Bouldering shoes for beginners reddit.

• Bouldering shoes for beginners reddit Climbing shoes are categorized by their shape from neutral to moderate to aggressive. Final thoughts on bouldering shoes for beginners. Nov 11, 2023 · I guarantee you will be amazed at the difference after you swap your beginner climbing shoes for a more performance-ordinated model. In that case, I encourage you to rent a pair at your local climbing gym. The ideal pair will offer the fit and performance that match your climbing style so you can tackle the wall more confidently. Brands like Scarpa and La Sportiva have some solid options. Apr 24, 2025 · Best Climbing Shoes at a Glance. I think climbing in general purpose shoes is totally fine well into 5. Anything relevant to living or working in Japan such as lifestyle, food, style, environment, education, technology, housing, work, immigration, sport etc. La sportiva shoes fit me well, so my beginner shoe was the Finale. It's unsurprising that beginners/intermediates like them because basically anything is better than a flat, hard beginner shoe, but that doesn't mean it's good for what you need, it's just that the bar is super low. Go to a gym and try climbing using the rental shoes. I don't want to purchase online as I want to nail the size perfectly. - if you like climbing enough to want to buy your own pair, decathlon sells dirt cheap climbing shoes. Scarpa makes a couple good beginner shoes you may want to check out. My local climbing store only seems to stock a lot of butora and scarpa. I'm almost 2 years into climbing now, indoors and outdoors experience. Buy them at your local outdoor store 2. 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’m looking for a beginner / intermediate shoe that will help me more than my current ones for bouldering and occasional top roping. NOTE: If you were permbanned for being nonresident prior to June of this year AND you have since moved to Japan This month I started this beginner alpine climbing course and now that the course is over I want to train more with this group but I need some climbing shoes and here's the prob. IE, get whatever "beginner shoe" is most comfortable. Lastly, try on the shoe before buying it or buy it from an online retailer with free returns. —the Tarantulace is a comfort-first shoe with an unlined leather upper, a mildly asymmetric shape, a stiff last, and a relatively roomy toe-box. Prepare yourself for better sensitivity, greater precision, and the ability to pull pockets on steep overhanging terrain. 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. I boulder a lot so I have a pair of fancy $200+ aggressive shoes, but unless I'm climbing above 12-, I don't use them. I consider myself mediocrely athletic (I hike, ride horses, ski etc), looking to shed a few lbs and gain muscle tone. La Sportiva Mythos are higher quality/better shoes that are very comfortable, but will cost more. Try on the shoes. My gym grades: White: V0 Yellow: V0-V2 Blue: V1-V3 Purple: V2-V4 Black: V3-V5 Red: V4-V6 I can comfortably climb the purples (V2-V4). 5 (I could’ve done a 43). I’ve been using the LS Tarantulaces in a 43. Then I found the theories. 8s. As a beginner, all that matters is learning technique and getting stronger. Nov 30, 2022 · The La Sportiva Theory is a purpose-made climbing shoe for hard indoor bouldering and competition climbing. Although the La Sportiva Tarantulace already took the place for best gym climbing shoe for beginners it could easily have taken this spot too. The shoe you pick will have virtually no consequence to your climbing. The best bouldering shoes for beginners are ones that are comfortable and get you climbing. I work in a shop which sells climbing shoes, and the best thing to do is try a bunch on and see what's comfy. I’ve just bought my first pair of climbing shoes for bouldering indoor. For starters, check out some all-around climbing shoes that offer all-day comfort. Mar 25, 2025 · #1 Scarpa Origin Climbing Shoes – Best Beginner Bouldering Shoes #2 Five Ten Kirigami Climbing Shoes – Best Cheap Bouldering Shoes #3 La Sportiva Miura VS Men’s Climbing Shoes – Best Aggressive Bouldering Shoes #4 La Sportiva Finale Women’s Climbing Shoes – Best Beginner Boulder Shoes for Women Finally, climbing shoes simply don't last so it could be a bit of a waste to get an expensive pair now. With so many great options out there it could have been any of them. Buy them online Jul 29, 2022 · The Kubo has a thinner outsole (4 mm) and midsole (1. Apr 22, 2025 · The Best Climbing Shoes for Women. I tried different entry level shoes - since my main goal is a shoe that is reasonable comfortable for a 3h session, has good grip and has a good amount of rubber, will last a good amount of time and I should feel comfortable doing toehook, heelhook and stand on some small footholds. You foot should dictate what shoe works, not the price or company. The more you get into bouldering the more you’ll know what your looking for. For the size it depends on the brand. On that note: I had good experiences with La Sportiva Tarantulas and Evolv Nighthawk as comfy beginner shoes. This. You’ll wear shoes down faster as a beginner by dragging your feet on the wall and something neutral with a rounded toe will be more forgiving for less precise placements. I tend to feel like beginner shoes are way less aggressive on the toes. You'll want your first pair to be snug, maybe a little uncomfortable, but not painful. Where Can You Buy Bouldering Shoes For Beginners? When it comes to buying your beginner bouldering shoes, you have two options. 