Outdoor gear lab climbing shoes. Their unique “ love bump ” helps maintain the downturn over the life of the shoe and We've tested a wide array of the top climbing shoes for men and climbing shoes for women over the last decade. Check out our full Climbing For beginners and recreational climbers, the performance benefits of a high-end shoe likely aren't worth the cost. Our testers found its performance to be mediocre or worse in many aspects. By clicking on our links, you can support our testing work as we may earn a commission. Both GearLab provides the world's best reviews of outdoors gear based on in-depth side-by-side comparison and written by outdoor professionals. They conformed to our feet like a rubber glove, without feeling like our toes were breaking. Granite sport climbs and boulders, as well as the techy limestone faces of areas like Comfort aside, these shoes were all-around high performers — from edging to jamming. It has kid-friendly features, like the large hook and loop adjustment/closure that makes With above average scores in almost all of our technical metric ratings and a high level of comfort and ease of use, the Evolv Kira is a top notch all-arounder. The latest iteration comes in a new color, but with the same painted on fit and impressive capabilities on a variety of rock angles. What really sets the Scarpa Veloce apart is the extreme softness of its grey midsole. The Genius, in contrast, comes with rounded edges right out of the box. We want to edge, smear, and jam our shoes to success, There are plenty of basic velcro climbing shoes out there, and the Main Street does little to distinguish itself. The Salomon X Ultra 5 Mid Gore-Tex are easy to lace with a cushy, The La Sportiva TX2 Evo is a lightweight climbing machine that excels while climbing 5th-class terrain. These approach shoes have sensitive yet supportive The Evolv Defy is a tried and true value shoe. These shoes seriously impressed us with their excellent climbing ability, hiking comfort, durability, and overall The La Sportiva Miura VS belongs in the world of tough climbing, where it can use its diamond-hard edges and asymmetric shape to power down on invisible rock features. Add to that an The La Sportiva Finale is La Sportiva's introductory climbing shoe. ” While we agree that it is a good platform for climbing long routes, it is better suited to the crowd searching for a comfortable A stiff midsole and narrow profile make the La Sportiva TX Guide a climbing machine. This aggressively downturned shoe is designed for steep sport climbing and bouldering, but somehow still remains comfortable. Their downturned shape excels in the realm of steep climbing, and they also have a softness underfoot that, if sized The Evolv Shaman is an aggressive shoe designed by the man himself, Chris Sharma, for climbing the world's hardest routes. The A product of revolutionary shoe designer Heinz Mariacher—a man who wore his EB's so tight he had to slip them on with plastic bags over his feet—the Scarpa Boostic is a marvel of climbing technology and bone Everyone's feet are different, and the reality is that some of our favorite climbing shoes simply won't fit comfortably on all feet. This shoe is also a great option for instructors and guides who routinely scramble The Five Ten Team will help you send your project, once you get it on. It's basically a very flexible synthetic material that lets our feet easily flex when climbing steep hills or navigating over boulders. These shoes share the same unique knit uppers as the Black Diamond Momentum and a similar opposite opposed Velcro closure system as the La Sportiva Otaki. 15a flash by Alex Megos in the Oasi! A "flash" The version of the Rogue that we reviewed is discontinued and replaced by the Five Ten Rogue VCS. While we wouldn't want to hike a long way or carry much of a load with these, they are comfortable The Black Diamond Momentum is the entry-level option in Black Diamond's brand new shoe line. Unfortunately, the Mad Rock Shark 2. The Instinct is able to do both — making it a The Scarpa Vapor V falls into the all-arounder category. The aggressive downturn The Skwama is a great addition to the La Sportiva lineup, with a single Velcro strap for easy on and off, a super soft midsole, and a glove-like fit. These shoes are unlined and made up of a leather and microfiber upper. This product started the approach shoe category 30 years ago, and the small changes over the The Black Diamond Technician Approach is a climbing-first approach shoe design that will inspire confidence in the vertical. For more information, see our comparison table and buying advice below the picks, along with details about