Best beginner climbing shoes reddit For starters, check out some all-around climbing shoes that offer all-day comfort. I've been climbing for 4 weeks and am climbing 5. La Sportiva Tarantulace is a good beginner model to look for. Get that. But still even stiff shoes should have minimal dead space in toebox and heelcap. 11 in almost any shoe laceup, velcro, slip on, rubber all hardly matter. Unlike regular shoes, they have a snug fit and sticky rubber soles to help you securely grip holds. For me, with climbing shoes, there's no substitute to going to a store and trying on different models and different sizes. See full list on climbinghouse. In the end the shoes are tools to aid your climbs. I am about to replace my beginner climbing shoes as it was a hand-me-down (albeit it was a decent fit at that point of time) and its starting to feel loose. Considering how quickly most people ruin their first pair of climbing shoes spending £40 extra may not be the best idea. Search for 'scarpa climbing shoe chart' for example, they do have complete info, so do Ocun and Red Chili. To me, most of the shoes you listed are quite stiff best suited to outdoors or multipitch (especially the TC pros) where you want something structured to stand on tiny slivers for long periods of time, vs the gym where even small feet are quite large and you end up smearing or using slopey feet quite That is why climbing shoes classified as beginners' either have quite durable front or are just cheap enough so people won't be mad about killing them fast. All of that background to say If you had to recommend 1 shoe, you used every climbing session (2-4 times a week for me) for indoor bouldering what would it be? We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. They're pretty broken in, now, and I don't have any pain from the shoes. In Bosnia, the selection of these shoes is limited and overpriced, so my only option is online stores like banana fingers and epictv( bergfreund doesn't ship here for A beginner pair of climbing shoes will run you about $100 and a high quality pair will be around $200. Try on lots of shoes and get an experienced climber help fit them. My street shoe size varies from 38-39 and I tried both size 38 and 39 at the store, with 38 being far too tight and 39 being quite For residents of Japan only - if you do not reside in Japan you are welcome to read, but do not post or you will be removed. As for rope climbing, my home gym is bouldering only, so I just don't have a lot of access, but I do indoor rope climb maybe once a year. On that note: I had good experiences with La Sportiva Tarantulas and Evolv Nighthawk as comfy beginner shoes. So it's best to search for each manufacturer separately. I want to buy my first pair of climbing shoes and am looking for recommendations. 5EU. Beginner climbing shoes prioritize comfort over aggressive performance. If you can find a velcro shoe that fits, I'd prioritize that for gym climbing over laces - it helps to be able to take them on and off. Part of the problem is many companies don't publish it. Go for a snug, tight but comfortable fit. REI has 20% off sales and coupons quite often that apply to those $200 shoes. LS Tarantula, Scarpa Reflex, Evolv Defy/Elektra, Tenaya Tanta, Boreal Joker, Five Ten Kirigami, etc. New shoes aren't comfortable like rented shoes which were broken in by 100+ of feet. Sep 30, 2024 · Rubber Type: 5 mm Vibram XS Edge Lining: Unlined Upper Material: Leather/Microfiber Closure: Lace-up Can be Resoled: Yes Type: Neutral Sizing: Runs slightly small What we liked: comfortable enough for beginners but aggressive enough for intermediate climbers, a shoe that sticks with you as you become a more skilled climber, dialed in fit, grippy sole, value for the price Noting that some people that buy very expensive, very sensitive and soft climbing shoes to climb indoors potentially own more than 1 pair - and they aren't using these pricey shoes for every send. I am new to climbing, have gone about 5 times, but just started a membership to go more often. lots of people sell them for cheap online, it might help you get a feel of what you like for the future! Definitely try your best to try shoes on in person though. These are a great beginner shoe that are also suitable for years of use by more advanced and stronger climbers, although they tend to be better suited to outdoor climbing. I had scarpa helixes I returned. It's a tough choice but consider going for that $200 upgrade to start with. Jul 25, 2024 · Below are our picks for the 13 best beginner climbing shoes of 2024, but if you’re ready to take the next step, check out our article on the best overall climbing shoes. Apr 24, 2025 · Best Climbing Shoes at a Glance. As others have said, trying different shoes on and finding the best fit is probably best for you. What shoes are best for v3 area / where I seem to currently be? As someone who has been climbing for 8 months now and finally just recently upgraded my shoes, I highly suggest getting beginner shoes. I think climbing in general purpose shoes is totally fine well into 5. Just a bit, moderate and even tension. So if you're looking to get these shoes try to find a place you an try them in person or at least a place online that has free returns so you can try a different size. I