Ask a climber what they believe are the best climbing shoes. In general, the consensus is that there are a lot out there. And by a lot, we mean, A LOT! In fact, there are a ton of shoes that cater to different types of climbers. Different shapes, materials, stiffness, fits, and closure systems can have your brain reeling from all the choices. In case you haven’t yet, you might want to read through our guide on how to choose climbing shoes to get an idea of what you’ll want first. But if you’re already confident in what you need, we’ll give you some popular choices on the best climbing shoes for each level. Whether you’re a beginner, an intermediate, or an advanced climber, you’ll most likely find something that will catch your eye in our article. Here are our top picks on the best climbing shoes!
Tips For Picking Climbing Shoes
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Best Climbing Shoes 2018
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Best Beginner Climbing Shoes (Flat-Soled / Neutral)
If you’re just starting off climbing, you’ll need a good pair of shoes to fit your needs. In this case, the best climbing shoes for beginners will favor comfort and flat soles. They take away the pain that moderate and more aggressive shoes almost always come with. Hence, you can relax more and focus all your attention on your climbing. However, you should still make sure that your shoes fit snugly though, no deadspace or room in the toes should be allowed.
Additionally, you might also want to look into a pair of climbing shoes with thicker or softer soles. Thicker soles wear out more slowly which is good if you often find yourself dragging your shoes up the wall. Softer soles stick to rock better and allow for good smearing, although your edging game will not be as strong.
Our top choices for beginner climbing shoes include: the Five Ten Anasazi Moccasym, La Sportiva Mythos, Black Diamond Momentum, Evolv Defy, and the Scarpa Helix.
The Five Ten Anasazi Moccasym are perhaps Five Ten’s most popular shoe. Also well known for being very comfortable, the slipper design makes it easy to slip on and off and is suitable for all levels of climbers. Excels at crack, slab, multi-pitch, and gym climbing but stretches a lot and dyes your feet red. Also softens up over time.
La Sportiva’s Mythos are famous for being exceptionally comfortable due to its flat sole and high-quality leather. They can be used for all-around climbing (especially crack, face and big wall climbing), just don’t expect the edging game to be amazing. They are pretty expensive too, costing as much as some higher end shoes.
The Black Diamond Momentum features a special Knit upper, making them incredibly comfortable and breathable for either indoor or outdoor use. A no-frills two-strap velcro closure and flat last makes them easy to get in and out of, and you can wear them all day without shedding tears.
The Evolv Defy is the company’s all-time best selling shoe, and recently received an upgrade for 2017. What makes them great? Amazing value as a beginner shoe, comfortable enough for all-day wear, and can do most everything decently (except edging). This makes them great for gym use and lower level sport climbing.
Newly redesigned for 2018, the Scarpa Helix has an improved fit in the heel and a new padded tongue while retaining all the features that keeps them a classic. Best for outdoor use and anyone rising through the grades.
Best Intermediate Climbing Shoes (Cambered / Moderate)
Want to step up your climbing? You’re probably looking to ditch that pair of beginner shoes to get something that performs better. With this in mind, the best climbing shoes for intermediates will be a shoe with a cambered or moderate shape with a little asymmetric curvature. These types of shoes curl the toes ever so slightly so that more power is focused on your big toe. Indeed, edging, pockets, precision, and grabbing onto overhung terrain will improve a lot.
Thus, you’ll want to fit moderate shoes a little snugger and possibly tight if you want maximum performance.
Our top choices for intermediate climbers include: the La Sportiva Miura Lace, Scarpa Vapor V, Tenaya Iati, Five Ten Anasazi Pro, and the Mad Rock Remora.
The La Sportiva Miura Lace is pretty much a legendary shoe in its own right. Whatever discipline you are looking to climb, they can do it, and the consensus in the climbing community is they’re the most popular climbing shoes. They are also widely regarded as the best edging shoe on the market, although the stiff sole equates to less sensitivity.
Then there are the Scarpa Vapor V, which are suitable for intermediate and advanced climbers alike. They are very comfortable and can accommodate a wider forefoot, with a heel that is also very comfortable unlike the previous model. Their only weaknesses are overhung terrain and the fact that they aren’t very sensitive.
