The Climber's Guide to Choosing the Best Shoes

Are you looking to take your climbing game to the next level? One of the most important pieces of gear you'll need is a good pair of climbing shoes. But with so many options on the market, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. In this video, we'll go over the different types of climbing shoes and what to look for when making your selection. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, we'll help you find the perfect pair for your needs. So join us as we break down the world of climbing shoes and help you make an informed decision.

Thanks to @depot_climbing for having us film at their Sheffield Gym.

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[raehill]

at my very first climbing gym, they suggested i get very tight climbing shoes. being totally naive, i trusted their judgement, thinking it would be the best option. i wound up quitting climbing for over a year because i thought it was just a "painful sport." i'd get the worst blisters and cuts. but they kept telling me it was "normal." now i'm back to climbing with a pair of shoes that FIT.

[bradbt]

I think there's merit to having a pair of beaters past a certain point — not even just old shoes, but lesser-quality shoes/rubber, be they a pair of entry-level shoes or resoles or even low-quality shoes. It will reinforce good footwork and teach you that you don't need that good rubber or performance design as much as you think you do, and then once you put on the good shoes again they'll feel like weapons. It also saves $$$, since you're not burning through expensive rubber all the time.

[AllegraClimbingPsychologist]

Little tip: Scarpa and La Sportiva actually have graphs where you can see all their shoes by characteristics. And in particular, I suggest you the first if you have a wide foot and the second if you have a narrow foot! On the other hand Tenaya has an index on how the shoe will adapt to wideness of the foot. Alway try the fit before buying!

[cristianhurtado]

Great video. I appreciate how much you emphasized that there's no one shoe that is perfect for any one climb. Foot shape, rock type, and climbing style all influence what type of shoe is best for each individual.

I wish you would've mentioned resoling when you talked about old and tattered shoes needing to be replaced. If you love the way a shoe fits and performs, you can often find a credible resoler to give that shoe new life without having to invest (both the money and the time for breaking it in) in a brand new pair. I resoled my evolv Shamans and love how they perform. Plus, you can often tweak the shoe a bit when resoling (I opted for a slightly stiffer rubber on my Shamans since I now use them mostly for sport climbing).

Resoling tends to be the cheaper option, and it reduces waste as well! Although, it can take quite a while for a shoe to get resoled, so having at least two pairs so you can keep climbing while the other pair is in the shop is a good idea.

[Mrperson]

Foot shape plays a big role in comfort and performance as well. I have a wide foot with a narrow heel and these shoes work best: skwama, acro wide fit, miura vs, and the instinct line.

[paulgaras]

I think people over emphasize shoes. I think the biggest bang for your buck is a comfy shoe and lots of foot training. It’s there to protect your foot and help you use your foot in the most efficient way possible. It’s not a substitute to for strong feet.

[AusVersehen]

Small correction: The midsole is not the part of the outsole that's underneath the arch of your foot. Rather, it is (typically) a piece of plastic that is between the outsole and the inside of the shoe. Therefore, a shoe like the La Sportiva Solution which does not have a connection between front of the sole and the heel can be comparatively stiff, while a shoe like the La Sportiva Cobra with a one piece outsole can be quite soft, because of the midsole underneath the rubber.

[robertpepper]

I’m 64 and have climbed for decades, and this is what I’ve learned about shoes. A super thin 5.12 vertical face I climbed in my 40s had such small scabs for foot holds, I needed an undersized tight lace up performance edged shoe to ascend. Later in my climbing career I developed a bunion, and needed to wear street size comfortable soft shoes. To rectify my bunion, I now spend time everyday barefoot, including time doing balance type exercise, which has both strengthened and increased the lateral flexibility of all my toes. I now buy shoes that have broad toe boxes I refer to as “clown shoes”. Recently I found myself playing on that 5.12 face climb again that I mentioned earlier, and to my total astonishment found I could control and move off the terrible foot scabs wearing my wide body clown shoes. Conclusion: toe strength and lateral toe flexibility are more important for controlling poor footholds than tight shoes.

[lebanc]

Be aware of how much your shoes will break in. I bought my first set of shoes, and they were really tight at first. Within a few days of climbing, the leather stretched out enough that I had trouble with small footholds. There was way too much empty space in the shoe even with socks. I had to buy a 2nd set of shoes a half size down, and those broke in to be nearly perfect. I still need to really tighten the laces to get the fit I like.

[elliotrichards]

I've been looking for the right shoes for sooo long and this is by far the most helpful guide I've found. Thank you so much for the effort you put into your content and please continue making it easier for people to get into this beautiful sport

[alexmarin]

Good advice it’s also important to remember that lace shoes are generally better for crack climbing because the plastic that holds Velcro in place can be really painful when jamming

[ashleyjordan]

Thanks for the balanced advice on downsizing. I see people recommending downsizing so much from their street shoe, where actually some people are probably just wearing street shoes that are way to big for them! It’s all subjective. Just wear a shoe that fits.

[dudlesstheking]

What a comprehensive video, love the amount of information packed in it and the examples of use case strengths & weaknesses, with all the explanations of shoe design choices factoring in on climbing style one might enjoy more than others. Noooice!😎

[ocypus]

Literally about to look into a new pair of shoes so this is perfect timing 🤘

[FunFactOfTheDay]

Pro tip: Order multiple sizes of the shoes you want all at once from a website that has FREE RETURN SHIPPING. Yeah you'll be out like 2000 bucks in a day if you're trying on like 10 pairs of shoes, but if you have the cash all of that will be refunded in like two weeks when they process all your returns. It is a way to essentially bring a catered shoe store to your house. I like to order the size I think will actually fit me based on whatever charts are available from the company, and then at least a half size up and down from that so that I can get a feel for what actually fits, not what I think feels pretty good because I'm too lazy to re-order. Sometimes I'll even order 5 half sizes of a shoe just to be 100% sure that the one I chose fits correctly haha. Sounds crazy to some, but it'll save you a TON of hassle and time with exchanges and all that nonsense.

[briggsnelson]

Thank you sooo much you just saved a lot of trouble for me when getting my first pair of climbing shoes

[BoulderingHighlights]

Comfort > performance | Footwork skills > Expensive flagship shoes
Most of us climb for fun, being comfortable means more climbing, more practice, better performance in the long term.
You want to enjoy climbing not torture your feet.

Unless youre climbing v7+ consistently, performance shoes imo won't make a big difference. Many setters can smear and stand on finger nail feet with sneakers and rental shoes.

[shanephillips]

First video i've found that actually talks about several of the UP shoes. After watching this, I feel better about my decision to order the flagships!

[andreapastor]

My biggest question is "how does a good fitting shoe feel?". No dead space is one. What about toes? How curved should they be? If I see them poking on the top of the shoe does that mean it's too tight? If the heel is hitting my leg when Im tiptoeing is it too big? Etc.

[karlderdelinckx]

Great shoe-info. Like said the fit of a shoe is the most important. And that might have a bit more visual explication.
Showing greek feet for example en why certain models fit better for those.

The volume of the heal the volume of the front part of the shoe the width of the frontbox the individual length of toes. These all matter when checking shoes for fit. And lot of climbers failed at finding the best fit because they were not aware of the different physics of there feet.
A good fitting shoe is not only that it feels good when wearing. You also have to check if there is no air in the heal etc.
Some models are also created to adopt more to you’re foot form like the 5.10’s and the leather shoes.