1 mm) than any rock climbing shoes for beginners, which improves feel on technical footwork. Also, the rubber is usually quite soft/thin so as to allow for extra feedback in the shoe making it easier to tell if you are on a very small foothold. S. These are a great beginner shoe that are also suitable for years of use by more advanced and stronger climbers, although they tend to be better suited to outdoor climbing. The middle of the shoe does not give a lot of stability or power, so don't use it unless the situation specifically calls for it. Each place has a few beginner boulders that are more or less like climbing a ladder, and obviously harder ones to start with too depending on how strong/fit you are. If you have a local climbing gym, REI or similar sports store that sells climbing shoes, definitely go try a few pairs on. instincts, solutions, etc. Some people think that if you can manage to fit into a more technical shoe earlier, it might give you more tools with which to develop your skills. Also, i would recommend a beginner shoe that would still be good after resoling it, still serving a purpose. A subreddit dedicated to discussing and reviewing climbing shoes. wear whatever shoes you want, just make sure they fit first. Rule of thumb is they shouldn’t hurt but also shouldn’t feel comfortable. . Best Outdoor All-Rounder: Scarpa Arpia V ($169) Best Sport/Mixed Shoe: Unparallel Qubit ($186) Best Bouldering Shoe: Scarpa Drago XT ($229) Best for Beginners: Butora Rubicon ($150) Best Shoe for Steep Routes: La Sportiva Mandala ($209) Best Training Shoe: Scarpa Veloce L ($175) Best Pure Slipper: La Sportiva So me saying I wear size 40 in regular shoes and 39. I've tried on everything at REI and found that my heels were getting rubbed raw from standing on my toes to test flexibility. In Bosnia, the selection of these shoes is limited and overpriced, so my only option is online stores like banana fingers and epictv( bergfreund doesn't ship here for Whatever shoes fits best. As a beginner, I would recommend “neutral” to “moderate” climbing shoes. For residents of Japan only - if you do not reside in Japan you are welcome to read, but do not post or you will be removed. And a beginner model that isn’t designed as a rental probably has much better features without the need to sacrifice feature quality for durability. Just be careful about sizing no matter what you get. But thanks to the magic of modern shoe technology, many shoes now offer both performance and comfort in equal measures. it has nice padding and easy slider adjust. Climbing shoes are designed to get lots of power through the tip of the shoe, and especially the big toe. New shoes aren't comfortable like rented shoes which were broken in by 100+ of feet. The reason you're buying shoes is because you want to have something fit and perform better than the rentals. 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. Pretty much all brands build shoes for different feet nowadays. So I went out to buy some climbing 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. Nov 6, 2023 · It is probably the most popular crack climbing shoe ever and was the first shoe ever to use a slingshot rand. I still remember how it felt when I slipped on my first pair of ‘serious’ climbing shoes. I tried on every shoe they had (fairly limited selection) at the shop and found the Boreal Jokers to be perfect for my feet. Climbing shoes for beginner I'm a total beginner and looking to get some climbing shoes, mainly for indoors, but hopefully for some outdoor trips. 5 in my climbing shoes doesn't necessarily mean I recommend going half an eu size down for your climbing shoes. Have a friend that is getting hooked on bouldering so he is contemplating some shoes to avoid them sweaty rentals. 