9 Best Rock Climbing Shoes | 2023 Review | Beginner & Intermediate

For this climbing shoe review, we tested more than 20 pairs of rock climbing shoes. All shoes were reviewed and then divided into categories –so you’ll have no trouble determining which climbing shoe is the best fit for you.  

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Best Rock Climbing shoes 2021

• La Sportiva – Tarantula
• Scarpa – Veloce
• Scarpa – Vapor V
• La Sportiva – Skwama
• Tenaya – Iati
• Scarpa – Instinct VSR
• Scarpa – Furia Air
• La Sportiva – Solution Comp
• La Sportiva – Miura

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All climbing shoes reviewed here are also available as a women’s version.

Climbing Shoe Test Winner – Beginners 

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The 3 Best Climbing Shoes – Advanced

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The 4 Best Climbing Shoes – Experts

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Test Criteria / Features:

Small Footholds & Precision

A climbing shoe that works well on small footholds – for the ideal balance between support and sensitivity. Generally, shoes that perform well here offer a bit more support – that is, a slightly stiffer sole. However, the sole and rubber should still leave you enough sensitivity to “feel” the foothold. 

Ideal for vertical to slightly overhanging walls. The support facilitates “standing” on and “pushing off” from small ledges and footholds. 

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Friction & Sensitivity

On the other hand, a soft shoe provides
a.) a better “feeling” of the footholds
b.) significantly better grip when smearing.
You’ll notice these advantages most prominently in bouldering gyms or significantly overhanging climbing areas.

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Comfort-Performance Ratio

The comfort of the shoe depends primarily on the foot shape of the material and the size that you pick. A shoe that’s too small will hurt, no matter what brand it is. 

But – Good shoe manufacturers are well aware that making a “perfect” shoe is about balancing performance and comfort. Modern shoes are designed to perform well while still being reasonably comfortable to wear. I will go into more detail on the subject of fit down below. 

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Bouldering

Shoes that are more suitable for bouldering got a higher score. Modern boulder problems cannot be compared with old-school climbing (the style when I started years ago).

Smaller footholds and ledges are no longer the only means of making a route harder. Instead, bouldering is becoming more dynamic, and the required movements are more varied and complex –a softer shoe is usually better suited for this. 

Please note: These are general recommendations – there are no pure climbing shoes or pure bouldering shoes. The transitions of the individual strengths and weaknesses are fluid and highly dependent on the particular route, rock type, and your personal preference. It’s best always to have two pairs of climbing shoes in your backpack – one soft pair & one slightly stiffer pair.

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Rock Climbing

Shoes that are mainly used for classic rope climbing get more points here. These shoes are designed to provide a little more support. Furthermore, toe hooks and particularly acrobatic moves are not very common in rope climbing. 

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Climbing Shoe Test – The Winners in Detail

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Best Climbing Shoe for Beginners – CLIMBING

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THE climbing shoe for beginners.

This climbing shoe is comfortable and has three additional advantages:

No matter where you look, the Tarantula gets excellent reviews, without exception – our climbing shoe test confirmed these positive reviews.

Alternatives
The Black Diamond Momentum certainly is one of the most comfortable shoes currently on the market. However, I can only conditionally recommend it since it starts super comfortable initially but then starts losing its shape after only a short while. We liked the Scarpa Origen better, which has a slightly different fit but is very similar to the Tarantula.

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Best Climbing Shoe for Beginners – BOULDERING

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The soft sole of the Veloce makes the shoe particularly interesting for bouldering in the gym. 

Modern bouldering shoe
Bouldering challenges in the gyms are designed so that even beginners can have fun from day one. Gone are the tiny holds and small ledges; nowadays, large volumes, tricky balancing acts, and dynamic moves are what bouldering gyms are incorporating.

The sole rubber is 4 mm thick.
Most beginner shoes are 5 mm thick, so the Veloce is a very sensitive shoe. The S-72 rubber used for this shoe isn’t the softest on the market – but it’s still a good choice for beginners, as the sole is a good compromise between durability and performance. 

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Climbing Shoe Review – Advanced

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Best All-Round Climbing Shoe

Level: Advanced 

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A very well-balanced climbing shoe that can do just about anything.

The Vapor’s strengths are vertical walls and small footholds. 