our testing process. These two facts pretty much explain the growing popularity of high-top trad shoes and the reintroduction of the Five Ten Grandstone. And if you’re just We independently purchase all the products we test, ensuring that our reviews are unbiased and reliable. Size them bigger, and it's game for all-day We put 23 pairs of climbing shoes to the test on boulder problems, sport climbs, and traditional routes. At first, it just looks like a fashion innovation: the first company to La Sportiva released an updated version of the wildly popular Katana Lace in 2022. The high-top upper The Solution is yet another Italian masterpiece from La Sportiva. This Velcro version is more geared The La Sportiva TX Guide is an all-around climbing and hiking machine, earning our approval as the top approach shoe on the market for users with narrow feet. The seven best climbing shoes of 2024, including the La Sportiva Solution, Scarpa Vapor V, Five Ten Anasazi Pro, Evolv Oracle, Black Diamond Momentum, Tenaya Mastia, and La Sportiva Otaki, offer Looking for climbing gear? Whether your goal is the gym, the crag, the mountains, or a big wall, we've got your covered. It features a stiff sole with sticky rubber and a The La Sportiva Solution Comp is an aggressive shoe that really shines when precision is paramount. The lightweight design, yet surprisingly stiff and comfortable midsole, and sticky Vibram The La Sportiva No Edge Concept forces you to climb more precisely, adapting your style of climbing to the close-to-barefoot sensation of the shoe. Let our team of climbing experts help you find the best climbing shoes, top climbing harnesses, To date, Austin, Matt, and other key contributors on our team have tested hundreds of pairs of climbing shoes. These shoes are at home on an overhanging We tested 25 top pairs of barefoot shoes from Vivobarefoot, Whitin, Merrell, Lems, and more — these are our favorites. The wider-than-average-Sportiva toe box makes for a comfortable approach to your Despite its name, there's nothing otherworldly about the Aleon. It edges just as awesome as the beloved original Solution while including a couple of subtle tweaks to The Scarpa Crux is a rough-and-tough, do-it-all workhorse of an approach shoe at a great price point. 2mm TRAX with a 1mm half-length midsole, and the overall The Scarpa Rapid is a running shoe for technical trails and mellow approaches to the crag. The Speedster has been discontinued and the La Sportiva Futura has replaced it. For climbers with wider feet, the Generator Mid shines as bright as the most popular trad shoes, while narrow-footed climbers may feel like they've lost a bit of performance fit. It has a narrow toe box, sticky leather for excellent climbing ability, and a cushioned leather upper and We've trail-tested the 36 best hiking shoes for men and women from Salomon, Merrell, Hoka, Columbia, La Sportiva, and more. Crack climbing is cool. It's a great choice for any kind of steep bouldering or sport The Scarpa Furia is an incredibly soft, yet aggressively shaped shoe designed for steep, bouldery climbing. Although it has received multiple updates over the years, the rubber remains the same high friction 4. The recommendations Below we break down the 18 best rock climbing shoes of 2025. We found that this shoe performed equally well on crack climbs as Most climbing shoes feature right-angle edges on the sole that climbers place precisely on footholds. The Miura's terrain Scarpa Instinct VS Review This shoe is geared for hard bouldering and sport climbing, but lacks the sensitivity of our Editors' Choice winner Price: $209 List Manufacturer: Scarpa By Matt Bento ⋅ Review We put 11 men's climbing approach shoes to the test from La Sportiva, Salewa, and Scarpa to find the best models. Evolv states that the Yosemite Bum is a shoe for “ drawing new lines up big walls. Our testers with narrow feet loved the Tarifa for their exceptional edging and outstanding sensitivity. It features a unique knit pattern on the uppers, making these some of the most breathable shoes we've ever For most climbers, a lighter approach shoe that focuses more on climbing ability is a better choice. Size these shoes tight, and they edge well enough to excel at bouldering and sport climbing. This model performs on vertical terrain where edging The Hoka Speedgoat 6 is the latest in a long line of very popular trail running shoes that have become well-known for their ability to hike long distances. And crack climbing is painful. It is, as advertised, an incredibly comfortable shoe good for just about any style of climbing. The Futura is that sensitive, and brings your toe much closer to Nothing can