Bouldering shoes reddit My foot fits into the shoe with a little effort, but once I've got my foot in there, they feel very snug but okay. 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. But go to a store. It's been a good experience, they are really comfortable and versatile for both climbing and short rock routes. The Finales also have XS Edge rubber, which isn't as sticky as the Zenits' XS Grip. Not everyone can wear every shoe. In the 80's people were in tennis shoes climbing harder than most of us ever will using anything. Skwamas are also versatile shoes that I like a lot for bouldering. Edit: to be clear if you want to stand out in a gym for whatever reason, there's probably funner ways than the rubber that helps you climb. I bought some guide tennies recently, massive waste of money I've found, they're pretty rubbish in wet conditions/on grass. Anyway, his shoes have developed a fragrance. However, he climbs several grades above me, so while he probably benefited, in retrospect I think I burnt out the first two pair of shoes well before their tightness was a key issue thanks to sloppy footwork and sandpaper walls Especially when it comes to shoes like this you have to find one that fits your foot right. Only thing I'd recommend to you as opposed to an actual beginner is to lean towards softer shoes if possible, since this will make overhangs more doable. I was wearing Millet Easy-Ups prior. For your first shoe I think you would do well buying Endeavor in your regular size, since you seem uncomfortable in thight shoes. My current shoe is the La sportiva When people talk this shoe is > than that for X its almost entirely preference. If you want improved smearing a softer shoe will help with that, something like the scarpa veloce is moderately downturned and very soft. This is super important, especially if you're into bouldering. Nov 17, 2023 · Here, we’ve compiled ten of our favorite bouldering shoes—and a list of ten things to think about when buying climbing shoes. I have flat and rather narrow low-volume feet. Fitting your climbing shoes for comfort is like buying a car because you like the driver’s seat. Thanks! Edit: I ended up purchasing the la sportiva miura vs. But any of the shoes are climable almost anywhere. Get whatever is cheap and comfy (relative to climbing shoe comfort). 1. 9K subscribers in the climbingshoes community. Expect a bit of stretch but not massively so, i. (My sneaker shoe size is 10 btw. You didn't give remarks on your feelings with the LS Solution or Skwamas, but what the Kubo and Katana you seem to favor have in common is that they are more moderately downturned. My two cents: for sure time to buy a pair of shoes. Shoes will stretch a bit as you wear them, so keep that in mind. Love your shoes. Also surprisingly durable for a high performance shoe, lasted 8 months before I resoled them could have probably pushed it another month or 2. For example I have long toes and narrow heels which affect which shoes I can wear, my heels pop out of the La Sportiva solutions if I hook too hard due to the dead space. They take a while to dry, so you might have to switch out the newspaper. Also, synthetic shoes usually smell worse than leather shoes because they’re not as breathable. If your scrub your feet pretty often it also helps slow the buildup on your shoes. Don't forget to stuff them with newspapers while they're drying (to keep their shape). Aggressive shoes aren't necessary for progression, they're usually for specific styles and overhang climbing. I currently have the la sportiva tarantulas. TLDR: I am looking for intermediate but comfortable climbing shoes for indoor climbing with slight/medium downturn and low/medium pre-tensioning. I am around V3 level for reference. Typically they wear out quicker because they are a common "first climbing shoe", and newer climbers tend to wear out shoes quicker; when you're new, you're more likely to drag toes on the wall, not be as careful with foot placement yet things that which contribute to shoe wear especially around the 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. But Mad Rock, Scarpa, Evolv and Red Chili are more than adequate for your needs. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. Keep in mind that climbing shoes are meant to be loaded through the toes and heels, not as much walking, so this is taken into account in the design. When surfing the net, I often found posts from climbers with wide feet that can't find a fitting climbing shoe. I wear a size 10 1/2 US street shoe and I bought a 42. 