Need new climbing shoes? Months of testing 2017’s new rock climbing shoes from La Sportiva, Evolv, Butora, Five Ten, and Tenaya went into this review.
Overhangs, smooth faces, cracks, and roofs: Every style of climbing requires its own style of shoe. We tested the latest and greatest from major brands for this review.
Where to begin your shoe search? Think about what kind of routes you will be climbing and plan accordingly. Smooth vertical walls with thin footholds do well with a neutral shape and stiff, hard sole. Downturned shoes perform unbelievably better on overhanging climbs. Comfy leather lace-ups are the go-to for crack climbs.
Here, we break down each shoe into its niche. There isn’t one perfect shoe for all climbs, but there may be a perfect shoe for you.
Terms Used:
- Overhang refers to a route that ascends at an angle past 90 degrees. Caves qualify as overhanging.
- Face climbing is done on near-blank vertical walls with small footholds, pockets, and in-cut ledges for purchase.
- Slab climbing is the opposite of overhanging, where the wall leans less than 90 degrees.
- Crack climbing is done within fissures that measure from a finger’s width, to an entire fist, to the entire body.
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High-Performance Comfortable Shape – Five Ten Anasazi Blanco
Great For Overhangs And Slab – Evolv Supra
Affordable and Formidable Beginner Climbing Shoe – Tenaya Tanta
Comfortable Aggressive Slipper – Evolv Agro
Environmentally Mindful Recycled Shoe – La Sportiva Mythos Eco
La Sportiva Miura XX
Down Turned And Great For Toe Hooks – Butora Acro
Coming Soon – Scarpa Chimera
Long Climbing Comfort – Five Ten Gambit
Aggressive Shoe For Wide Or Narrow Feet – Butora Narsha
