Best outdoor climbing shoes reddit. Probably about time I get a new pair.

Best outdoor climbing shoes reddit. Jul 7, 2025 · See our guide to the best rock climbing shoes of 2025, with reviews of the year’s top climbing shoes from La Sportiva, Scarpa, Evolv, Butora, and more. 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! Feb 11, 2025 · We put 11 men's climbing approach shoes to the test from La Sportiva, Salewa, and Scarpa to find the best models. I was thinking about buying the ocun's bullit or havoc climbing shoes but I'm not sure if they are beginner friendly. 691 votes, 162 comments. You’ll need flat or aggressive. Jan 22, 2025 · These are our favorite picks for rock climbing shoes, whether you're bouldering, sport climbing or trad climbing. While im still a beginner, im looking for I was wondering if anybody has any suggestions for a beginner to intermediate climbing shoe for the bouldering gym? La Sportive, Scarpa? Climbing shoes and trail runners wear out very quickly compared to the harder rubber of a boot, which is meant to last years. Any recommendations? Edit: the hardest boulder I've send is a v4 You should always have like 6-7 different pairs of shoes lol, tight soft shoes, tight edging shoes, multipitch medium shoes, end of the weekend upsized soft and edging shoes, the freshie sending pair, and a lucky pair for good measure. Good build quality and consistency. I'm still kinda new to climbing, started about a year ago with bouldering, since 4 months im really into climbing and recently i started wit outdoor climbing. The website shows that the boulder ones have a rubber on the top of the toebox, which makes the shoe more resistant to toehooks. . It’s also easier for me to smear and do moves like heel and toe hooks. Probably about time I get a new pair. In addition, we considered shoe models that are popular with boulderers at local outdoor areas and gyms. Made very similarly to Butora. Toeing in, edging, smearing, should be considered. 10 Asym's. The home of Climbing on reddit. What are the best bouldering shoes for 2025? Here I bring you my top six picks. I'm talking about that one shoe if you had to climb like your life depended on it but you could Best website to buy climbing shoes online? Hello just newly got into climbing, looking to buy a pair of shoes to buy online but don't really know which website I should be looking at. Mar 10, 2025 · The best climbing shoes just keep getting better. 5 years and been through a few shoes so thought I'd write a review based on my experience in case it can help people in the future. Even BD will admit now that their first generation of shoes (zone, focus, etc) were not so good. This is just my opinion. Something to keep in mind, especially if you’re climbing 4x a week (awesome!!!) is that both the solutions and theory’s will wear 2-3x faster than your katakis! Keep your current shoes (or get something super cheap) to wear as a warm-up/cool down shoe to extend their lifespan! Normally, it means the neutral stiff shoe, which forgives bad fit because of its structure. 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. Definitely do not take a brand new pair of solutions on your first outdoor trip. A subreddit dedicated to discussing and reviewing climbing shoes. 10d and 5. Outdoor gear labs, is a good place to look https://www Climbing shoe reviews (Tenaya Indalo, Iati, Butora Senegi and Gomi) I've been climbing indoors for roughly 1. Flat, stiff, and comfortable will do so many more favors for someone starting out climbing than an aggressive shoe that they probably wouldn't size correctly anyway. Some shoes widely used for bouldering aren’t explicitly designed or billed as bouldering shoes. At a glance Best All-Around: Butora Mousai ($135) Nov 10, 2023 · Most new climbers are looking for an all-around climbing shoe. You can probably look at different kind of models, just maybe avoid strictly performance-oriented shoes for now. Anything stiffer like the Scarpa generator wont take overhangs to well. Need shoes, been doing a good amount of bouldering and indoor climbing. Exactly what you need to know to buy your perfect climbing shoe! Aug 9, 2024 · The aggressive Ocún Sigma climbing shoe delivered high performance on hard outdoor projects, and proved durable over the long haul. I have tried them and now I review, and rate them. I mainly boulder around V3s and rope 5. The type of shoe you want is more based on style of climbing and personal preferences. Get the best deal on climbing shoes but make sure that 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. Does anyone have strong opinions about Evolv Shamans vs Evolv Phantoms? I've been using Butora Acro (wides) for the last 3-4 years and I'm looking for something with a little more sensitivity with the same level of edging power. Read on for our 2025 picks from La Sportiva, Scarpa, and more! Outdoor climbing is a different beast where for each type of climb you may have a different shoe, but what about for those long days in the gym? What shoe do you use/recommend that manages to perform on boulder problems and walls alike yet doesn't get uncomfortable for those longer days of nonstop climbing? Jan 11, 2022 · Discover the best climbing shoes in 2025 with our analysis to pick the most suitable model. I tried on a pair of Shamans--half-size down--and they felt pretty good but How about some old climbing boots, those got a steel shank. Super comfortable (at least for my foot type), never had one blister, completly water proof, light enough, grippy, resistant, long lasting, hard heel, hard front to protect your toes Nov 17, 2023 · The shoe that's best for you depends on your body type, climbing style, the type of rock you climb on, and how much you want to spend. Stiff shoes make better all rounders than soft shoes. 