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. Closer fitting shoes are definitely helpful though! The difference between the two shoes for stiffness are slight though. Spend $160 on aggressive climbing shoes and then wear them to the gym to climb vert 5. And yes we are scared of falling. Also I set the spinning to the lowest setting. What are the softest shoes available from each brand? What is the softest overall that you have tried? For la sportiva, I've found mantra and theory to be the softest, but I'd like to try some other brands. They're awesome, but I'm looking for something a little more aggressive for the bouldering league this season. Keep in mind everyone has different opinion on shoes varied by price, what everyone in their community has, foot shape, climbing style, etc. Anybody have any recommendations on some good burner gym shoes? Currently I am rocking some of the old blue hiangles from the $50 sale a couple years ago, but I am starting to burn through the toes. Without having tried them they seem to be cheaply constructed shoes that will function as climbing shoes, rather than climbing-shoe-shaped-things so I would give them a go. If you are set on only bouldering, you will be more happy with the boulder one in the long run, but keep in mind that with rubber there is a little loss in comfort. Go for a snug, tight but comfortable fit. For bouldering in the long run i would aim to have at least 2 shoes running all time: One supersoft comfy for training/warm up and one aggressive af for the sends. So get tight-ish, shoes that don't hurt, but also doesn't leave much room, you'll regret it on your heel hooks. Beginner climber, very wide feet (prefer 4E in regular shoes). My feet are extreme wide too and until yesterday I thought there is just no optimal shoe for my hobbit feet. I spend most of my time sport climbing indoor, maybe around a 70/30 split of the time, where I engage in bouldering more often than top/lead climbing. 5 years into climbing - they're still in the cupboard as I found the pain and shape detrimental to climbing. Personally, I don't really notice a huge difference between lace and velcro, so I've got a pair of velcro miuras. There's also a Feb 20, 2025 · Hi guys, Im fairly new at bouldering (6 months of taking it more seriously) and need to "upgrade" my shoe. In that respect perhaps it's like Decathlon's bikes - cheap, probably worth about how much you pay, but not the terrible bikes that are made of cheese that places like Looking for a new pair of climbing shoes for mainly indoor bouldering. See full list on climbing. They're saving them for the high grade, steep routes where their advantage is clear. I imagine they're excellent in the desert if you're boulder stomping 100% of the time, but I think a pair of light hiking shoes/trail runner type shoes are far more versatile (and probably cheaper too) for the other cases that you might encounter on the approach/descent. Alternatively we discovered you can soak climbing shoe in diluted vinegar for 30 minutes instead of scrubbing with a toothbrush and then wash off with water. Hey folks. Spend $60 on climbing shoes and be surprised when they fall apart after 2 months of gym sessions. 10 and LaSportiva reign supreme. I definitely recommend going for something shaped like those, but with a better rubber. I'm an 8 foot and I bought a 7. This makes it easier to apply pressure with the area near your big toe. I had some Ocun shoes which was 65€ and then i went for some shoe that was ~100 and afterwards upgraded to the VSR, which I love. Bargain hunters can rejoice, however, because the La Sportiva Finale is a fortunate exception to this rule. Foot shape dictates it. I've been climbing for 4 weeks and am climbing 5. Routes that are more difficult will cause your shoes to wear out faster. We both spray our shoes with the anti-stink spray our indoor climbing gym recommended, but I know that on at least a few occasions, he didn't spray after climbing. Climbing shoes are not intended for walking around in and they are not supposed to be comfortable when worn for hours. The Finales are dead flat and meant to be the adventure shoes on easier terrain. I’ve just bought my first pair of climbing shoes for bouldering indoor. These affordable lace-ups come fitted with the same Vibram XS Edge rubber as the premium, top-rated La Sportiva Katana Lace. I also prefer soft shoes to stiff ones, and prefer somewhat downturned shoes. Different shoe models do work better or worse on certain kinds of climbs, and some climbers find that some climbs are only possible for them in certain kinds of shoes. My first pair of climbing shoes was a Scarpa Arpia, which I found to be pretty aggressive for me when I first started. What matters most is finding shoes that fit perfectly. I've been climbing for a year and I think my level is low-intermediate. A subreddit dedicated to discussing and reviewing climbing shoes. Fit is more important than almost all performance enhancing features. Velcro if you want to be able to put your shoes on and take 'em off really fast, lace if you want a more customizable