Bouldering shoes reddit beginner Hello! Super new to this community, but here is a little about me: I started climbing a little over a year ago and I've started working in the v3-v4 range for the past few months (slower progress since I'm a 4'9 climber 馃ゲ). But for real you named most stiff bouldering shoe. Boulderers eschew ropes and conventional climbing protection in favour of specialized crash pads placed beneath the climber to allow for safer climbing. Go to a store, tell them you are new and what you are looking for (indoor, outdoor, climbing, bouldering etc) and actually wear them and take your time. Anyone tried these out and can comment on them or maybe give any advice? Thank you!. . Anything stiffer like the Scarpa generator wont take overhangs to well. Best Rock Climbing Shoes for a Beginner Looking for the best cost to quality shoes, these shoes will mainly be used for bouldering. I've tried on everything at REI and found that my heels were getting rubbed raw from standing on my toes to test flexibility. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. You can probably look at different kind of models, just maybe avoid strictly performance-oriented shoes for now. For context: I'm normally in instinct vs wmn’s outdoors and dragos inside + outdoors. Shoes vary so much between brands and even within a brand's models, let alone people's foot shapes, pain tolerances, climbing style preferences, and preferences on sizing street shoes. Some are designed for comfort, others for performance, some are softer and others are stiffer. Jul 29, 2022 路 Discover the best beginner climbing shoes in 2025 with our analysis to pick the most suitable model. If you are a beginner, you should probably get shoes that are more flat until you develop the muscles in your feet. A good store should have a small boulder wall where you can test them on different holds. Thank you Share Add a Comment Sort by: Best Open comment sort options Best Candybert_ • My previous Scarpa Veloces were comfortable but didn’t provide enough support for edging or small footholds. May 14, 2021 路 On a budget? We’ve reviewed the best cheap rock climbing shoes under $100 to find you that perfect starter pair! May 14, 2021 路 On a budget? We’ve reviewed the best cheap rock climbing shoes under $100 to find you that perfect starter pair! We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Here's everything you need to know about bouldering shoes for beginners. You'll save a ton of money and notice differences in shoes. 5 and they aren't comfortable yet. Bouldering is the act of technical rock climbing on short walls or large boulders; either for climbing practice or as a sport in its own right. Nothing special just £40 climbing shoes. It seemed to take a couple of sessions to wear off some of the rubber and form a smooth edge and then it was only really trying shoes that cost twice as much that I thought "Ok, shoes can be better than this" I just got a pair of skwamas and got EU44. Some shoes widely used for bouldering aren’t explicitly designed or billed as bouldering shoes. How about some old climbing boots, those got a steel shank. Hello, recently I started bouldering and I was thinking about buying some climbing shoes. Hi all, I recently started bouldering indoors and was looking for shoes because I can't stand the smell of rentals any longer lol As a beginner, I've… Upgrading from my beginner shoes after a year of climbing and was wondering if anyone had experience with women's scarpa vapors. Nov 11, 2023 路 Ready to leave the beginner shoes behind? A reliable pair of intermediate climbing shoes might be exactly what you need to take your climbing game to the next level. 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! We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. I wonder if OP doesn't like the way some shoes draw tension around the toe or perhaps dislikes more symmetric (toe-to-center) designs? As it is, they've picked just about the narrowest shoe in the bunch. I can consistently do v3s but I find myself slipping on v4’s and higher. I’ve been doing bouldering for about 6 months now. IE, get whatever "beginner shoe" is most comfortable. Our final shoe rankings are based on We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. I love it when I come across other peoples’ posts on shoes that I'm interested in so thought this might be a good opportunity to give something back. Don't buy shoes too small for your feet. Here are a few climbing shoes that won't break the bank but still keep you smiling. The pain will likely outweigh the moderate advantage you may get from an excessively tight pair of shoes, especially as a beginner. Would it be a bad idea to buy intermediate shoes as a beginner at bouldering or should i buy beginner shoes first and wait until i get to a good level. One of my friends gave me a free pair of brand new la sportiva solutions that fit perfect. Have a friend that is getting hooked on bouldering so he is contemplating some shoes to avoid them sweaty rentals. beginner climbing shoe help! Hi all and thanks in advance, 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. EDIT: I settled on La Sportiva Theory shoes after trying on and climbing in about 6 different shoes (Drago, Furia Air, Solution, Solution Comp and Theory all in various sizes) 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. But considering you are climbing for a few months and climbing v4s, it's not like you are complete newbie. Nov 6, 2023 路 If you're looking for a new pair of cheap climbing shoes, you've landed in the right place. To find the best gear, we combine expert reviews, everyday user opinions, and rigorous independent trail testing — never native ads or sponsored posts. Nov 25, 2025 路 Top beginner bouldering shoes reviewed for comfort and performance—discover which pairs will transform your climbing experience. In the future use your worn shoes (ones with Holes) for warm up, and switch to newer ones for projects. I've been bouldering with La Sportiva Tarantulaces and they've started to fall apart and get holes around the heel, so I'm on the search for some good intermediate shoes Beginner climber, very wide feet (prefer 4E in regular shoes). I'm still a beginner obviously, so comfort is pretty important as I'm learning. 