wouldn't change anything about how I started tbh. The 10 Best Beginner Climbing Shoes. Go to a shop with a large range. —the Tarantulace is a comfort-first shoe with an unlined leather upper, a mildly asymmetric shape, a stiff last, and a relatively roomy toe-box. If you have found yourself gravitating towards V4/V5+ boulder problems or eyeing up the cave section of your local gym, then it might be time to start looking at some intermediate bouldering shoes. I tried different entry level shoes - since my main goal is a shoe that is reasonable comfortable for a 3h session, has good grip and has a good amount of rubber, will last a good amount of time and I should feel comfortable doing toehook, heelhook and stand on some small footholds. The wide toe box saved my interest in the hobby. Maybe Evolv or UnParallel. My local climbing store only seems to stock a lot of butora and scarpa. I've been climbing for about 4-5 months now and climbed my first V3-V5 yesterday. Foot shape dictates it. I'm searching for a pair of vegan climbing shoes (don't judge me, guys and gürls); I'm a beginner with an enormous street shoe size of 38. Then I found the theories. If a shoe is stiff(er) - it can be forgiving a bit, and you can afford some dead space in your arch/bridge. But honestly, for 90% of climbing, the best shoe is the one you like. They're saving them for the high grade, steep routes where their advantage is clear. Only thing I'd recommend to you as opposed to an actual beginner is to lean towards softer shoes if possible, since this will make overhangs more doable. I have flat and rather narrow low-volume feet. There's nothing wrong with using more intermediate shoes as a beginner. Any recs would be appreciated! Whatever shoes fits best. Maybe you can head down and take a look around! La sportiva shoes fit me well, so my beginner shoe was the Finale. As a beginner, and if you see yourself sticking to the sport, I would go for the Tarantulas over the rentals. I boulder a lot so I have a pair of fancy $200+ aggressive shoes, but unless I'm climbing above 12-, I don't use them. eu has some classification, but it's not quite complete or super accurate. Why spend that money when it's not necessary? Mar 25, 2025 · #1 Scarpa Origin Climbing Shoes – Best Beginner Bouldering Shoes #2 Five Ten Kirigami Climbing Shoes – Best Cheap Bouldering Shoes #3 La Sportiva Miura VS Men’s Climbing Shoes – Best Aggressive Bouldering Shoes #4 La Sportiva Finale Women’s Climbing Shoes – Best Beginner Boulder Shoes for Women Bergfreunde. for a good pair of starter shoes I would recommend the LA sportiva tarantulace (90 bucks), they fit comfortably and break in easy they have laces which I liked because if felt more secure… beefy toe pads and good heal pad all around solid shoe Outside of cost, even, the experience is so much better without rentals. Expect a bit of stretch but not massively so, i. Some people think that if you can manage to fit into a more technical shoe earlier, it might give you more tools with which to develop your skills. So it really comes down to your climbing skills. At the same time, experienced climbers can use those shoes, if they are simply out of budget, or need a warm up pair. try to get a feel of which brand and shoe most likely fits ur foot shape, if possible, try them on. I was wearing Millet Easy-Ups prior. com One thing to note is that if you are a beginner in climbing, it probably makes sense to buy a "beginner" shoe (e. When I first started shopping around for a climbing shoe I was very intrigued by La Sportiva specifically, and after looking at gear labs’ “best climbing shoes” tier list I was considering the LS Katana and Solutions. S. Veloce's are a beginner shoe in the same vein as the Mantra but worse. I guarantee that there’s a perfect shoe on my shortlist for every type of climber. It's a preference, comfort, and pairing with you as a climber. 8s. No use having a great shoe that doesn't fit you well. I have the same shoes as you and they're actually the first pair of climbing shoes that have fit me really well from day 1. It'll happen some day, just hasn't yet. Beginner climber, very wide feet (prefer 4E in regular shoes). 10 shoes are really nice, I used a bunch of those as a kid when I first started climbing. Personally i wouldnt advise a beginner to spend much more than £50-60 $65-80 on their first pair the scarpa vapor v is a fantastic shoe for intermediate climbing! if you wanted to go the la sportiva route you could try the kubos, i’ve never worn either of them but i have friends who have and loved the shoes— if you’re looking for more aggressive shoes and you’re primarily gym climbing la sportiva has the theories which are an However, with that being said, after doing freelance route setting for awhile, it's still possible to send a V8 and up in rental shoes. Idk why people downvoted this comment, starting with the sensitive good shoes for bouldering is the only way to get used to sensitive shoes for bouldering, you can get in tarantulas or some other stiff shoes with no downturn and when you feel like you can climb better but your feet aren't helping you as much and you go for performance shoes you're almost back to 0 because you climb different Try on the shoes. See which fit you best. Google image search those to get a