fit. I feel like beginner shoes and most intermediates are pretty similar and not worth it. ended up a half size small as they didn't have a 43. e my new shoes were uncomfortable after an hour or so of climbing the first few sessions after buying them, but not to the point of constricting blood. I prefer top-rope over bouldering and currently am not planning to ever climb outdoors. Climbing shoes so far appear to be torture devices. All the others hurt no matter sizing down or staying at my normal shoe size. Learn good footwork. I tried on every shoe they had (fairly limited selection) at the shop and found the Boreal Jokers to be perfect for my feet. If you have synthetic shoes, dawn and a shoe toothbrush on the interior works wonders. And don't buy anything hyper aggressive as your First of all, ignore the animosity. If your climbing gym or the rocks in your area (if you go outdoor bouldering) uses big footholds you don’t need very tight, precise shoes. Hey everyone, I was thinking of purchasing my first pair of climbings shoes but was wondering how the sizing compares to my regular street shoes. Use the toothbrush to scrub the grossness off of your climbing shoes then wash all of the vinegar and grime off with water. I first wore through the toe of a pair of Tenaya Oasi, and after this I was hyper-aware of the “toe drag” that actually turned out not to be responsible for the failure. 69 votes, 45 comments. See which fit you best. I wear EU 41 regular shoes and for Endeavor I bought size 40. If you've been climbing 8 months then you've have repetitively big comfortable shoes. LaSpo miuras for moderate to steep sport, skwamas for bouldering! LaSport is the best IMO, they fit my feet well (they are wide). If I'm not sure or it's going to be a long day where I can bring only one pair of shoes, pinks ftw. Climbing shoes are an investment that should be taken into account. Between the climbing shoes, 5. Look at the shape of your foot and the shape of the shoe. Like funky So a flat shoe, because your probably not strong enough in your feet/toes/calfs, to use those high performance shoes anyways now. Went back to soft sticky shoes. I bought Butora Endeavor as my second climbing shoe. More info provided below :) Hey guys, I am currently looking to update my La Sportiva Mythos (been climbing through three pairs in the past few years). If I was climbing a long splitter, mocs every day. A user asks for recommendations on indoor bouldering shoes and gets various suggestions from other users. Gorilla stomp. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Do: Get a resole before you need it. Reply reply More replies I am about to replace my beginner climbing shoes as it was a hand-me-down (albeit it was a decent fit at that point of time) and its starting to feel loose. 5 (Euro sizing) in the Scarpas. Any recs would be appreciated! We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Yes aggressive shoes perform better on overhung and a stiff toe is better for tiny footholds while soft rubber is better on volumes but you can climb anything in anything. Its a tight fit, but shoe fits my footshape perfectly, so its also comfortable. Does anyone have any advice on how to get rid of it? Edit: Thanks for the advice I just bought my first pair of "aggressive" shoes for bouldering (Scarpa Boostics) and I have been told that you want them to fit very tight. If you climb once a year, your climbing shoes should last you 3-4 years assuming no external damage. I’ve been bouldering for just over 7 months and just upgraded my shoes from soft flat but decent Evolv Defys to a slightly more performance focused Evolv Kronos - instantly felt better on small foot holds - a stiffer shoe means you won’t be putting so much focus on getting power onto those small feet holds. Some popular models mentioned are Tarantulace, Finale, Vapor, and Solution. ) Here's the big tip: find shoes that match your foot shape snugly but not painfully. Shoes have gotten much softer since most shoes today are purchased by novice to intermediate climbers who mostly climb in gyms and do bouldering. 8s. Section divider Ten Things You Need to Know About Climbing Shoes 1. You are supposed to take them off between climbs. I don’t have a problem… 😂. My rock climbing teachers recommended me the sportiva kubo. However, asymmetry in shoes is a trade off against comfort. IE, get whatever "beginner shoe" is most comfortable. I have narrow heels and have always had issues with my shoes chafing my heels. Comfort is not king. I couldn't really tell any detrimental effect on these shoes and they came out clean and relatively good smelling. Unless you happen to be one of those people who are naturally strong at climbing or just have great footwork right off the bat, you'd be wasting money on anything pricy because your at your level (I'm assuming) your hands and core will fail on you before your feet do and because youll be dragging your feet all over which Tarantulas are fine shoes comfortable (for a climbing shoe) while performing well enough. Try which shoe is snug without being painful and go for it. . I know this is a dead thread but I have some personal experience with SOILL. Forget about all the fancy features for now. I'd advise going for a new pair of beginner shoes maybe even a different brand if you feel like yours dont fit perfectly yet. 