The Best Rock-Climbing Shoes, According to Expert Guides and Climbing Instructors

Climbing shoes fit unlike any other footwear. The shoes are meant to feel molded to your feet, compressing your toes to allow you to exert force precisely on small footholds. Most shoes come in European sizing, but even then, the sizing doesn’t always translate. For example, I wear a U.S. 8 running shoe, but in my main climbing shoe brand (La Sportiva), I wear a size 36, which translates to a U.S. size 6, for a tighter fit and more precision on the wall.

“The most important thing about fitting a climbing shoe is to find the one that fits your specific foot shape,” says Ty Morrison-Heath, former climbing-gym manager, avid climber, and currentclimbing-gym marketer, adding that “many brands have different sub-models of the same shoe in different widths/depths to fit different sizes of feet.” Don’t just buy a shoe because your friend loves it; he says: “Make sure it’s a fit for your foot shape.”

He recommends trying on the size above and below your preferred size to make sure you land in the middle of pre-break-in discomfort. The shoes will likely feel too tight at first, but know that a leather upper will stretch up to a half-size after breaking in, and a synthetic upper will still stretch, but less. The shoes should feel snug at first but don’t need to cut off circulation to your toes. “Climbing shoes are supposed to fit snug, but unless you are climbing very hard, you can typically get away with a comfortable snug,” says Morrison-Heath. “You don’t have to torture yourself with an uncomfortable shoe.

As you progress, you’ll also likely end up changing the size of your shoe based on how hard you’re climbing. My warm-up shoes are a few sizes bigger than my performance-oriented shoes. Size up for comfort, down for accuracy.

You’ll find a growing array of women-specific shoes, and, as Morrison-Heath told me, varying widths and volume-specific offerings as well. But overall, you should wear the shoe that fits your foot best, and if you’re like me and have a low-volume foot, trying a women’s shoe or a model marked “LV” (low volume) is a good place to start.

“Don’t feel like you have to go with women’s or men’s shoes just because gender-specific styles are offered,” says Alicia Hines, president ofSouthern Montana Climbers Coalition. “Everyone’s foot volume is different, including width, arch, and toe box. Many climbers with low-volume feet (regardless of gender) choose women’s or LV shoes for a better fit, while many women with higher-volume feet prefer men’s shoes.”

Climbing shoes are typically available in three closure styles: lace-up, Velcro strap, and slip-on.

“The choice of laces, strap, or slipper comes down to what and where you climb,” says Morrison-Heath. “If you primarily boulder in the gym or outside, a strap or slipper is the best because you will spend a lot of your climbing session taking your shoes off and on, and undoing laces over and over gets tedious.”

However, he also mentioned that laces allow for the most custom fit. If you’re climbing at your limit, lace-up shoes let you adjust for tension more than strap closures or slippers. This won’t be as much of an issue for beginner climbers, and those climbers should choose based on fit first, then narrow it down.

“The main way to tell a beginner shoe from a more advanced pair is twofold: the price and how aggressive they are,” says Hines. That means a more downturned shape and a tighter fit. “Beginner shoes,” Hines points out, “are more neutral and offer the basic features you need on the wall for a less expensive price.”

The best beginner shoes will be less downturned, and because of that they’ll feel more comfortable than advanced shoes, but you’ll want a more structured midsole — stiffer with more support — to keep your feet from getting tired on the wall. For beginners, I recommend getting used to wearing a climbing shoe first, then leveling up once you start climbing harder routes. You don’t need to start out with a super-tight, aggressively shaped shoe.

The best intermediate shoes offer a tighter fit and increased stiffness, allowing for more precision as you climb, and come in models meant for specific climbing styles, though they’re not as specialized as shoes meant for advanced climbers.

“To level up from beginner, consider the type of climbing and indoor-outdoor usage,” saysHailey Hosken, a Montana-based route developer, route setter, and climbing instructor. “The biggest upgrades are going to be in the shape/tensioning system and rubber.”

Intermediate shoes for sport climbing and bouldering will have a stiffer construction for greater precision and control on more technical routes and should feature a more downturned shape.

“More downturn means more heel tension and more precision and power on small footholds,” says Oliver Brown, founder and CEO ofTrue Summit Adventures. If you’re considering moving more into trad or slab climbing (routes that are often more vertical, with smaller holds and requiring precarious balancing acts) as you start to specialize, Brown says to look for flat shoes optimized for “long routes and multi-pitch climbing.”

The best shoes for advanced climbers are designed for specific climbing styles, and many advanced climbers have an arsenal of shoes depending on climbing style and difficulty. Advanced shoes are usually more expensive because they have more features, such as specialty rubber, a more downturned shape, added protection for trad climbing, or reinforced heels for bouldering. They usually have a seriously downturned shape for everything except trad climbing, where you’ll see flatter shapes.

For simplicity’s sake, you can group climbing shoes into four categories: those meant for sport climbing, trad climbing, bouldering, and the gym. Many shoes will work for all four, but if you plan to climb primarily in a single one of those categories, here’s what to look for.

Bouldering

For bouldering, Brown says to look for “aggressive downturn and softer, thinner soles for sensitivity.” This means the shoe’s shape is curved when viewed from the side, but there is less rubber overall under the sole, though the toe box and edges can have more rubber to allow for heel hooks and toe hooks. “Bouldering shoes should have extensive ‘runner’ on the shoe box,” says Brown, referring to the sticky rubber along the outside of the shoe, as bouldering involves moves that require different parts of your foot to be used in rapid succession. Additionally, look for a well-defined heel for heel-hooking (using the back of your heel on a support for leverage), and a strap or slip-on closure since you’ll likely be taking the shoes on and off between attempts.

Sport Climbing

“Good sport-climbing shoes combine a stiff midsole for support on vertical climbs and small edging holds, moderate downturn for precision, and high-friction rubber for stickiness,” says Brown. Sport routes are longer than bouldering routes, so sport-climbing shoes often fall in between bouldering and trad-climbing models regarding stiffness and comfort.

Trad Climbing

Trad climbers are often on the wall for longer periods than sport climbers or bouldering enthusiasts and climb more vertical routes with more delicate footholds. And they depend on techniques like smearing (using a flat surface for support with friction) and foot and toe jamming (wedging toes or a whole foot into a crevice in the rock for support). To find a shoe up to the task of trad climbing, Brown recommends looking for “comfort for long days, stiffness and support to reduce foot fatigue, and protection for crack climbing.” Aim for a taller, more protective upper, a neutral or flat sole, and a stiff midsole for edging on tiny holds.

Gym Climbing

Indoor climbing doesn’t require the precise footwork and balance you’ll need for outdoor routes, so you’ll be focusing mostly on larger plastic holds, overhung sections, or smearing. For beginners and intermediate climbers who will mostly be indoors in a climbing gym, the best shoes will be moderately downturned, soft, and have a good underfoot feel for sensitivity as you get used to foot placement. Look for more flexibility as opposed to rigid edging and a stiff build.

First, a disclaimer. This online guide is a good place to start — and I have plenty of experts offering their advice — but nothing compares to trying a shoe in person to evaluate comfort and precision. When you can, hit the stores or check the return policy when you order online.

“Trying a shoe on in person is basically a nonnegotiable,” says Morrison-Heath. “Climbing shoes frequently don’t fit true to size, and brands have very different ideas of sizing compared to each other, despite what the tag says.” He recommends hitting up local specialty shops and climbing gyms, which typically offer a better selection than big-box stores.

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