It’s slightly softer than its direct competitor, the La Sportiva Katana, and is therefore slightly more suitable for smearing. Of course, its friction properties are not comparable to a Skwama or Furia S. Overall, it’s more balanced than the rest, making it the best all-rounder in this category.

Alternative:
Compared to the Vapor V, Scarpa’s Arpia is a touch softer and generally more comfortable. If you’re looking for more comfort, choose the Arpia; if you’re looking for more performance, choose the Vapor V.

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Best Climbing Shoe – Friction & Sensitivity

Level: Advanced

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Climbing ✅ Bouldering ✅ Overhangs ✅ Smearing ✅

The Skwama is one of those shoes that you see everywhere – whether in bouldering gyms, on slabs, or overhangs. It’s a versatile climbing shoe that’s also popular with professional climbers. 

Alternatives
The Skwama is known for having a great fit, particularly on wide feet. The Tenaya Mundaka is an alternative for those with narrow feet. Although I am a die-hard Scarpa and LaSporitva fan, I was very satisfied with all the Tenaya climbing shoes that I tested and can recommend them unconditionally. The Scarpa Furia S is the second absolutely recommendable alternative to the Skwama.  

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Best Climbing Shoe – Small Footholds & Precision

Level: Advanced

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A justifiably popular climbing shoe – the sole construction supports a better transfer of power even on tiny footholds. 

Alternative
If you’re interested in an equally great shoe with a slightly different cut, try the La Sportiva Otaki. The Otaki uses a harder rubber compound (XS Edge) than the Iati, and its design is even more focused on ledge performance and edge stability.

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Climbing Shoe Review – Experts

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Best All-Rounder

Level: Expert

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Not too soft, not too hard – the perfect all-rounder.

The shoe is best suited for bouldering and climbing steep to overhanging terrain and strikes a good balance between friction and precision.

The large toe pad and snug fit around the heel are excellent for complex moves in the bouldering gym. The Instinct VSR also does very well with smearing.

The differences between the VS and VSR  

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Best Climbing Shoe – Friction & Sensitivity

Level: Expert

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Currently the softest and lightest shoe on this earth – I gotta have it!!

The shoe is very similar to the Furia S, but the materials are even thinner and lighter. The Furia Air is currently the cream of the crop in terms of lightweight and sensitive climbing shoes. 

It’s most suitable for climbers who already own one or even two or more pairs of climbing shoes and want to use the Furia Air as a secret weapon – as well as anyone who wants to feel more of the rock (or plastic, of course). 

As with any other climbing shoe, the longevity depends on several factors: 

• How often you climb
• Rock texture 
• Climbing style 
• Weight
• Rubber compound

Alternatives
The Furia Air is geared more towards climbing than bouldering, which doesn’t mean that you can’t boulder with this shoe. However, I would recommend one of the more durable alternatives for bouldering, like the Furia S or the Theory.  

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Best Climbing Shoe – Small Footholds & Precision

Level: Expert (Overhangs)

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If you don’t want to leave anything to chance, wear the Solution Comp.

The Solution Comp is modeled after one of the most popular climbing shoes ever, the all-time classic La Sportiva Solution. The Solution Comp is similar in construction, only lighter, thinner, and with better sensitivity. Nevertheless, it offers a little more support than, for example, super soft climbing shoes like the Furia Air or Theory. 

75% degree asymmetry and a pronounced downturn don’t mean that the shoe isn’t also comfortable. For those who liked the “old” Solution, the Solution Comp will also fit. 

Alternatives
Those looking for alternatives with a slightly different fit will find equivalent shoes in the Booster or Mastia by the Spanish climbing brand Tenaya. 

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Best Climbing Shoe – Small Footholds & Edge Stability

Level: Expert (vertical – slightly overhanging)

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Vertical wall with nothing but a few tiny Footholds = Miura.

The Miura isn’t suitable for bouldering gyms, since smearing is not its strength.  

The shoe’s shape is designed to transfer all the energy to the foothold through the big toe. The continuous sole provides enough support so that even small footholds can be weighted. 

The best alternative is the Scarpa Boostic. It’s a similar shoe with a slightly different fit but an identical field of application. 

