRL (we understand the desire to deal-hunt outdoor gear), climbing expert and photographer L. Renee Blount recommends shopping somewhere that allows returns (check out Backcountry and REI).
Best Climbing Shoes for Beginners
Beginner climbers don’t need a super tight-fitting shoe that molds their big toes into a pointed position. Rather, beginner shoes should be versatile, relatively flat (sometimes referred to as “moderate”), and, simply, fun to wear. “Choose a shoe that you'll be excited to put on your feet,” Debbie Larsen, director of youth programs at The Cliffs Climbing + Fitness, tells SELF. Blount echoes the importance of finding a shoe that allows you to enjoy the trial and error of learning to climb. She adds that a shoe with “a generous amount of rubber" on the toe box will stand up to longer wear and tear, and one made with soft rubber will be a more comfortable shoe for anyone who isn’t accustomed to how climbing shoes fit.
As far as specific models go, Blount likes the La Sportiva Tarantulace, Scarpa Reflex V, and the Scarpa Origin. Ballinger also recommends the former brand: “I’m a fan (and sponsored athlete) of La Sportiva. They make fantastic models for all styles of climbing. The Tarantulace is an ideal all-arounder.” In addition to the Origin, Scarpa's Helix shoe works well for beginners, as do Unparallel's Up-Moccs and La Sportiva Finales, Larsen says.
All-Around Expert Favorites
While some climbing shoes are particularly well-suited to specific styles of climbing, there were quite a few that our experts recommended for various uses. Take the La Sportiva Skwama: TJ Ciotti, director of instruction and outdoor programming at The Cliffs Climbing + Fitness, likes it for sport climbing; Bittner shouts it out for its performance in bouldering; and Ballinger says he considers it a solid choice for bouldering or sport climbing (especially on routes with steep terrain).
While every person’s definition of a high-performance shoe will vary, these shoes share some of the most desirable features among seasoned climbers: They facilitate technical footwork, place power in the forefoot, and have an excellent amount of stickiness. In other words, if you're an experienced climber looking to add a reliable shoe to your climbing gear collection, these picks are a good place to start.
Best Climbing Shoes for Bouldering
“[Bouldering shoes are] used in ways that require performance in a 360-degree range, from toe hooks and heel-toe cams to smears on near-horizontal roofs," Bittner says. “We ask a lot of our bouldering shoes.” He explains that our feet often need to function as a second pair of hands while bouldering, and the right pair of shoes can help make them just as dextrous. This is when a downturned shoe that fits tightly around your toes and heel (you want as little dead space through the heel cup as possible) comes in handy. Blount notes that what you lose in comfort you get back in precision and performance. “Bouldering is like the 50-yard dash,” with routes lasting maybe five minutes at time, she says. It's for these reasons that Ballinger recommends shoes with velcro straps—they're easy to slip on and off in between attempts than shoes with laces, so you can give your toes a welcome break.
For many of our experts, the first shoe that came to mind was the beloved La Sportiva Solution, a classic among boulderers for its technical power. Other shoes, like the Scarpa Drago and Instinct VSR, resemble the Solution with sizable rubber toe patches, molded heels, and flexible midsoles. All of these design choices amount to shoes that can grip and bend with your foot through toe and heel hooks on overhanging terrain.
Best Climbing Shoes for Sport Climbing
When Blount shops for sport climbing shoes, “I’m looking at a shoe that I can wear for a while up the wall.” Sport routes are taller than boulders, so you'll be wearing your shoes for longer stretches of time (especially if you're on a big wall or getting into multi-pitch climbing). Thus, comfort is more of a priority here than it is when you’re bouldering. Generally, you should look for a more moderate shoe that doesn’t pinch or feel too tight. Softer shoes are the better option for more vertical routes and slab climbs, where smearing your feet will be necessary. But for steep and overhung problems, you don’t necessarily have to shy away from a more aggressive shoe with a downturned shape (not unlike a shoe you’d wear for bouldering). These shoes “will push your foot forward in the shoe, and allow your toes to ‘grab’ the rock and pull your body inward (closer to the rock means the better center of gravity),” Ciotti explains. And that feel and fit are key to sending.
Blount’s favorite pairs are on the softer side, with little to no break-in period and lots of sensitivity in the sole: Tenaya Oasis, Scarpa Forces, Five Ten Moccasyms, and “TC Pros if you love crack climbing and fully want to embrace being a Trad Zaddy” (these quasi-high tops are great for foot-jamming). If you’re looking for shoes that offer some of that “grabbing” power Ciotti describes, try the La Sportiva Katana, a lace-up shoe that, despite its shape, boasts near-all-day comfort for long sessions at the crag.
Best Climbing Shoes for Narrow and Wide Feet
Believe it or not, those with narrow feet and those with wide feet can shop with the same feature in mind: laces. Blount explains that lace-up shoes allow for more variation in fit than velcro options, so you can cinch or loosen them to your liking. Shoes marketed as low-volume or women’s shoes are usually cut to be more narrow, Bittner says (for clarity, many climbers consider shoes that aren't explicitly sized as women’s shoes to have unisex or universal sizes).
Beyond general designs, Tenaya makes some of the best climbing shoes for narrow feet, according to Bittner. You can also look for shoes marketed as low-volume or women-specific shoes, as these tend to be cut on the narrower side, Bittners says. Wide-footed climbers, on the other hand, can look for pairs with a roomy toe box (Blount points to the beginner-friendly Scarpa Helixes) or try out Evolv shoes, Bittner says.
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