sense of what one kind of beginner shoe might look like Attitudes are changing though. Another advice when trying shoes is to make sure you have several toes pushing towards the toebox. La Sportiva Tarantula lasts forever - not the best rubber tho A stiff shoe makes it hard to feel your feet and prevents you from learning how to really use your feet and will promote sloppy footwork. They let me try the different types of shoes ranging from more comfortable shoes, to the more aggressive ones which provide more precision but are less comfortable. Have a friend that is getting hooked on bouldering so he is contemplating some shoes to avoid them sweaty rentals. My normal shoe size is 13 in US sizes and I got a size 13 pair of Defys. IE, get whatever "beginner shoe" is most comfortable. Anything relevant to living or working in Japan such as lifestyle, food, style, environment, education, technology, housing, work, immigration, sport etc. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. You foot should dictate what shoe works, not the price or company. Comfy, durable, etc. Go to a gym and try climbing using the rental shoes. At our level its not that important to downsize aggresively etc. it has nice padding and easy slider adjust. A downturned shoe isn't versatile and unless you are really just climbing steep boulders all the time will probably be overkill to start with. Most important is that they fit you well. This combo of flat or very slightly curved last, comfort fit and stiff sole is often found in multipitch shoes, so that's a good thing to look for. Climbing shoes so far appear to be torture devices. My gym grades: White: V0 Yellow: V0-V2 Blue: V1-V3 Purple: V2-V4 Black: V3-V5 Red: V4-V6 I can comfortably climb the purples (V2-V4). More info provided below :) Hey guys, I am currently looking to update my La Sportiva Mythos (been climbing through three pairs in the past few years). Pretty much all brands build shoes for different feet nowadays. This month I started this beginner alpine climbing course and now that the course is over I want to train more with this group but I need some climbing shoes and here's the prob. At the beginning level, everyone's technique is generally bad so shoes don't matter that much. The shoe you pick will have virtually no consequence to your climbing. Climbing shoes have very specific fit so finding a good fit takes time. I started climbing about a month ago, enjoyed it instantly and am now looking to buy my first pair of shoes, mainly looking for an all-rounder as I still need to learn a lot of technique. As a beginner, all that matters is learning technique and getting stronger. With climbing shoes there's no way I'll be able to buy online or just from recommendation. g. Upgrading from my beginner shoes after a year of climbing and was wondering if anyone had experience with women's scarpa vapors. I'd recommend a shoe like the 5. La Sportiva Tarantulas are some of the best beginner shoes in my experience. Since you're shopping online, finding a pair that feels good right off the bat is super important. Nothing special just £40 climbing shoes. e my new shoes were uncomfortable after an hour or so of climbing the first few sessions after buying them, but not to the point of constricting blood. I myself have been climbing for a bit more than half a year and have been using La sportiva Zenits which has been enough for me (climbing up to V5, projecting V6), although I do not have anything really to compare to so would love some input on what to recommend! (1) Comfy (2) Good for climbing easy stuff (3) Good for climbing hard stuff (4) Not too aggressive but not too flat (shoe’s curve) (5) You never need another shoe Reply reply throwaway70357 Hot take: beginner shoes suck and get away with it because reviews come largely from folks who started climbing in them and then stopped before moving on to other shoes. I spend most of my time sport climbing indoor, maybe around a 70/30 split of the time, where I engage in bouldering more often than top/lead climbing. TLDR: I am looking for intermediate but comfortable climbing shoes for indoor climbing with slight/medium downturn and low/medium pre-tensioning. I'm exclusively bouldering and rope climbing in the hall, and was thinking about the Vegan Skwama von La Sportiva. I have narrow heels and have always had issues with my shoes chafing my heels. Many climbing gyms have their own shoe shop. My feet are quite low volume so they fill in this model best out of the ones I tried. Roman Feet. For beginners, a well-fitted shoe prevents unnecessary strain and improves technique development. They're just the best investment in fun and experience. I only do the indoor bouldering. I don't want to purchase online as I want to nail the size perfectly. Best fitting shoe: maybe the Gomi? Had the least amount of heel space. I wish I had gotten tarantulaces,(got black diamonds 😭) but I still plan on using them for chill climbing sessions. Also, i would recommend a beginner shoe that would still be good after resoling it, still serving a purpose. These shoes I needed to buy them at 9 1/2 which is a size I didn't buy for even my first pair of climbing shoes as a beginner when I was looking for comfort over most things. Don't focus on the brand too much. The price tag is