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Climbing Shoes – All You Need to Know

• Soft shoes (without a supportive sole) are popular for bouldering indoors and highly overhanging terrain. 
• Hard shoes help in vertical to slightly overhanging terrain for stepping on small footholds precisely and placing your weight on them better.  
• The perfect shoe doesn’t exist. Depending on the construction, every shoe has strengths and weaknesses.  
• Velcro is the better choice 90% of the time – simple, practical, and precise. 
• Pay attention to the rubber:
  Softer rubber provides more friction and grip but also wears out faster.
  Harder rubber provides less friction but more edge stability on small footholds.  

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Finding The Right Climbing Shoe

Finding a suitable climbing shoe isn’t easy. The best tips I can give you are: 

• Think about which shoe you want – a soft one with excellent grip or a harder one with better edge stability? The perfect shoe doesn’t exist anyway, so ideally, you’ll always have 2 different climbing shoes with you –a soft one and a slightly harder one. 
• Try on as many climbing shoes as possible –every shoe is cut slightly differently. 
• Please pay attention to which climbing shoes feel good the first time you try them on and which ones don’t. The amount the shoes will stretch depends on the material, but it might not be a good fit for your foot shape if it creates pressure points right away. 

• Don’t buy your shoes too small! The size of your climbing shoes won’t be what holds you back, especially in the low and medium difficulty levels. If after 4 months you notice that you’d prefer the shoe to be half a size smaller, then buy the next shoe half a size smaller. The larger shoes can still be used for multi-pitch climbing, warming up, or hot summer days (feet swell). So even if your shoes end up being too big, you won’t have thrown your money out the window. 

• You won’t want super tight shoes until about 5.12 (7b/c), but by the time you get there, you’ll know exactly what shoes you need anyway.  
• Know your foot shape – if you have a rather flat foot, make sure to try low-volume climbing shoes. If you have a high instep, high-volume shoes usually fit better (not always). The same goes for narrow and wide feet. 

Climbing Shoes for Wide Feet:

La Sportiva: Skwama, Testarossa, Miura VS, Tarantula
Scarpa: Veloce, Instinct VSR, Instinct VS
Climbing shoes by Boreal have a wide cut overall.

Climbing Shoes for Narrow Feet: 

La Sportiva: Katana, Kataki, Futura, Solution, Solution Comp
Scarpa: Drago, Furia S, Vapor V, Booster
Tenaya and RedChilli are known for having narrow cuts. 

Soft Climbing Shoes:

La Sportiva: Skwama, Theory 
Scarpa: Veloce, Drago, Furia S, Furia Air, Instinct VSR
Tenaya: Mundaka

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What Are the Best Climbing Shoes for the Gym?

Basically, there is no difference between climbing shoes for the gym and climbing shoes for the rock. You can wear climbing shoes in the climbing gym/bouldering gym just as well as outdoors. It depends on WHAT you climb, not on whether you’re climbing indoors or outdoors. 

• For bouldering, I generally recommend softer shoes – for climbing, a stiffer sole can be helpful.  
• A thin sole rubber (3mm) makes no sense for beginners because the climbing shoes are “done” after a few months and have to be resoled. A thick rubber (5mm) lasts much longer. 
• There are special sole rubbers for the gym; they have a lighter sole and are mainly used as rental shoes. 

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Rock Climbing Shoes – Different Typs

Climbing shoes can be roughly divided into 3 categories

Beginners
Shoes for beginners must be comfortable and just tight enough to allow for precise climbing. The footholds on easier routes are fairly large and don’t require climbing with super high precision. For beginners, the goal is to immerse themselves in the world of climbing and learn the proper climbing technique.

A beginner will not climb better wearing an expert shoe – it will only make his toes hurt more.

Beginners can’t take advantage of climbing shoes with an extreme cut. Expert shoes don’t become interesting until after a few years of climbing experience. In addition, you can climb challenging routes even with the supposed beginner shoes.

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Advanced
Usually, the second climbing shoe you buy falls into this category. The fit is a bit tighter, and they likely have a slight downturn. Overall, the shoe is a bit more “aggressive” and, depending on the application, more sensitive and softer. I think that many amateur athletes make the mistake of wearing these kinds of shoes too tight.  

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Expert
These climbing shoes usually have a pronounced downturn and are worn tightly. The toes don’t lie flat but are spread out more or less wide –this helps to utilize even the smallest footholds better. How tight? That depends on the shape of the foot, the ambitions, and the respective tolerance for pain of the climber. 