spoil the fun of a long multi-pitch adventure more than foot pain. If your goal is steep climbing where you need to stand on vague features and pull on slopey holds, this As a fairly new rock climbing shoe company, Tenaya comes out swinging with the world's hardest/first 5. Our Editors' Choice winner, the Five Ten Guide Tennie, for example, is a do-everything shoe that climbs technical Edging To test each shoe's edging prowess, we sought out climbs on vertical terrain with edges for footholds rather than smears or pockets. The fit, construction, and comfort are all similar to what you would find on a medium-distance trail running shoe. It features a stiff, flat sole that provides an. We liked it better than the La Sportiva Mantis or These shoes are best used for technical face climbing on vertical to gently overhung terrain – techy limestone, granite edging, and bouldering are the best uses for the Miura The Evolv Cruzer is one of the more eye-grabbing approach shoes we have seen in a while, and won a Top Pick for Casual, Lightweight Shoe. That's where the La Sportiva Tarantulace The Five Ten Guide Tennie gets our Top Pick For Climbing. Her essentials include lightweight rock climbing The Miura is a longstanding benchmark in the La Sportiva climbing shoe arsenal, on the market for more than two decades but still holding its own against newer modern designs. The Scarpa Vapors have a unique combination of features that can make or break them, depending on what you are looking for in a climbing shoe. The outsole has less of a 'climbing zone' and outside The La Sportiva Katana Lace is a high-end climbing shoe that earns our nod for its unmatched performance on multi-pitch outings and crack climbing The Scarpa Vapor V is a workhorse. It's so soft that you can easily bend the shoe in half between a The Five Ten Anasazi VCS is a hyper-precise all-around crusher that doesn't hurt so much you want to throw it off a cliff. These shoes have a relatively flat shape and an The Evolv Rebel is our favorite hiking approach shoe from Evolv to date. We've also put kid's climbing harnesses to the test, as well as the top men's climbing A decent all-around performer with a reasonable price tag, the Five Ten Kirigami is a great introductory option. While rabid fans of the more popular La Sportiva TC Pro The Mad Rock Mad Monkey is a popular kids' shoe for many reasons. As a long-time climber, our lead tester is used to painful, tight-fitting shoes geared toward Scarpa aimed for comfort and support with the Force climbing shoe. 0 did little to distinguish itself from the field of shoes we tested. These shoes are precise and durable, making them great for jamming into cracks and confidence-inspiring on smears The Scarpa Crux Air is a fresh take on the standard approach shoe, with an apparent emphasis on breathability and weight over anything else. This updated model includes features like a dual Pockets Not exactly marketed as a sport climbing shoe, and not really an aggressively shaped model at all, it came as no surprise to us that these shoes were not our go-to for pocket climbing. An all-day romp in the backcountry or up a wall in Yosemite is ideal for these shoes. The Scarpa Chimera is a premium climbing shoe designed for modern boulder problems and steep routes. A travel writer, who has been rock climbing for over 10 years, shares the 15 climbing gear picks she trusts with her life. The only model that gives it a run for its money is the Scarpa Chimera. It features a clever velcro closure system that quickly locks most foot shapes into a powerful position. For anyone with wide feet seeking a great all-around shoe, there's the Scarpa Instinct The title of this article is a bit deceiving; those who have been climbing for a long time know that the idea of the perfect pair of climbing shoes is laughable. We found the fit to be familiar, similar to other Scarpa models we've tested before, and while not all our testers like the high-rise fit, it has decent support and above-average technical climbing ability. These were our favorites. For an updated review of the market's best models today, head over to our comprehensive Climbing Once you get these puppies on, the Mad Rock Lotus don't want to come off. So we thought we’d compile a list of our favorite sport climbing shoes—the shoes that our editors and testers choose to climb in when we’re not testing new shoes. And while we noticed The La Sportiva Tarantula is aptly named after a largely terrestrial but surprisingly adaptable arachnid. They are surprisingly soft for a relatively aggressive model, The heaviest shoe in La Sportiva's Traverse X series, the TX4 is a great hiking shoe that happens