Looking to get into climbing and need some shoes to boot up with? That’s great to hear, climbing is an amazing and addictive sport with the friendliest community behind it which is just the cherry on top. If you’ve already tried climbing and have put on a pair of rental shoes, you probably already have an inkling that those shoes are not the best. They’re uncomfortable, feel slick on the wall, and don’t look that great in our honest opinion. A comfortable pair of climbing shoes that fit you well will make the sport a lot more enjoyable as well as help you climb better and more precisely. With that in mind, here is our guide on choosing the right shoes as well as our top picks for the best climbing shoes for beginners.
Choosing the Best Climbing Shoes for Beginners
If you’re just starting off climbing, you’ll want to focus on a pair of shoes that reflect your needs. In this case, the best climbing shoes for beginners will favor comfort and flat soles. They aren’t as painful as moderate or aggressive shoes, which will allow you to focus more on progressing and less on wincing. Of course, if you have the feeling that you’ll progress very quickly, you might be interested in more high performance climbing shoes. Also to remember, climbing shoes are meant to fit very snug, not painful but where there is no deadspace in the toebox or heel area.
Factors to Consider:
Type of Climbing
Will you mostly be climbing indoors or outdoors? This is a very important question to ask.
Most people (including me) start off climbing indoors. Indoor climbers should consider a thicker sole with a softer rubber. Thicker soles will wear out less quickly while a softer rubber will allow you to smear more easily, allowing you to get more surface area onto gritty indoor climbing walls.
For those that are more into outdoor climbing, consider a stiffer rubber with a full length sole, as this will allow you to edge on small footholds much easier as well as give you a firm platform to toe off of.
Upper Material
It’s important to talk about upper material since a snug fit is so crucial for a good pair of climbing shoes. You have one of two choices here: leather or synthetics. Each has its own pros and cons.
First off, synthetic leather doesn’t stretch, which means how they fit in the store will be how they’ll fit down the road. This means: no breaking in period so you are good to start climbing in synthetic shoes right off the bat. The caveats? Synthetics don’t mold to your feet quite like natural leather does and they aren’t as breathable either, which could lead to odors building up over time. Though, companies nowadays are improving on synthetic material to reduce on stench.
On the other hand, you have natural leather. Natural leather will mold to the shape of your foot over time, leading to superior comfort and a pair of shoes that fit like a second skin. They are also more breathable, meaning you won’t have to deal with foul odors that you might get with synthetics. The downside, however, is that they stretch, and stretch A LOT. This means you’ll have to downsize them and break them in over time before they can reach their full potential and comfort. Expect lined leather shoes to stretch around a half a size while unlined leather can stretch up to a full size or even more.
So if you want to climb pain free immediately, the best climbing shoes for beginners will have to be one with a synthetic upper. If you’re willing to break in a pair of shoes for ultimate comfort down the road, choose a pair of leather shoes.
High Volume vs Low Volume
Another factor to consider will be shoe volume. Not everyone’s foot is the same volume, even if you are the same street shoe size. Some climbers may have a narrower toe shape, some may have a larger heel, some may have flat and wide toes, it all widely differs. The difficult part about finding the right climbing shoes is that different shoe brands use different lasts for their models, which may fit one person well but not another.
In the shoe market, you’ll see climbing shoes marketed as either mens or womens, although lately we’ve been seeing more shoes marked as either high volume or low volume. However, the differentiation between mens and womens shoes is not some marketing scheme based on different colorways alone. Men’s climbing shoes have higher volume, with a larger toebox and heel. Women’s shoes are lower volume, with a smaller toebox and narrower heel.
Don’t be afraid to switch it up though, you can wear whatever shoes fit you the best. It’s just important to note the differences between these labels, and that they will fit different feet respectively.
What Are the Best Climbing Shoes for Beginners?
Now that you have an idea of what to look for in your first pair of shoes, let’s go over our top picks of the best climbing shoes for beginners. Again, these shoes will stress comfort above anything else. Most of our recommendations will feature a neutral profile with low asymmetry so that your toes won’t be uncomfortably curled up while you’re trying to learn the ins and outs of climbing.
Evolv Defy / Elektra
High Volume VersionLow Volume Version
Upper:Perforated synthetic
Closure:Velcro straps
Rubber:4.2mm TRAX SAS
Stretch:Little to no stretch
Sizing Suggestion:Close to street shoe size
A combination of comfort and performance, the Defy and Elektra are Evolv’s best selling shoes. With a split tongue opening that makes it really easy to get in and out of and a perforated synthetic upper that is more breathable than most synthetic shoes out there, these shoes are designed for all-day comfort straight out of the box. They even perform pretty well on steeper climbs and can heel hook decently.
Great bang for your buck all in all, these shoes also have varying degrees of rubber thickness in the toe, mainly in the front to improve on durability and keeping you from wearing them out too quickly. With a toe that is a bit sharper than most entry level shoes out there, they are a pretty solid platform to toe off of and can make for a great pair of warm up shoes in the future if you end up looking for a more high performing set of shoes.
La Sportiva Finale
High Volume VersionLow Volume Version
Upper:Unlined natural leather
Closure:Laces
Rubber:5mm Vibram XS Edge
Stretch:Around 1/2 size
Sizing Suggestion: 1 to 1 1/2 sizes down
These shoes are great for wearing all day, and the unlined leather upper makes it a dream to wear once properly broken in. The lacing system can be a bit time consuming at first, but you’ll be able to dial in the fit to conform exactly to your foot’s shape, making these great for indoors and outdoors.