• These shoes are fitted and broken in over a long period of time (often months), and only then used regularly. 

This is a procedure that is recommended for all newly purchased climbing shoes. So if you notice that your old model will come to an end soon, get a new one right away.

Distinguishing Features of Climbing Shoes:

1. Downturn
2. Stiff vs. soft sole
3. Symmetrical vs. asymmetrical
4. Upper (leather, synthetic or both)
5. Rubber (soft vs. hard, thick vs. thin)
6. Closure (Velcro, lacing or slip-on)
7. Heel and toe pad

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Climbing Shoes Buying Guide – What to Look For?

How tight should climbing shoes fit?
Tight but definitely not too tight. Climbing shoes should enclose the entire foot firmly without causing pressure points. 

8 Tips for Buying Climbing Shoes

• No space (not even in the heel or toe area)
• The heel has to have a snug fit – feet must not slip out even when performing a heel hook.
• You can’t always avoid pressure points, but some shoes will fit better than others right away. 
• Foot shape – If you have particularly wide or narrow feet, choose an appropriate cut. 
• Small footholds – Test how the shoe performs when stepping on small footholds.  
• Try shoes on in the afternoon – feet swell during the day. 
• Pay attention to the material and quality –some climbing shoes widen more than others (leather vs. synthetic).
• Women’s models have narrower and flatter cuts overall, so they may fit you better.   

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What Happens if Your Climbing Shoes Are Too Small?

Simply put – they will hurt. Climbing shoes that are too small lead to uncomfortable and stabbing pain in the toe area. The problem with this is:

You acquire a bad climbing technique. To avoid the pain, you will climb differently than you normally and ideally would. In the long run, this leads to a terrible climbing technique – and you will have to get rid of it over the course of the following years of climbing. 

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What Happens if Your Climbing Shoes Are Too Big?

It results in a similar problem as tight shoes – just not as painful.

If the bouldering shoe is too big, it will be difficult for you to put your weight on small footholds properly. The sole rubber will bend upwards under the load, and you will slip. You will come to believe that you cannot trust your feet. 

Footwork and technique are the basis of a good climbing technique. The footholds are not weighted properly, so you’re forced to compensate with your arms. The result is poor technique and tired arms. 

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Climbing Shoe – The Right Size.

Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach (pun intended) for climbing shoes. Each manufacturer handles sizes slightly differently. Therefore, the right size for you differs from manufacturer to manufacturer. You can find each manufacture’s recommendations on their website. 

• Basically, it can be said that climbing shoes are worn about 1 size smaller (than sneakers).

My Experience With Climbing Shoe Sizes:

I climb almost exclusively with Scarpa and La Sportiva shoes. My normal shoe size is 43, and I’m not a fan of super tight shoes. 

La Sportiva shoes I buy:
1 – 1.5 sizes smaller than my sneakers: size 41.5 is tight, size 42 is comfortable/tight

Scarpa shoes I buy:
In the same size or only 0.5 sizes smaller than my sneaker: size 42.5 is tight, size 43 is comfortable/tight

Of course, the right size is highly dependent on your foot shape and the particular climbing shoe model.

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What Climbing Shoes for Bouldering?

Basically, soft and sensitive climbing shoes are the better choice, especially for indoor bouldering. Modern bouldering tasks require lots of sensitivity, and there is a lot of bouldering on structures and volumes.

Soft shoes provide much better grip and friction and therefore have a clear advantage in the gym. In addition, the routes are very short, and the foot muscles are not dependent on support in the sole area. 

For outdoor climbing, the right choice depends on the respective area and the quality of the rock. But even for outdoor climbing, I would tend to recommend soft climbing shoes.

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Why Not Buy Cheap Climbing Shoes?

In the long run, cheap climbing shoes are not actually cheaper. Why?

• Cheap shoes are manufactured differently and lose their shape and tension quickly. 
• Once the shoe has lost its tension, having it resoled makes no sense.
• After the rubber is worn out on cheap climbing shoes, they need to be replaced. 
• High-quality shoes can be resoled, and if not for climbing, you can still use them for multi-pitch climbing. Thus, the shoes often remain usable for many years. 

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