okay, however, I read that those shoes are Nov 11, 2023 · That said, upgrading from your beginner shoes isn’t best measured by time, but rather by the grades and terrain you are climbing. It's unsurprising that beginners/intermediates like them because basically anything is better than a flat, hard beginner shoe, but that doesn't mean it's good for what you need, it's just that the bar is super low. AFAIK the italian brands are rather expensive in the states. Seconding these as a beginner/intermediate. When I bought them I got the same size as my prior pair, the Vapors, because the Vapors were painful for 2 years. I'm still using my beginner shoes that I got from a sports shop called Decathlon. Lastly, try on the shoe before buying it or buy it from an online retailer with free returns. Sizing, Fit + Sensitivity; Stiffness and Downturn / Aggressiveness Sep 16, 2024 · La Sportiva Tarantulace. Our Top Pick – Best Beginner Climbing Shoe; Best Beginner Climbing Shoe For The Money; Excellent Vegan + Budget Beginner Climbing Shoes; Best New Tech + Looks; Best Beginner Climbing Shoe On A Budget; Beginner Climbing Shoes Buying Guide. Nov 6, 2023 · Therefore, many of the shoes on my shortlist avoid the typical super-stiff beginner shoe construction and offer a middle ground between the two extremes. La Sportiva Mythos are higher quality/better shoes that are very comfortable, but will cost more. And I'm Male. Naturally started at v2's and I can do some v3's. I prefer top-rope over bouldering and currently am not planning to ever climb outdoors. You'll want your first pair to be snug, maybe a little uncomfortable, but not painful. 12/V6. Brands like Scarpa and La Sportiva have some solid options. NOTE: If you were permbanned for being nonresident prior to June of this year AND you have since moved to Japan For harness I used the black diamond momentum… got it at REI for 64 bucks. Beginner shoes and cheap, durable all-round shoes are the same thing. Best toe and heel hook: Butora Gomi (followed by Indalo) Favourite rubber: Butora Neo Fuse Break in notes: all shoes were quite comfortable even during the break in period (apart from Redline because that barely stretches) Aggressive shoes are for hard climbing. To be honest, if you are climbing because you saw free solo: - don't buy shoes. I've tried on everything at REI and found that my heels were getting rubbed raw from standing on my toes to test flexibility. So I went out to buy some climbing shoes. - if you like climbing enough to want to buy your own pair, decathlon sells dirt cheap climbing shoes. You might also want to check out other brands. Hey, so primarily youre gonna want a shoe thats comfortable. Sizing is very important for climbing shoes. Obviously if you can't part with $100+ in a given moment, then renting for a few bucks here and there is perhaps better while you save up, but I wouldn't really use break-even as an analysis tool with climbing shoes. ) because you will likely have poor footwork (which means you will burn through the rubber quickly) and you will likely not be Feb 17, 2021 · Best Budget Beginners Climbing Shoes 2025. Was pretty close to quitting with other shoes. Get a decent middle ground (in terms of geometry and specialization) shoe and fit it properly, then have them resoled when you inevitably blow through the toe box as you When it comes to picking out climbing shoes for beginners, comfort and price are key. I'm almost 2 years into climbing now, indoors and outdoors experience. i think the best beginner shoe on the market is the la sportiva finale- it’s a bit more expensive than some other beginner shoes but the rubber is the same as some of the more advanced la sportivas- it’s super versatile, great for bouldering and roped climbing! Feb 26, 2025 · Climbing shoes enhance grip, foot positioning, and overall climbing efficiency. 10 moccasin to start. Editor's note: We updated this article on July 25, 2024 to move La Sportiva's Kubo up as our favorite beginner shoe for gym climbing, add Unparallel's slip-on Up Mocc, and Not sure if this will help much, but old 5. The reason you're buying shoes is because you want to have something fit and perform better than the rentals. Hi there, I bought my first climbing shoes at Campers Corner, the staff were really helpful when I was a beginner back in 2021. The rubber is thick, they are comfortable, and they last a long time. Try several sizes in a couple different brands, every company has some type of entry-level/relaxed shoe. They should ask questions about your experience and interests in climbing to determine what kind of climbing shoe you want. Best Outdoor All-Rounder: Scarpa Arpia V ($169) Best Sport/Mixed Shoe: Unparallel Qubit ($186) Best Bouldering Shoe: Scarpa Drago XT ($229) Best for Beginners: Butora Rubicon ($150) Best Shoe for Steep Routes: La Sportiva Mandala ($209) Best Training Shoe: Scarpa Veloce L ($175) Best Pure Slipper: La Sportiva If you’re climbing mostly indoors with occasional outdoors, I really enjoy a soft shoe. The cheapest shoe on this list—and, consequently, one of the best-selling climbing shoes in the U. A good climber can send a stout 5. They hurt my feet less than any climbing shoe ive tried. qnniq yqbaad kwes okey kpiur vacdt lwcp holahb fghlhao swioyrs mcdro kfmhiir gtogx ihsls yhhw