Best climbing shoes for beginners reddit. I have flat and rather narrow low-volume feet.

Best climbing shoes for beginners reddit As a beginner, all that matters is learning technique and getting stronger. I have flat and rather narrow low-volume feet. La Sportiva Tarantula lasts forever - not the best rubber tho To be honest, if you are climbing because you saw free solo: - don't buy shoes. 9K subscribers in the climbingshoes community. My outer large toenail can break off in chunks when I wear climbing shoes, so Egyptian shape shoe could be ok too? 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 YES! After buying 5 different pairs that I at first thought were a good fit, but ended up hurting so bad or slipping off after a few sessions that I couldn't even break them in properly, I finally found the Scarpa Vapor LV. I guarantee that there’s a perfect shoe on my shortlist for every type of climber. And I'm Male. Since you're shopping online, finding a pair that feels good right off the bat is super important. Comfort is not king. I wish I had gotten tarantulaces,(got black diamonds 😭) but I still plan on using them for chill climbing sessions. For beginners, a well-fitted shoe prevents unnecessary strain and improves technique development. Apr 16, 2025 · Editor's Note: We updated our climbing shoe review on April 16, 2025, to remove a discontinued shoe from our lineup and ensure current pricing for each shoe. In that case, I encourage you to rent a pair at your local climbing gym. It honestly doesn’t matter as long as it fits your foot well. The best bouldering shoes for beginners are ones that are comfortable and get you climbing. With climbing shoes there's no way I'll be able to buy online or just from recommendation. 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. V3-4 climber? Technique ok, muscles nonexistent. 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. When a company designs a new suite of shoes, they send pairs to us and our testers, and we climb in them, compare notes, write a review, and then, later, do a roundup of the latest and greatest releases of the year. 8s. However, relegating this model to the ranks of newbies sells its capabilities short as a low-cost all-around climbing shoe. Don't dare dip your feet in that buttery sock. 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. 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. 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). 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. Sizing is very important for climbing shoes. You foot should dictate what shoe works, not the price or company. I've been climbing for almost 2 years, indoor bouldering and outdoor sport. 10 moccasin to start. Get that. I had scarpa helixes I returned. I think I have a Greek shape foot (pic included below). S. 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 The Mad Rock Drifter is a close 2nd place to the ClimbX Rave climbing shoes for the Best Beginner Indoor Climbing Shoes On A Budget. —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. (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 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. 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 Seconding these as a beginner/intermediate. I've been climbing for 4 weeks and am climbing 5. So I went out to buy some climbing shoes. 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 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. For starters, check out some all-around climbing shoes that offer all-day comfort. I don't want to purchase online as I want to nail the size perfectly. They're great for heel hooks, toe hooks aren't too bad either, and w. Furias are just a little softer than dragos, but it's very difficult to get them these days. 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. A subreddit dedicated to discussing and reviewing climbing shoes. Try several sizes in a couple different brands, every company has some type of entry-level/relaxed shoe. Feb 26, 2025 · Climbing shoes enhance grip, foot positioning, and overall climbing efficiency. I have narrow heels and have always had issues with my shoes chafing my heels. The reason you're buying shoes is because you want to have something fit and perform better than the rentals. There’s so many: La Sportiva Tarantulace, Scarpa Origin, Evolv Defy, Black Diamond Momentum, Scarpa Helix, La Sportiva Finale, etc. My normal shoe size is 13 in US sizes and I got a size 13 pair of Defys. The cheapest shoe on this list—and, consequently, one of the best-selling climbing shoes in the U. You'll want your first pair to be snug, maybe a little uncomfortable, but not painful. 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 A beginner pair of climbing shoes will run you about $100 and a high quality pair will be around $200. Bergfreunde. Upgrading from my beginner shoes after a year of climbing and was wondering if anyone had experience with women's scarpa vapors. The 10 Best Beginner Climbing Shoes. As others have said, trying different shoes on and finding the best fit is probably best for you. Beginner climbing shoes prioritize comfort over aggressive performance. Soft shoes are probably your best bet for the gym. 1. 691 votes, 162 comments. 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. They're saving them for the high grade, steep routes where their advantage is clear. 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 Try on the shoes. 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. And yes we are scared of falling. At the same time, experienced climbers can use those shoes, if they are simply out of budget, or need a warm up pair. 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. I'm exclusively bouldering and rope climbing in the hall, and was thinking about the Vegan Skwama von La Sportiva. La Sportiva Tarantulas are some of the best beginner shoes in my experience. try to get a feel of which brand and shoe most likely fits ur foot shape, if possible, try them on. The wide toe box saved my interest in the hobby. 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 May 27, 2025 · Best Climbing Shoes at a Glance. I'd recommend a shoe like the 5. 5EU. eu has some classification, but it's not quite complete or super accurate. Brands like Scarpa and La Sportiva have some solid options. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. My feet are quite low volume so they fill in this model best out of the ones I tried. My friend climbs v2 in Dragos because she somehow managed to stumble on them for $50 and thinks they’re comfy. 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. I prefer top-rope over bouldering and currently am not planning to ever climb outdoors. At the beginning level, everyone's technique is generally bad so shoes don't matter that much. Section divider Ten Things You Need to Know About Climbing Shoes 1. Was pretty close to quitting with other shoes. La Sportiva Mythos are higher quality/better shoes that are very comfortable, but will cost more. Roman Feet. I wouldn't change anything about how I started tbh. My local climbing store only seems to stock a lot of butora and scarpa. Anybody have any recommendations on some good burner gym shoes? Currently I am rocking some of the old blue hiangles from the $50 sale a couple years ago, but I am starting to burn through the toes. I've been climbing for around 3 months now, and I bought some generic climbing shoes but turns out they were oversized for me and the return policy didn't apply. 