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. The home of Climbing on reddit. Like, by all means try them out I suppose. Cover climbing shoe inside and out with diluted vinegar. And if you climb in a gym or almost every day, you will undoubtedly go through 3-4 pairs of shoes per year. Check sizesquirrel. The Zenits have a little bit of a downturn to make them work on overhangs a bit better. Instincts are a good allrounder. But also og Dragons are the greatest shoe of all time Wear your performance shoes in the gym, or while working moves. Shoes at the end of the day will not do ANYTHING to change your technique, so long as you’re comfortable and the shoe is a performance shoe (high quality, well liked,moderate-agressive down turn, most of all comfortable on your foot) then you should stick with that. Avoid the typical, "This shoe can take a bullet," gym shoes, and get a decent pair, and its fine. Apr 16, 2025 · Rock climbing shoes are one category of gear where performance closely corresponds to price. Also I made a habbit of carrying my shoes around on the outside of my bag with a biner and using shoe disinfectant right after climbing, which helps a lot too! Deodorant spray just masks the smell, but doesn’t get rid of the bacteria/fungus. My forefoot is very very wide and so is my heel. Some people can be real rude here. Very small LaSportiva Skwama (they're stretchy like socks Those look like they're using the old Black Diamond shoe shape and materials. Differences in climbing ability are a lot bigger than differences between different shoe models. com for a database of foot shapes and sizing on climbing shoes. This feeling continued for about 2 years, at which point I decided to get a second pair of shoes for bouldering to be a bit more comfortable. Reply reply More replies I got some aggressive shoes 3 years ago, 1. About 6-8 months ago I sized my climbing shoes down (wearing Evolv Elektras) which seriously improved my foot work (first pair of shoes were 5. 10 Sirens and stretched out big time) Beginner shoes and cheap, durable all-round shoes are the same thing. The Finales are slightly more asymmetrical, meaning that the shoes are shaped to turn more towards the big toe than what is natural for feet. I've tried on everything at REI and found that my heels were getting rubbed raw from standing on my toes to test flexibility. If they want to try a super soft shoe like this they should check out Scarpa Drago, Evolv Zenit and a slightly stiffer shoe might be La Sportiva Kubo or Butora Gomi. Source: I have been selling and fitting climbing shoes for the past 3 years. The Zenits are probably better bouldering shoes than the Finales though. Gym climbing wears shoes out quickly simply because you do a ton of climbing in a short period of time, and people don't want to wear out their super expensive shoes in just a few weeks or months. com The solution is still my favorite sport climbing shoe that I have tried, precise and makes me feel confident on even the smallest feet. I started climbing without socks once I got my own shoes at the recommendation of the friend who got me into climbing. I would recommend to you: -Mad Rock Drone HV: All round hard sender. My husband's climbing shoes have developed a smell. 2. Most beginner oriented shoes will also last a bit longer, because usually the rubber is thicker and a bit less soft. If I was climbing a hard overhang with lots of tiny foot features, I'd reach for my Katanas and be a little bemused using my mocs. I have five ten teams and la sportiva futuras for my try-hard shoes so I am not worried about getting something ultra-performant. If you have climbing shoes by La Sportiva, Five Ten, Evolv, or Scarpa, I would love to know how their sizing compares to your regular street shoe. The only (technical) upside I see with socks is when the climbing shoes are a bit wide, it may help to have a tighter fit and avoid slipping inside the shoe because of sweat. Make sure you let your shoes dry completely between sessions, moisture is the enemy. Hope that helps! From my experience, as long as you're not getting BUFOs, you're fine. The shoes you listed are all really different, some pretty soft and others quite stiff. Get what fits your foot well. xwwgtejxyabpygknqpjkvkuwwanlqrpjwjgmhlmgzcpfybwoxejqyacsrigydgosldxegak