4 days ago · We've tested a bunch of shoes to find the best climbing shoes for you. Your research makes sense but if you are going somewhere with a lot of climbing shoes it might be worth planning on staying there for a while and trying out every single shoe that you can. I have worn Mythos and can tell you that you will notice an absolute difference once you buy a more technical aggressive shoe. You actually want to have a different pair for indoor and outdoor climbing. All in all, I think the differences between the two shoes are minimal at best in terms of technical use. Outdoor climbing shoes? Hello girls! I've been trying to find an all around shoe for outdoor use. For me medium stiff shoes (instincts, mastia, phantoms) are amazing bit board climbing and overhangs outside while my softer shoes (iati, instinct vsr, solution comp) are great for smearing. The problem with Overly nerdy approach, lol. Unfortunately for beginners, the explosive growth of rock climbing has also led to Plus, since outdoor climbing does wear down shoes, particularly the rubber around the big toe – it’s best to use a general shoe until your footwork becomes more effective. Best shoes for vertical outdoors (granite) small edge climbing? I’ve come to the point where i’m looking to buy my second pair of climbing shoes. 8s. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. Best climbing shoes for beginners?? I'm looking to buy a good pair of climbing shoes for beginners! Here's all the information that may (or may not) be helpful: I've been climbing for 4 weeks and am climbing 5. May 9, 2025 · We've trail-tested the 37 best hiking shoes for men and women from Salomon, Merrell, Hoka, Columbia, La Sportiva, and more. Also surprisingly durable for a high performance shoe, lasted 8 months before I resoled them could have probably pushed it another month or 2. Exactly what you need to know to buy your perfect climbing shoe! Mar 23, 2023 · The best rock climbing shoes for bouldering, sport climbing, trad climbing, plus everything you need to know before buying a pair Jan 9, 2025 · Discover top-rated climbing shoes designed for wide feet. Solution comp is the best all rounded bouldering shoes in my mind, while the theory is excellent for slab smearing. But considering you are climbing for a few months and climbing v4s, it's not like you are complete newbie. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. In comparison to the first shoes I ever bought (some sort of Evo brand shoe), these newer shoes helped my climbing because they fit my feet really well. Am male with EU 40. Here are a few climbing shoes that won't break the bank but still keep you smiling. Anything related to indoor (and outdoor) goes. Plus these have built quite a stench. Indoor Lead climbing shoes Hello, I absolutely love my Katana Laces to sport climbing outdoors, but every time I’m climbing indoor in the gym (either lead climbing or steep wall circuits) I feel bad as I’m aware I’m probably ruining the edge of my shoes (and I’m also aware they’re unnecessarily rigid for the gym). The reason is that gym holds are way more abrasive than rock, and they'll usually polish your shoes' rubber to an almost mirror finish. Also, what your opinion on scarpa vsr compared to la sportiva skwamas. I’m wondering more about how shape of the shoe affects your climbing technique- what toe shape is better for smearing vs edging vs toe hook. You want to be comfortable, not trying to break your feet into new shoes in a completely alien environment. Unless you’re doing super slabby or super steep climbing . 9-5. Something to keep in mind, especially if you’re climbing 4x a week (awesome!!!) is that both the solutions and theory’s will wear 2-3x faster than your katakis! Keep your current shoes (or get something super cheap) to wear as a warm-up/cool down shoe to extend their lifespan! If it's your first outdoor trip just wear your current shoes. Mar 23, 2023 · The best rock climbing shoes for bouldering, sport climbing, trad climbing, plus everything you need to know before buying a pair Both are great performance shoes, at the cost of some level of durability. Now for you- will the rubber of approach shoes wear quicker than the rubber of your altras? Jul 29, 2022 · The growing popularity of outdoor recreation and adventure sports, along with a rapid increase in indoor climbing facilities over the past decade, means the number of new entrants to rock climbing is ever expanding. In top rope im doing consistent 5. Just wondering what the best shoes to get are. They get this reputation of being the pinnacle of climbing shoe performance but pretty much every gym foothold is more positive than the feet you’ll find on an outdoor 5. Mar 7, 2025 · Go to any outdoor recreation store and prepare to be overwhelmed by shelves of cutting-edge climbing shoes and marketing gibberish. Any suggestions for shoes I can use for bouldering and lead? The TC pros… Mar 19, 2024 · Ten testers wore a dozen pairs over the span of two months tackling a variety of climbing to find the best climbing shoes. And yes we are scared of falling. Keep in mind everyone has different opinion on shoes varied by price, what everyone in their community has, foot shape, climbing style, etc. See which 6 pairs made the cut and why Danner’s N45 stands out. I'm particularly interested in the Theory shoes, but reviews are scarce. I mainly top rope and i boulder with my friends as well, but i prefer top rope. Also, the Mythos are not a super stiff shoe and climbing inside only, your shoes will last longer. The way the rubber wraps over the toe means the shoe will last forever, mine are more than 6 years old and everything but the toe is falling apart. Here's everything you need to know about outdoor climbing shoes. A few of the good brands include five-ten But even the cheapest climbing shoes are miles better than rentals. 