The 5mm Vibram XS Edge rubber really helps with standing on smaller footholds and they perform outdoors just as well on tiny edges. This performance is also enhanced due to the slight downturn on the shoe as well as the medium asymmetry which puts more power into your big toe.
With all these features, it’s probably why these shoes are more on the pricier side of entry level shoes, but it’s worth it in the end if you intend to climb very often. These shoes might be marketed toward beginners, but they’ll work excellently for intermediate climbers as well.
Unparallel Up Mocc
Upper:Unlined natural leather
Closure:Slip on
Rubber:4.2mm RH rubber
Stretch:Up to 1 full size stretch
Sizing Suggestion: 1 to 1 1/2 sizes down
The Up Mocc by Unparallel Up has got to be my favorite pair of climbing shoes on this list. If you’ve heard of the Moccasyms by Five Ten and how infamous they are (but quality has declined since being bought out by Adidas), the Up Mocc is essentially the Five Ten Moccasyms but better.
An unlined leather upper molds to your feet and honestly feels like you’re walking and climbing on clouds. I can be in these shoes all day in the gym without ever taking them off, and the fact that they’re premium leather means that they won’t stink afterward. The rubber is equivalent to Five Ten’s stealth rubber, which makes it perfect for climbing indoors and out. You’ll notice that the rubber will actually become more sensitive over time the more you wear it, allowing you to feel more of what you’re standing on.
What’s also great about these shoes are the tensioned and narrower heels, which are far better than the Moccasyms, allowing you to heel hook with confidence.
Black Diamond Momentum
High Volume VersionLow Volume Version
Upper:Synthetic knit upper
Closure:Velcro straps
Rubber:4.3mm rubber
Stretch:Little to no stretch
Sizing Suggestion: Close to street shoe size
Black Diamond might be an older climbing company, but entering the climbing shoe market is something fairly recent. Although many were skeptical whether they could pull off making so many things at once, it’s clear that they know what they’re doing with the making of the Momentums.
With a breathable knit upper, the Momentums allow your feet to take in some air, which is perfect for sweaty gym sessions. The knit upper is synthetic, however, so don’t expect it to stretch much or at all. These shoes are great for the value though. 4.3mm of rubber is plenty for durability without sacrificing on performance.
The last on these seems to be more on the narrow side too, so those with wide feet might not be able to make this a Cinderella happy ending.
La Sportiva Tarantula
High Volume VersionLow Volume Version
Upper:Unlined natural leather
Closure:Velcro straps
Rubber:5mm Frixion RS
Stretch:Around 1/2 size
Sizing Suggestion: 1 full size down
Compared to other entry level shoes offered by La Sportiva, it’s clear that the Tarantula are meant to be the company’s most affordable shoe. Featuring a leather upper, a velcro closure system, and 5mm of rubber, these shoes are built around comfort and durability with no extra frills.
Nothing stands out too much in these shoes with regards to performance, but if you’re just starting off, that shouldn’t be an issue. These will still outperform rental shoes any day.
Scarpa Helix
High Volume VersionLow Volume Version
Upper:Unlined natural leather
Closure:Laces
Rubber:3.5mm Vibram XS Edge
Stretch:Around 1/2 size
Sizing Suggestion: 1/2 to 1 full size down
Perfect as the best climbing shoes for beginners and intermediate climbers, indoors or out, the Scarpa Helix can be worn all day without any problem. The slight asymmetry of the toebox will also introduce you to the mechanics of putting more weight on the big toe, lending to more power.
With a sole of just 3.5mm Vibram XS Edge rubber, however, these shoes won’t be the most durable but they offer sensitivity instead. This is especially useful for climbing outdoors, where all your feet will be substantially smaller and the thinner sole will allow you to feel out the sweet spots better. These shoes edge surprisingly well too, which is why they work great as intermediate shoes as well.
*Also to note, these shoes will dye your feet breaking them in so be aware, they will stop over time and it can be easily washed off
Evolv Kronos / Kira
High Volume VersionLow Volume Version
Upper:Unlined synthetic
Closure:Velcro straps
Rubber:4.2mm TRAX SAS
Stretch:Little to no stretch
Sizing Suggestion: Street shoe size or 1/2 size up
The Evolv Kronos and Kira feature a slight downturn on their toe but still remain comfortable, making these shoes perfect for the beginner and intermediate climbers. They perform fairly well in all areas, although they don’t excel in any one area. With a 4.2mm rubber sole, they are surprisingly sensitive which works well on steeper climbs, and the pointier toe helps you feel more secure in small pockets. All in all, the Kronos and Kira serve as a good middle ground between comfort and performance, which is why they are classified as a “technical all-arounder” according to Evolv.
La Sportiva Mythos ECO
High Volume VersionLow Volume Version
Upper:Unlined leather
Closure:Laces
Rubber:4mm La Sportiva Eco Rubber
Stretch:Up to 1 full size
Sizing Suggestion: 1 to 1 1/2 size down
These shoes are probably the most expensive ones on this list but they’re also the most iconic. The Mythos were first introduced in 1991 and blew up in popularity due to their incredible amount of comfort. They perform especially well on more delicate and balance-y climbs, and although they don’t edge too well because of its incredibly soft rubber, it does offer an amazing amount of sensitivity. What’s also so great about these shoes are the fact that the laces also wrap around the heel, so you can adjust the fit just right for a snug fitting heel. If you can imagine what it’s like to combine a climbing shoe with a pair of loafers, these would be the result.
Just be aware that these shoes stretch a ton, so don’t be afraid to size them on the side of “too small” starting out. You’ll notice that they’ll adapt to your feet perfectly the more you break them in.