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. I started with some Evolv's (not the Shamans, though) and they were perfect for my starter pair. For harness I used the black diamond momentum… got it at REI for 64 bucks. ). The Mocc isn’t a high performer by any stretch of the imagination, but it isn’t exactly a beginner shoe either. The only things you should probably avoid as a beginner are: (a) overly aggressive/downturned shoes, and (b) anything painfully tight. See full list on climbing. SBP is bigger and good too. 2. I am around V3 level for reference. g. A downturned shoe isn't versatile and unless you are really just climbing steep boulders all the time will probably be overkill to start with. Don't focus on the brand too much. You could try specifically looking for a "neutral" shoe (or just sort by price and start from the bottom, since the expensive shoes are usually the aggressive ones). I've been climbing for 4 weeks and am climbing 5. Over the past decade, our team has tested over 45 of the best climbing shoes for women. TLDR: I am looking for intermediate but comfortable climbing shoes for indoor climbing with slight/medium downturn and low/medium pre-tensioning. Veloce's are a beginner shoe in the same vein as the Mantra but worse. Hi there, I bought my first climbing shoes at Campers Corner, the staff were really helpful when I was a beginner back in 2021. Using the heel is also good. So if you're looking to get these shoes try to find a place you an try them in person or at least a place online that has free returns so you can try a different size. Snug is good, painful is bad (until you get into super aggressive shoes) and will ruin a lot of the fun of bouldering. Why spend that money when it's not necessary? May 4, 2021 · Deciding on the best La Sportiva climbing shoe for use in the gym was not an easy proposition. I have flat and rather narrow low-volume feet. I'm still using my beginner shoes that I got from a sports shop called Decathlon. With a single velcro strap and slipper-like comfort, it’s incredibly sensitive but offers surprising edging ability thanks to La Sportiva’s P3 tensioned rand system and No-Edge sole technology. I've been climbing for about 4-5 months now and climbed my first V3-V5 yesterday. To be honest, if you are climbing because you saw free solo: - don't buy shoes. They're saving them for the high grade, steep routes where their advantage is clear. Salutations, ladies! I've recently started practicing indoor bouldering and after borrowing them for the first sessions, I'm finally searching for a nice pair of shoes with the best price-performance (and I stress "price", considering every recommended pair seems to cost 10% of my monthly income). I wouldn't change anything about how I started tbh. 12/V6. 1. Sizing is very important for climbing shoes. 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. A stiff shoe makes it hard to feel your feet and prevents you from learning how to really use your feet and will promote sloppy footwork. I'd recommend a shoe like the 5. I myself have been climbing for a bit more than half a year and have been using La sportiva Zenits which has been enough for me (climbing up to V5, projecting V6), although I do not have anything really to compare to so would love some input on what to recommend! When it comes to picking out climbing shoes for beginners, comfort and price are key. My first pair of snowboarding boots, figure skates, and climbing shoes all ended up not being what I wanted sooner than the actual material wearing down and I eventually spent more in the long run buying new pairs. All the others hurt no matter sizing down or staying at my normal shoe size. com Nov 6, 2023 · This is why the best beginner bouldering shoes are usually flatter with a slightly stiffer feel than shoes suitable for advanced climbers. Sep 16, 2024 · La Sportiva Tarantulace. 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. Learn which part of your shoes to use. 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 When I first started shopping around for a climbing shoe I was very intrigued by La Sportiva specifically, and after looking at gear labs’ “best climbing shoes” tier list I was considering the LS Katana and Solutions. 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). Get that. Google image search those to get a sense of what one kind of beginner shoe might look like Attitudes are changing though. La Sportiva Tarantulace is a good beginner model to look for. Maybe you can head down and take a look around! They're a cheap shoe, and good for beginners, but you will quickly out grow them. They let me try the different types of shoes ranging from more comfortable shoes, to the more aggressive ones which provide more precision but are less comfortable. Don’t worry about downsizing too much as a beginner. 9K subscribers in the climbingshoes community. At our level its not that important to downsize aggresively etc. Sep 30, 2024 · Looking for your first pair of rock climbing shoes? We tested 30 top-rated climbing shoes in the gym, crag, and bouldering to find the best rock climbing shoes for beginners and mid-level climbers, with winners from La Sportiva, Five Ten, Black Diamond and Evolv For me, with climbing shoes, there's no substitute to going to a store and trying on different models and different sizes. 