11a’s. Have been climbing for We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. I'm currently wearing the Muira VS and find them a bit too stiff and aggressive for me - so I might return those. Nov 6, 2023 · If you're looking for a new pair of cheap climbing shoes, you've landed in the right place. 0). Apr 22, 2025 · We tested 19 pairs of women's climbing shoes from La Sportiva, Scarpa, Black Diamond, and others to find the best-performing models for your climbing style. I'm also aware that the La Sportiva Kubos and Solutions are highly recommended. Jun 30, 2025 · Our editors hiked hundreds of miles to find the best hiking shoes of 2025. If you really want to take a new pair, it would help to know what kind of climbing you'll be Normally, it means the neutral stiff shoe, which forgives bad fit because of its structure. And some shoes are great for people with wide feet, but if you got narrow feet you won't really fit them. Best shoes I've ever had. Pretty much the only shoe that fit semi-comfortably, due to my wide, flat Hobbit-esque feet. If you can, find a store near you (climbing gyms will often sell shoes, if you're in America there's probably an rei near you) and try on different brands, since each will fit differently (different toeboxes, different heels, etc). Since you plan to climb only indoor you could even consider trying something softer (especially if you are a lighter climber). The most recent generation of shoes are solid. Feb 19, 2021 · We’ve reviewed all the best intermediate climbing shoes out there. Explore comfort and performance with the best footwear for your climbing adventures. The UP moccs I'm wearing are a godsend which I use for indoors if that helps. Some similar comments were made about Merrell. I know there are specialty shoes for all styles of climbing or for specific needs in climbing. 1. My reasoning is that the downsides of stiff shoes can be mostly mitigated, whereas with soft shoes, there are some things you simply cannot do. Stiff aggressive climbing shoes? Hi! What would people recommend for a stiff rubber rock climbing shoe? I wear normally five ten hiangles, which for me has the least amount of dead space, and I mainly boulder indoors, but occassionally go outdoors with a couple of buddies. Just the best tool of all trades kinda shoes. Mar 19, 2024 · Ten testers wore a dozen pairs over the span of two months tackling a variety of climbing to find the best climbing shoes. More or less stick to the main, established brands for outdoor climbing. I started climbing and bouldering last year (LOVING it btw!), and am finding that I could do with some slightly snugger/more aggressive shoes. That’s how I felt the first time I bought climbing shoes. Most intermediate/ moderately downturned climbing shoes will do fine. Unpopular opinion, if you are still learning techniques and climbing lower grades, get a cheaper pair (La sportiva Finale, or something) to climb on V2s and practice V5s and wear your solution comp when The most recent generation of shoes are solid. Decent support, good grip, and I like the closed toe so I don’t have to worry about stubbing a toe and inducing something painful when I put my hiking boots or climbing shoes on. These were our favorites. 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. Nov 11, 2023 · Nothing beats climbing on real rock, but if you want to perform at your best, you're going to need the right kit for the job. Softer shoes do wear quicker, but as others have said it is a game changer. Is there anything i have to consider since I plan to do alot of outdoor climbing in the future? Curiosity, what's everyone's best all around shoe from each major climbing brand? like, good for toe hooks, heel hooks, micro foot holds, standing on volumes. IMO, the futura is the best gym and general bouldering shoe ever made. I do love my Skwamas, but want to try something different. Nov 11, 2023 · Ready to leave the beginner shoes behind? A reliable pair of intermediate climbing shoes might be exactly what you need to take your climbing game to the next level. But for real you named most stiff bouldering shoe. We’ve also updated pricing and info on shoes that we tested last season but still highly recommend. They are super aggressive and will cripple you haha. Our final shoe rankings are based on Apr 29, 2025 · Here are our six favorite approach shoes of 2025. Edit: Talked to a dude at the gym, tried on several different pairs of shoes before finally getting a pair of 5. I was planning to purchase a new pair of shoes for indoor climbing and continue using my decathlon shoes for outdoor excursions. Normal climbing shoes without a rubber are not made for toehooking and will be short lived if you do that, depending on your level of experience and style of bouldering. 