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 noticed that they might not be the ideal fit for As the title says. What's the difference compared to lace-up or Velcro ones, and do you think they're worth it for a beginner? What indoor climbing shoes do you recommend for a beginner female climber with wide feet? Agreed. LMK any recommendations TLDR: I am looking for intermediate but comfortable climbing shoes for indoor climbing with slight/medium downturn and low/medium pre-tensioning. You’ll do a lot better and progress quicker climbing more since your feet are comfy :) For harnesses tbh they are all the same just get one you can afford from a rock climbing brand. My feet are quite low volume so they fill in this model best out of the ones I tried. Mar 17, 2025 路 Read our guide to find the top budget-friendly rock climbing shoes that provide good comfort and support without breaking the bank. Beginner shoes and cheap, durable all-round shoes are the same thing. I'm still using my beginner shoes that I got from a sports shop called Decathlon. I prefer top-rope over bouldering and currently am not planning to ever climb outdoors. com Nov 6, 2023 路 Level up your bouldering ability with the right shoes. I saw these 2 entry level shoes. I've been looking at the Scarpa Veloce shoes and thought it's probably time to upgrade and see if my climbing improves. The thing with climbing shoes is that models vary in sizing and fit because every shoe are designed for different purposes. Hey all, just picked up a pair of mad rock drone cs and thought I’d share my initial impressions after my first session. Jul 29, 2025 路 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 We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Just for the fact it’s cheaper to buy one pair of shoes rather than 2 Beginner shoes and cheap, durable all-round shoes are the same thing. Sep 7, 2025 路 See our guide to the best beginner rock climbing shoes of 2025, including our top picks from Butora, La Sportiva, Evolv, Scarpa, and Black Diamond. Getting shoes that are more aggressive or curved on the bottom will be very uncomfortable Jul 29, 2025 路 Here are the best beginner and intermediate climbing shoes out there. We write mission-driven gear reviews. Jan 23, 2024 路 The best bouldering shoes for beginners are a pair that fits well and are the best investment you can make if you climb regularly. La sportiva finales are amazing beginner/intermediate shoes. I am also only going to be doing gym climbing with minimal over-vert as my size makes it rather hard to suspend my weight for long periods of time. Here's what you need to know. 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 think what you should look for now is not a "beginner", but an "all-around" model. See full list on climbinghouse. Nov 6, 2025 路 Best Best Bouldering Shoes -> Top picks for beginners -> Aggressive shoes for advanced -> How to choose the best climbing shoes -> Pro Advice Any quality pair of shoes, that fit well, will work fine for bouldering and climbing. Asymmetric, comfortable, lots of rubber to last, and you can resole them. Beginner to bouldering, free aggressive shoes or buy neutral ones? I’ve only been bouldering about a month and have been using rental shoes, but have been wanting to buy a starter pair (rentals are $10 a climb and hurt a lot). Footwork is much more important than what brand or style of shoe you get. May 9, 2022 路 What do you need to know before you buy your first pair of climbing shoes? This article tell you everything you need to know about the different shapes and functions of climbing shoes, and makes some recommendations for a first-time pair. For a first pair, it's crucial to But even the cheapest climbing shoes are miles better than rentals. If you can, find a store near you (climbing gyms will often sell shoes, if you're in America there's probably an rei near you) and try on different brands, since each will fit differently (different toeboxes, different heels, etc). Nov 30, 2022 路 Our Method for Choosing the Top Bouldering Shoes We started our shoe evaluation with climbing shoes marketed by manufacturers as best suited for bouldering. My local climbing store only seems to stock a lot of butora and scarpa. I found some slip-on ones. The Katana is actually fairly narrow. I boulder up to V9 outside I started bouldering recently and I'm thinking about getting my first pair of shoes (it's expensive to hire them on the centre that I go). Any recs would be appreciated! Tight and aggressive shoes are definitely not the best for a beginner, since it can make climbing unenjoyable from the pain you’re not used to. In addition, we considered shoe models that are popular with boulderers at local outdoor areas and gyms. I have flat and rather narrow low-volume feet. Do you think they are any good and safe as entry level shoes for indoor bouldering? Which ones would you choose? Thanks and sorry if it's a silly question but I'm really new But, for beginner shoes they performed really well. I have narrow heels and have always had issues with my shoes chafing my heels. 8s. Obviously I can improve my technique since I’m still a beginner but I’m wondering how much of a difference a good pair shoes would make. 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). Best beginner shoes? : r/bouldering r/bouldering Current search is within r/bouldering Remove r/bouldering filter and expand search to all of Reddit Any gains you get from tight shoes will be instantly lost as a beginner if you experience pain or discomfort. Climbing shoes so far appear to be torture devices. I've been climbing for 4 weeks and am climbing 5. A good rule of thumb is you want them to be tight and slightly painful in the store, so that when they break in, they’re comfortable but still tight. This guide will illuminate why those initial beginner shoes are so vital, help you decode shoe types and features, master the art of the perfect fit, steer clear of common pitfalls, and highlight some top bouldering shoes for beginners.