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. I started climbing about a month ago, enjoyed it instantly and am now looking to buy my first pair of shoes, mainly looking for an all-rounder as I still need to learn a lot of technique. The next shoes I got were a cheaper pair of Climb X, and a pair of Sportiva's that were much more aggressive. At the beginning level, everyone's technique is generally bad so shoes don't matter that much. I’m a fairly new climber that mainly boulders V3-5. Half moon bouldering is smaller but less busy and I found it to be beginner friendly. try to get a feel of which brand and shoe most likely fits ur foot shape, if possible, try them on. I prefer top-rope over bouldering and currently am not planning to ever climb outdoors. The cheapest shoe on this list—and, consequently, one of the best-selling climbing shoes in the U. These shoes I needed to buy them at 9 1/2 which is a size I didn't buy for even my first pair of climbing shoes as a beginner when I was looking for comfort over most things. A lot of people seem to like tarantulace as a starter shoe so maybe check those out. Beginner shoes and cheap, durable all-round shoes are the same thing. typically advanced bouldering shoes are downturned enough to cause pain for new climbers, or at least to make it uncomfortable to climb. Idk why people downvoted this comment, starting with the sensitive good shoes for bouldering is the only way to get used to sensitive shoes for bouldering, you can get in tarantulas or some other stiff shoes with no downturn and when you feel like you can climb better but your feet aren't helping you as much and you go for performance shoes you're almost back to 0 because you climb different Hot take: beginner shoes suck and get away with it because reviews come largely from folks who started climbing in them and then stopped before moving on to other shoes. With either, you’re probably going to eventually want to upgrade to an intermediate shoe long before your beginner shoe is worn out. Hey, so primarily youre gonna want a shoe thats comfortable. I have narrow heels and have always had issues with my shoes chafing my heels. If you want to buy your own shoes, there are a bunch of reddit threads with advice or someone at the gym could probably give suggestions. A beginner pair of climbing shoes will run you about $100 and a high quality pair will be around $200. I've seen good things about the Evolv Defy VTR and they're currently on sale for £55, but also read that they're smelly! Nov 11, 2023 · In the kingdom of climbing shoes, comfort is not king. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. My normal shoe size is 13 in US sizes and I got a size 13 pair of Defys. Get a decent middle ground (in terms of geometry and specialization) shoe and fit it properly, then have them resoled when you inevitably blow through the toe box as you 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. Until you refine your footwork, don’t buy anything expensive, asymmetrical, or downturned (e. Aggressive shoes are for hard climbing. A rental shoe is gonna be better for climbing than any street shoe, but pretty much any other climbing shoe will be better than a rental. Since you're shopping online, finding a pair that feels good right off the bat is super important. for a good pair of starter shoes I would recommend the LA sportiva tarantulace (90 bucks), they fit comfortably and break in easy they have laces which I liked because if felt more secure… beefy toe pads and good heal pad all around solid shoe Bouldering came to mind, and I was wondering if someone could kindly give me some tips for first-timers? Backround: I’m a 5’1 125lb female in my early 20s. The more downturned/aggressive the shoe shape, the better suited for challenging climbs (but they can also be more uncomfortable if you’re not used to it). 10 moccasin to start. Get whatever is cheap and comfy (relative to climbing shoe comfort). With climbing shoes there's no way I'll be able to buy online or just from recommendation. I used the Climb Xs a lot more often. I was wearing Millet Easy-Ups prior. I have five ten teams and la sportiva futuras for my try-hard shoes so I am not worried about getting something ultra-performant. The fairly soft shoe has a moderately aggressive downturn and asymmetry, proving much more reliable on smaller edges and steeps than a flatter shoe. But a good store will tell you. Dive into my 2023 scoop on the most comfortable climbing shoes. Suppose you’re still hesitant about whether climbing shoes will perform better than your hiking boots. Nothing special just £40 climbing shoes. Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned pro, the right pair of climbing shoes is essential. Try several sizes in a couple different brands, every company has some type of entry-level/relaxed shoe. rxjv vusgxy shngzf vcj ptvpcc mvmii obhfax gtasgvh jmy onyikuz svwtc ewizya hgek pqm nuoh