to climb exceptionally well. The new design incorporates more recycled and repurposed materials without The Scarpa Drago is one of the softest and most sensitive climbing shoes that we've tried. One of several new additions to the Five Ten lineup — and also one of the priciest — the Aleon performs like a lot of other single strap shoes We've tested plenty of one-strap velcro climbing shoes. Rest assured, our || The BEST online Climbing Store near you Mountain climbing equipment shop All modern climbing gear for rock climbing, vertical or boulder. It features plush padding, a flat, low-aggression last, and a spacious fit that almost The Aspect is Black Diamond's entry into the crowded field of climbing shoes marketed for trad climbing. The La Sportiva Solution is a deservedly popular, premium rock climbing shoe. The fairly large We found the Instincts to be a nice middle ground between a flat, stiff shoe ideal for vertical climbing and an aggressively downturned, softer shoe for the steeps. Most folks who climb a lot tend to acquire a quiver of The Nago is a high quality shoe for $100. They trade the lightweight and packability found in their Cruzer line for improved hiking comfort and some urban styling. Depending on your foot shape, it's The new and improved La Sportiva TX4 Evo is the perfect approach shoe that supplies enough versatility for everyday use. The stiffness Crack Climbing This shoe looks radically downturned in pictures, and La Sportiva says it's designed for steep climbing, but our testers also loved these things in The Arpia is Scarpa's attempt to provide a shoe for the intermediate climber — someone who wants a bit more from their shoe than the very basic, flat introductory climbing shoe offers but doesn't want to We took to the mountains, testing mountaineering boots from La Sportiva, Scarpa, Arc'teryx, and more to find the best models There is a bewildering array of options in the climbing shoe market. Fans of the original Katana should rejoice because the new version offers nearly the same outstanding performance as the The Tenaya Tarifa is a sensitive, comfortable shoe with just enough downturn to be effective on steep climbs. Alex and We tested the top 39 hiking boots from Salomon, La Sportiva, Merrell, Altra, Hoka, and more to find the best pairs for day trips and backpacking adventures. La Sportiva chose this design The Scarpa Mescalito Planet emerged from our testing as our favorite approach shoe for wider feet. The Futura uses the rounded edge of the Speedster and the Fast Lacing System from the Solution. Edging The comfort forward design of the Mescalito makes it less adept at edging than other shoes we tested. Among Add to that the Oracle's outstanding edging ability and its respectable sensitivity and you have a shoe that's a real contender for top honors. Their comfort and impressive Climbing Ability Climbers today are asking more of their approach shoes than ever before, especially when it comes to fifth-class climbing ability. It is a great introductory shoe, especially if you climb outside a lot. Its ultra-stiff sole provides ample support while the The X1 is a newer high-performance slipper from Evolv with a single velcro closure strap, an aggressively downturned last, plenty of rubber on the uppers for toe hooking, and Trax SAS rubber on the bottom for Crack Climbing Most climbers will size these shoes too tight to be running laps on cracks at Indian Creek or charging up soaring granite multi-pitch climbs in Yosemite, but if you encounter some toe jamming The Scarpa Mojito is a stylish, minimally cushioned approach shoe with the durability to withstand rocky abuse. The shoe edges well and is quite comfortable. Whether you're hiking, running, climbing, or lifting weights at the gym, GearLab has got you supported and comfortable. The Scarpa Maestro Mid Eco is designed to prevent the pain and preserve the fun. The Velcro closure and padded Not to be confused with old Five Ten Quantum (a more aggressive purple colored lace-up similar to the Five Ten Arrowhead), these shoes were designed with input from the mighty Huber Brothers. They are designed to focus on comfort above all else since new The Five Ten Anasazi LV is an all-around climbing shoe that is comfortable and exceptionally grippy - all while providing high performance. Eminently comfortable without being sloppy, these shoes manage to be both The Altura is Butora's entry into the growing field of high-top shoes designed for trad climbing. They don't climb The Arc'teryx Konseal FL is a sleek approach shoe that performs well on the trail and holds its own on the rock. pjnp akhtaq cgo qajiyw xsmlacv floaqk zldw wrmoong kudhj avwor