The 10 Best Climbing Shoes Every Hiker Should Own

Interestingly, there are many different climbing styles, each requiring different equipment as they take place in different environments and climbers need to use different techniques.

Bouldering is perhaps the simplest type of climbing since it requires almost no equipment. Climbers do not use ropes or harnesses but depend mainly on their hands and climbing shoes.

The gym environment is perhaps the place where most beginners learn how to climb. However, in the past few years, climbing has become a very popular sport, so many people have started climbing exclusively at gyms as part of their exercise routine.

The type of climbing shoes needed for the gym environment are usually indoor shoes, but they can occasionally be worn outside as well. Because there are so many beginners at gyms, climbing shoes for the gym are often made with the intention to also be used as climbing shoes for novice climbers. Gym climbing shoes tend to focus on the comfort of the new climber so that the beginner will have as best of an experience climbing as possible.

Interestingly, besides appealing to novice climbers, certain gym climbing shoes are also made specifically for renowned climbing professional athletes for competitions. However, these specific gym shoes are usually much more specialized and sometimes custom-made for the athlete. These shoes are closer to the more aggressive bouldering shoes with thick but softer soles that allow for more precise technical movements.

Traditional (Trad) climbing typically occurs on vertical terrain, with the climbers following cracks and fissures in the rock. It involves inserting and then removing gear during the process of climbing by jamming their hands and feet in them.

Flat, non-aggressively downturned shoes are preferred for trad climbing since they work well when used in cracks and fissures. Other characteristics of these shoes are a stiff midsole, relaxed fit, minimal heel/toe rubber, solid ankle protection, and laced closure.

Sport climbing is considered one of the most physical and high intensity climbing. It usually takes place on not severely overhanging terrain and shorter routes. That said, the type of shoe used in sport climbing is typically soft and aggressive, similar to bouldering shoes.

To point out, some common characteristics are a stiff midsole, slingshot-style rand, tight heel cup, and a moderate downturn. Edging is important in sport climbing, so you need a solid edging platform in your shoe. The closure can be both laces and Velcro.

The downturn or shoe profile essentially describes the curve in the sole of a climbing shoe. As mentioned earlier quite a few times, there are aggressive downturns and flat ones. These are considered the two endpoints of what a downturn can be. A very aggressive downturn means it is really curvy, while a flat one is precisely what it sounds like.

The downturn is important in a shoe, especially in certain types of climbing, because an aggressive downturn allows the climber to better step on a rock edge by using their tows. The aggressive downturn positions more power on the climber’s toes, making it possible to hook on those edges through your toes or even your heel for some time.

However, one drawback of climbing shoes with aggressive downturns is that they tend to be very tiring for the feet since they force the feet to stand in a position that is unnatural to the way we as humans stand in our daily lives.

Shoes with flat downturns are usually preferred for beginners as they are much more comfortable than aggressive ones. The in-between version of a downturn is moderate, which generally has a slightly downturned shape. In this case, the shoe would still empower your toes and heel but in a less tiring way than a very aggressive shoe.

Stiffness in a climbing shoe mainly has to do with the support of the shoe. A novice climber requires a shoe with a lot of support since their feet are not strong enough.

A stiff shoe prevents your feet from becoming sore and exhausted by providing extra support. What makes a shoe stiff is the material used in its production, like how thick the sole and/or the mid-sole is, etc.

A stiffer shoe will be a good choice if you are climbing a more vertical terrain as you would be required to step on many small edges with smaller rocks that might hurt the bottom of your feet.

On the other hand, softer shoes offer more comfort, flexibility, and sensitivity. Sensitive shoes allow you to understand better the texture of the rock you are stepping on through the sole. This is really important when smearing or bouldering on an overhanging rock. Thinner materials would be what would make the shoe softer.

For example, your climbing shoe might have a thicker sole, but the mid-sole might be much lighter, which makes it less stiff than other shoes. However, soft shoes do not do much about support, so you will have to do most of that work yourself during climbing.

There are three types of closure systems in climbing shoes, much like most other shoes. While climbers with little experience might often overlook this, seasoned climbers will tell you that the shoe closure is actually an essential component of your climbing shoe as it partly determines your safety.

The three main types of closure are laces, Velcro, and slipper. Sometimes, some climbing shoes combine two of the three types to provide extra security and support to the shoe.

Laces are the most common type of closure in almost every kind of shoe. While they might take a bit more time to tie them up, their main benefit is that they allow for better adjustability, making the shoe’s fit always ideal for the one wearing it.

Of course, the main issue with laces is that they are not helpful for the climbers that often take off their shoes. Putting your shoes on and off and tying the laces every time is tedious, especially when climbing. Laces can also get untied if you jam your feet in smaller cracks.

Velcro is much faster than laces when taking off your shoes, but it does not provide adjustability. Many climbers tend to want to relive their feet in between pitches, which is why they take off their shoes.

Therefore, Velcro makes that more manageable but does not allow for a precise fit and tends to come undone after repetitive jamming. This is why they are usually preferred for indoor climbing.

Slippers are usually considered the most comfortable closure. They are also very convenient as they are easy to take off and put on again and are perfect for jamming as they do not get stuck in cracks or become undone. Their elastic fit is what secures your feet and makes them comfortable. However, the elastic tends to stretch with time and with every use, so it can become less effective after some time.

As mentioned earlier, the most popular and effective type of enclosure combines Velcro and slipper. The Velcro keeps the slipper from stretching too much by holding it together, while the tight fit of the slipper makes it harder for the Velcro to get undone, even through jamming.

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