10 so 1) they’re overtuned (like buying a F1 race car for your daily driver) 2) they’re not really soft shoes like you’re looking for and 3) “best” is relative on Hot take: stiff vs soft shoes Warning: potentially controversial opinion incoming. It really depends on your feet, on the climbing grade you climb/want to climb and on the types of climbs you want to do. This is because im softer shoes the structure and the sustain of the shoe is given for the majority by the feet constricted in it, while on stiffer models the sustain is given by the feet but also by the shoe rigidity. I've been drawn to La Sportiva shoes due to their high reputation. Avoid brands like Mad Rock for shoes (their 'biners are good though) and Rock Empire and especially Gear4Rocks for gear. There is no 1 answer to your question. So my question is, which shoe brands have not suffered this fate? Are there any that are still considered very high quality/durable? The designer of the shoe told me that they designed the toe to be similar to the Solution but with a better/more functional heel, specifically for outdoor climbing. I prefer top-rope over bouldering and currently am not planning to ever climb outdoors. How about some old climbing boots, those got a steel shank. For climbing outside, you should be considering performance on rock and what type of rock and climbing you’re doing. I can’t seem to find any articles breaking down the physics of shoes other than “downturned toe does hooks, flat shoe do slabs”. Updated April 2025: We added four new approach shoes to this list, including the Arc’teryx Vertex Alpine—our top pick for technical climbing. Now i have to buy new shoes since my first shoes are pretty run down. Are the red chili a good choice? I’m just asking because I don’t see them like the kind of shoes that will be a long term for climbers. 10 outdoors. Something that can help send your bouldering project, clip the chains on a pumpy sport route, and even top out a tasty trad line. 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. Hello all! Ive been climbing in Evolv Kronos and while they are great, im wanting something more for top rope, for the small footholds and overhang/slight overhang. Jul 8, 2011 · Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. The solution is still my favorite sport climbing shoe that I have tried, precise and makes me feel confident on even the smallest feet. Nov 30, 2022 · Our Method for Choosing the Top Bouldering Shoes We started our shoe evaluation with climbing shoes marketed by manufacturers as best suited for bouldering. Yeah but there aren't really that many true beginner shoes, just shoes that work best for beginners. The current momentum’s fit much much better than the first iteration. I currently got the Tenaya Ra (womens) in EU 40, and I can pretty much wear them through a whole session without taking them off. Are aggressive downturned shoes mandatory for hard bouldering? In all the old master of stone videos, everyone is climbing hard in those purple mythos. From advice on which gym to visit to videos of world cup IFSC climbers, you can find it all here. Have a friend that is getting hooked on bouldering so he is contemplating some shoes to avoid them sweaty rentals. Find your perfect climbing shoes at REI. I also prefer soft shoes to stiff ones, and prefer somewhat downturned shoes. 100% my go to at the campsite after a day of hiking. LaSpo miuras for moderate to steep sport, skwamas for bouldering! LaSport is the best IMO, they fit my feet well (they are wide). One of the first items of gear a neophyte usually purchases is a pair of beginner climbing shoes. Outdoor climbing is more important to me, and is more stylistically varied, than indoor climbing, so I have a few pairs of shoes for different disciplines outdoors (crack, long multipitch, sport), plus a cheap pair of beater shoes for indoor climbing. I used to sell climbing shoes and often people look for “beginner” or “intermediate” shoes. Just be aware of sizing and defects that come along with the shoe (delamination in the OG and tearing between tabs in the 2. Jun 12, 2025 · We put 23 pairs of climbing shoes to the test on boulder problems, sport climbs, and traditional routes. I would mainly be using them for board climbing and bouldering (both indoor and outdoor). Most “shoe advice” focuses on aggressive vs non aggressive and fit. I climb about v3-4’s. Am I crazy for finding this really gross? Climbing shoes aren’t allowed in the bathrooms at this same gym but climbers can wear their tennis shoes they wear outside/in the bathroom on the wall that I touch with my hands? I know climbing isn’t necessarily the most hygienic sport but this seems like an easy thing to regulate. I think the method (green) and aspect pro are the best they have to offer. 10b-c, while projecting 5. Currently i’m using the Tenaya Ra, but as I’m sports climbing more and more outdoors I find that my Ra’s don’t cut it anymore as they’re too soft. It makes it easy to do precise footwork on smaller holds. I work with hiking/climbing & mountaineering equipment for al living, selling it beeing a big part in it. A subreddit for the indoor bouldering community. Apr 16, 2025 · We tested 27 climbing shoes for men from La Sportiva, Scarpa, Black Diamond, evolv, Five Ten, and more to find the best shoes for you, no matter how you 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? I am having an incredibly hard time deciding, because whatever I pick is likely going to be the only shoe I use for the next 1-2 years. Here's what you need to know. It's very important that your shoes 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. A shoe thats really good on slabs might be absolutely hopeless in a cave for example. rlhglqa rtyzr jjsv fuqiy dassevh apz uesx frmxk xmsizjq myzfr