Recommend me some climbing shoes

I’m starting to get into climbing and I’m thinking it would be a good idea to get some shoes of my own rather than borrowing the clubs. So, what’s good in the world of climbing shoes?

I have a budget of ~£60, what brands/models should I be looking at? Scarpa/5:10/La Sportiva?

I’m aware I should be trying some on to see what fits well but if anyone has any suggestions to get me started, that would be great.

Thanks!

At a beginner level just pick the ones that fit the best.
And by fit i don’t mean ones that cripple your feet within 5 minutes of putting them on which is what some might say.
Find a go outdoors or climbing shop and try a load on. The time spent will be worth it

Evolv Defy were my starting shoes and they did a good job. Some of the cheapest shoes out there, too. They do stretch a bit so I think I should have gone for a more snug fit when I bought them. I recently upgraded to some 5:10 anasazi’s which although are miles better but without the climbing experience would have hurt my feet too much I think.

At a beginner level just pick the ones that fit the best.

This!

Ignore the chat about shoes *having* to hurt to be snug enough. If you’re hobbling about it shoes causing you pain it takes the fun out of it. Try some on and pick the ones that are snug AND comfortable enough.

To pick an analogy, it’s like recommending an ultra stiff, saddle up your bum, high tyre pressure XC bike to a newbie mountain biker.

For the record I’ve got these. Very happy with them.

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/scarpa-reflex-mens-climbing-shoe-p212015

Try a load on. Don’t try to get them too snug, they will ruin you.

My recommendation would be a low-mid range Scarpa – Vapour perhaps, but you’ll have to wait for an offer on them. Evolv are a bit cheaper.

When I first learnt I followed the common advice of buy the smallest pair to can fit your fit into and they were basically misery to wear. I then went an bought a pair which can fit over a pair of socks comfortably and they’re much better, plus you can wear socks when it’s cold and wet (which is quite common in the UK). Unless you’re climbing high grades (E2+), you really don’t need ballet shoe fit.

At one stage I forced my feet into a pair of slippers three sizes too small. I swear my toes were actually doubled over. Gave up on them after failing on the 20m walk from my bag to the start of the route I wanted to do that day. 😀

I’m with the choir. Ones which fit, which doesn’t mean the smallest ones you can cram your feet into. Mine I could wear all day with socks on – I’m sure it’s not the shoes limiting my climbing ability. Maybe if I was climbing over F7 or higher E grades tighter shoes would make a difference, but I’m not, and I’m guessing the OP isn’t either. There’s a chap down the wall with shoes which distort his feet and he has to take his feet out of after every climb, but then he is climbing F7

Though I bought mine on ebay for £5 because I was penny pinching and thought it worth taking the chance and they’ve been just fine.

From Tami Knight’s ‘Climbing Tales of Terror’.

Don’t buy online be would be my first bit of advice. Go to a shop and a good one will have a varied range and help you to try on as many as you need to find one that is comfortable. If you are ever climbing outdoors or plan to do so, take a pair of socks you would wear for the coldest season you would climb in. If you are only ever going to climb indoors – try them on without socks.

I get around this by having a pair of La Sportiva climbing shoes I use indoors all year round and some multi-purpose FiveTen Guide Tennies for my very (very) occasional outdoor Spring or Autumn climbs. I’m not climbing tough grades so the compromise doesn’t hurt and I wear the FiveTens for lots of other messing about so get my wear out of a pair.

The only thing with cheaper shoes and it’s not a performance thing.. Is that they tend to have all synthetic uppers and stink pretty quickly….. Or maybe it’s just my rotten feet that stink?? Even boot bananas didn’t take the stench away.
Also bouldering tends to demand a more technical shoe than indoor wall routes and I found I couldn’t go back to my cheapo red chillies after wearing technical shoes for while…. Or maybe agin it’s just me and all in my head, as a mate could climb several grades harder than me in carpet slippers…yeah go with comfy I’d say.

+1 to what others have said. They’re all good, try a load on and buy what feels comfy. Last pair I bought, I had very clear ideas what I wanted and came away with something totally different.

The adage that if they don’t hurt they’re too small is good advice when you’re climbing stupidly technical stuff, but for beginner to intermediate you want something that you’re not going to dread wearing.

Thanks for all the advice, I’ve just been to Go Outdoors and tried some on and happily come away with some Scarpa’s. They seem to fit well and aren’t too uncomfortable.

(As an aside, I was very impressed with the Go Outdoors discount card/price match, 10% off everything when you purchase a £5 card. Apparently if you can find any other shop (bricks and mortar or online) selling the same product cheaper they’ll do it for 10% cheaper again. Cashier told me this and 30 seconds Googling on my phone whilst stood at the till, I’d found both the shoes and a chalk bag for less elsewhere. A quick look at my phone and they accepted it as proof and gave the further discount. Very chuffed.)

These:

http://www.rapha.cc/gb/en/shop/climber%27s-shoes/product/PCS01

That is what you meant, right?