The Tenaya Iati are perfect for anyone who wants to climb hard without all the pain of an aggressive shoe. This incredibly versatile shoe features a comfortable upper, Vibram XS Grip rubber, and the patented Draxtor hook-and-loop closure that made the Oasis such a winner.
Next up are the Five Ten Anasazi Pro, which have been updated recently with an improved heel. They are comfortable for all-day wear and performs well in a variety of climbing styles whether it’s sport, bouldering, slab, or the gym. Smears well and are soft and sensitive. However, the upper wears out quickly and there are mixed feelings when it comes to heel/toe hooks.
Last on our list of best intermediate climbing shoes are the Mad Rock Remoras, a comfortable slip on shoe that performs well for bouldering, sport climbing, and gym use. The slight downturn is just enough to boost your performance above a flat soled shoe, and the best part is that they are super affordable.
Best Advanced Climbing Shoes (Downturned / Aggressive)
Finally, you have your high end performance shoes. In this case, the best climbing shoes for advanced climbers have an aggressive, downturned shape with a good amount of asymmetric curvature. It forces your feet into a shape similar to a bird’s claw which forces all your power into your big toe. As a result, this maximizes your climbing capabilities so you can dime on an edge, grab overhung terrain, fit your toes in tiny pockets, and heel/toe hook like a champ. For this reason, these type of shoes are best for bouldering and sport climbing on overhung terrain.
Now, at this point you’re probably no stranger to pain. Thus, you’ll want to size your shoes to whatever amount of pain you can withstand. Generally speaking, the tighter the fit, the better you’ll climb although the more pain you’ll have to endure. So if you’re really a masochist who wants to send those hard problems and routes, you’ll do just fine with these aggressive shoes.
Our top picks for advanced climbers include: the Scarpa Instinct VS, Butora Acro, Five Ten Quantum VCS, La Sportiva Genius, and the Evolv Oracle.
The Scarpa Instinct VS is already well known for being an incredible climbing shoe. This shoe has amazing edging prowess while remaining highly sensitive. There is lots of rubber on top for toe hooking with possibly the best heel on the market for heel hooks. The Bi-Tension Randing system helps the shoe retain its shape, while a vacuum fit and pull tabs in the tongue helps to seat your foot really deep into the shoe. Cons? They don’t smear well and the break-in period can be long and brutal if sized tight right. Also scope the newer Instinct VSR, which uses a softer and more sensitive rubber.
Highly underrated, the Butora Acro packs a lot of performance into a beautiful shoe. Available in either a wide fit (the orange) or a narrow fit (the blue), these shoes excel at edging and hooking. They are also incredibly comfortable for such an aggressive shoe.
The Five Ten Quantums have always served as a classic for the brand, so it was only a matter of time before they introduced a velcro version, the Five Ten Quantum VCS. These versions excel at steep climbing, with features such as a synthetic upper, wide last, a bit of a roomy toe box for comfort while downsizing, and even a larger rubber patch covering the toe.
The La Sportiva Genius utilizes No-Edge technology, which gives it a rounded toe as opposed to a distinct edge like most other climbing shoes. This feature adapts to the natural shape of your foot, allowing you to fully utilize your toe power to its full potential. It’s not a gimmick as you might believe, they really do help to improve footwork and makes you a better climber. Edging might feel like a totally new concept when first climbing in these, but in time you’ll be able to stand on dime edges with finesse. For a velcro version with a slimmer fit, take a peek at the La Sportiva Futuras.
Just released in 2018, the Evolv Oracle are a great choice for those who enjoy sport climbing or steep bouldering. With a quick lace closure system, new heel design, and the familiar “Love Bump” and “Knuckle Box” that appears on the Shaman, the Oracle are extremely versatile and high-performing.
Best Womens Climbing Shoes 2018
| Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
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Best Climbing Shoe Brands
| La Sportiva | Scarpa | Five Ten | Evolv |
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| Tenaya | Butora | Boreal | Mad Rock |
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