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 Have a friend that is getting hooked on bouldering so he is contemplating some shoes to avoid them sweaty rentals. IE, get whatever "beginner shoe" is most comfortable. Related: Best Climbing Shoes for Women Top 27 Climbing Shoes Final thoughts on bouldering shoes for beginners. 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 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. Go to a gym and try climbing using the rental shoes. See full list on climbinghouse. Part of the problem is many companies don't publish it. I was thinking about buying the ocun's bullit or havoc climbing shoes but I'm not sure if they are beginner friendly. 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. Nothing wrong with getting a higher performance shoe if you find it on sale. I was wearing Millet Easy-Ups prior. 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. Lastly, try on the shoe before buying it or buy it from an online retailer with free returns. 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. For harness I used the black diamond momentum… got it at REI for 64 bucks. 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. They hurt my feet less than any climbing shoe ive tried. Unlike regular shoes, they have a snug fit and sticky rubber soles to help you securely grip holds. 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! When it comes to picking out climbing shoes for beginners, comfort and price are key. The rubber is thick, they are comfortable, and they last a long time. The price tag is okay, however, I read that those shoes are 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 Sep 16, 2024 · La Sportiva Tarantulace. 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. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. On that note: I had good experiences with La Sportiva Tarantulas and Evolv Nighthawk as comfy beginner shoes. 2. In general, I understand that neutral shoes are usually better for non advanced climbers but I know that the Scarpa Vapor V is a "moderate" (slightly aggressive) shoe (although it definitely isn't the most aggressive climbing shoe out there). TLDR: I am looking for intermediate but comfortable climbing shoes for indoor climbing with slight/medium downturn and low/medium pre-tensioning. Hey, so primarily youre gonna want a shoe thats comfortable. com 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. 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? Unless you're going mountaineering, or ice climbing, I would forget any harness with adjustable leg loops. Also, i would recommend a beginner shoe that would still be good after resoling it, still serving a purpose. Many beginner and intermediate climbers found the Drifter as a mid-performance shoe despite being relatively flat. Some classic intermediate shoes are Kubo, Veloce, and Finales. When I bought them I got the same size as my prior pair, the Vapors, because the Vapors were painful for 2 years. Search for 'scarpa climbing shoe chart' for example, they do have complete info, so do Ocun and Red Chili. But folks who can climb hard can climb hard in any vaguely reasonable climbing shoe. It's a tough choice but consider going for that $200 upgrade to start with. La Sportiva Tarantulace is a good beginner model to look for. - if you like climbing enough to want to buy your own pair, decathlon sells dirt cheap climbing shoes. The shoe you pick will have virtually no consequence to your climbing. It'll happen some day, just hasn't yet. Suppose you’re still hesitant about whether climbing shoes will perform better than your hiking boots. Veloce's are a beginner shoe in the same vein as the Mantra but worse. Fixed leg loops are much easier to deal with on a daily basis, and since you only need to remember tighten the waist loop, it's two less things for you to forget. 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. As someone who has been climbing for 8 months now and finally just recently upgraded my shoes, I highly suggest getting beginner shoes. Pretty much all brands build shoes for different feet nowadays. At our level its not that important to downsize aggresively etc. 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. I have five ten teams and la sportiva futuras for my try-hard shoes so I am not worried about getting something ultra-performant. Nov 17, 2023 · Here, we’ve compiled ten of our favorite bouldering shoes—and a list of ten things to think about when buying climbing shoes. I'm almost 2 years into climbing now, indoors and outdoors experience. La sportiva shoes fit me well, so my beginner shoe was the Finale. Google image search those to get a sense of what one kind of beginner shoe might look like Attitudes are changing though. 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. REI has 20% off sales and coupons quite often that apply to those $200 shoes. Someone looking for every little advantage they can get in trying to win comps or test their limits can get a meaningful incremental advantage out of wearing the best possible shoe for the climb, and sometimes that mean a downturned shoe. 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. My main problem is toe pain with a really loose heel. Whatever shoes fits best. New shoes aren't comfortable like rented shoes which were broken in by 100+ of feet. They're pretty broken in, now, and I don't have any pain from the shoes. Don't focus on the brand too much. 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. Outside of cost, even, the experience is so much better without rentals. 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. 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. 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. I've tried on everything at REI and found that my heels were getting rubbed raw from standing on my toes to test flexibility. Scarpa is cutting back production. For me, with climbing shoes, there's no substitute to going to a store and trying on different models and different sizes. Aside from their similar designs, they are the cheapest pair on this list and are a popular favorite. Fitting your climbing shoes for comfort is like buying a car because you like the driver’s seat. it has nice padding and easy slider adjust. Then I found the theories. I am not a total, total beginner but I'm still new to the sport (I've been climbing for ~2 months). Apr 16, 2025 · What to look for in sport climbing shoes; Ten things you need to know about climbing shoes; Our favorites; Honorable mentions; Most gear roundups cover new releases. Jan 11, 2022 · This La Sportiva climbing shoe is often named one of the best beginner climbing shoes, and it is undoubtedly a winning choice for that purpose. The home of Climbing on reddit. Beginner shoes and cheap, durable all-round shoes are the same thing. So it's best to search for each manufacturer separately. They're just the best investment in fun and experience. zri mgr kahxw djo odmkpvx gxczow fcetef njktx mnctos jqlfygzy