Buy online climbing shoes is not good idea you must goo climbing shoes shop and then buy it. You should spend little bit time to check

If generally go half a size bigger on my shoes (long narrow feet) to get comfort.
If you’re bouldering and wearing them for hours you want comfort. I pop mine off when I belay but that’s about it

As an aside, I was very impressed with the Go Outdoors discount card/price match, 10% off everything when you purchase a £5 card. Apparently if you can find any other shop (bricks and mortar or online) selling the same product cheaper they’ll do it for 10% cheaper again

I got a pair of the new Vapour Vs like that on tuesday – the bloke price matched against Joe Browns selling the old style but out of stock in my size. £120 RRP for £62.10.

If you can find Mad Rock shoes they fitted nice and snug, didn’t kill my feet and made beginning climbing very pleasant, I now use poorly fitting 5:10 Anasazi Velcro like everyone else and feel the pain. But the rubber on them is very tasty

I’ve just been to Go Outdoors and tried some on and happily come away with some Scarpa’s.

Sounds good! It’s always strange advice to see forum consensus and then the OP actually following it, ha!

Hope the climbing goes well. I’m no expert, but I really enjoy it as a hobby and glad I’ve done all the lead climbing sessions, etc. It’s a good thing to get into, especially over the winter (for indoors stuff).

Good luck!

My daughters climbing team are sponsored by Scarpa. We get them at cost price. She has some force x which are not too technical(Shes only 8) but look very very comfortable. Been really impressed with them. Even after 5-6hrs per week they have worn really well.

I just got myself some climbX ones from go outdoors. I am crap at climbing and just wanted something so i could join in. Must say they are wearing well and i find them really compfrtable.

BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE

Get your new shoes and go and do some dancing on some rough concrete. Really scuff the soles up. We didnt and whilst my daughter was holding an undercut with one hand and reaching up for the top of the wall both feet slipped on a sphere volume. She ended up head first coming down and i caught her about 1″ off the mat.

I think the soles have some kind of release compound in/on them and they dont give anything like the grip you expect straight out of the box.

I’ve been climbing 6 or 7 years and would say.

First pair of shoes get comfy not crippling.
Go to a proper climbing shop, maybe at the wall if they have one, and tell them these are first pair. Try a few on, some designs suit some peoples feet, some don’t. try a few.

All the major brands are pretty good.

Don’t buy online even if cheaper until you know what you want.

I bought some five tens Anasazi – good all-rounders.

Get your new shoes and go and do some dancing on some rough concrete. Really scuff the soles up. We didnt and whilst my daughter was holding an undercut with one hand and reaching up for the top of the wall both feet slipped on a sphere volume. She ended up head first coming down and i caught her about 1″ off the mat.

I think the soles have some kind of release compound in/on them and they dont give anything like the grip you expect straight out of the box.

I was thinking this with the last pair of Scarpas I bought. Took a couple of sessions for them to stick predictably.

Go to a proper climbing shop, maybe at the wall if they have one, and tell them these are first pair.

And if the advice you receive is “if they don’t hurt they’re too big,” find another climbing shop.

I now use poorly fitting 5:10 Anasazi Velcro like everyone else and feel the pain.

I wore the classic pink lace-up Anasazis for years after shredding my first ‘beginner’ pair (accidentally powersliding down Yorkshire gritstone ‘en point’ is not good for your shoes, I was thankful the material stayed sufficiently intact and didn’t wear through to my toe ends, but it was close). Wanted something more technical and bought small on the logic they’d stretch. They’re board lasted and didn’t stretch a jot, they were agonising. I finally gave in when returning after a long hiatus and couldn’t face any more, so bought a new day-to-day boot. The Anasazi is a brilliant shoe, sticks to rock like a tramp on chips, but you need to be really careful with the fit.

I can’t remember offhand what the new ones are, but I tried on loads and came away with something entirely different from what I had in my head when I went in. It really is worth spending time finding the right shoe, everyone’s feet are different.

For the first couple of years of my climbing career I followed the old shoe size minus 2 for climbing shoe fit. It was horrible and my feet used to slip off of everything and I couldnt climb worth shit. After a couple of years I started climbing with someone who has gone on to become one of the very best climbers in the world. His advice was to get a pair of shoes that I can spend time in. This led to spending more time on the wall, getting much stronger and my climbing grades rocketed as a result. You can’t balance very well if you cant feel your toes. Plus – why take an inch off your total reach?

We didnt and whilst my daughter was holding an undercut with one hand and reaching up for the top of the wall both feet slipped on a sphere volume. She ended up head first coming down and i caught her about 1″ off the mat.

This needs more explanation before it’s written off as extremely poor belay technique. Please tell me it was leading something difficult >7c and missing out clips was the only way the problem could be done by someone of her stature.

This needs more explanation before it’s written off as extremely poor belay technique. Please tell me it was leading something difficult >7c and missing out clips was the only way the problem could be done by someone of her stature.

or bouldering

or bouldering

A very good point indeed. Doh!

Double post

Get your new shoes and go and do some dancing on some rough concrete

Skateboarding works well too, just stop before you wear an ollie hole.

Yep bouldering……pmsl 🙂