Rock climbing shoes need to be durable, weather-resistant, secure and comfortable.
Whether you’re a climbing pro or you’re just starting out, it can be tricky deciphering exactly which shoes on the market are right for you.
But fear not – we’ve got you covered. We’ve rounded up the 10 best rock climbing shoes on the market in 2017, whether you’re hitting the alpine tracks or you’re hitting the wall at the gym.
Contents
1. Five Ten Quantum
It’s all about comfort with the Five Ten Quantum, with their buoyant soft padding and their ability to secure into cracks with ease.
There’s a downturn to them that merely give this range of shoe a quirky individuality that is actually rather charming.
The downturn is actually ideal for steep headwalls and features a padded tongue that, along with the lace system, allows swelling feet to do so without marring your climb.
These are known to be durable when it comes to embarking on a long day of climbing, rather than a short session at the indoor wall.
2. Mad Rock Shark 2.0
This newer version of the Mad Rock Shark has had an overhaul and really shaken this brand of rock climbing shoes up. In addition, they are easy on the eye and aren’t too expensive.
The brand’s Arch Flex design gives your foot a secure, steady feeling around the edges of the shoe, but a squishier comfort in the center.
What’s more, this rage is known to be a snug fit, and known for retaining that fit despite repeated use. There’s a heel cap and heel cup constructed with rubber that makes this shoe great for hooking as well as edging.
3. Tenaya Tarifa
Sensitive, ideal for edging, narrowly shaped and featuring a lace that helps your foot mould more naturally with the shoe.
The Spanish Tenaya Tarifa is the shoe for those technical climbs – where things are likely to be trickier in places and require an adaptable pair of rock climbing shoes to navigate them.
4. Butora Endeavor
Butora are known for their stylish designs and the excellent quality of the materials they use to manufacture their products.
This range has Velcro straps which are designed in a way that meanders through the shoe and tightens when the top is pulled, securing the rest of the foot. It’s almost like wearing lace-ups but with the added comfort of a Velcro climbing shoe.
The memory foam tongue allows breathability, and the leatherback gives added comfort. There’s also an injection-molded insole for added rigidity. What’s more, the material is an odor-controller.
5. Vasque Snowburban Ultradry
These are truly multi-purpose, ideal for not just climbing but snowshoeing and hiking too.
This Vasque pair is specifically designed for the winter season and is made with their trademark waterproofing system that keeps water and snow at bay and actually heats your feet with 400G Thinsulate.
They’re good looking rock climbing shoes to boot (pardon the pun).
6. Tenaya Masai
This brand prides itself on producing shoes that are designed to climb everything.
The range includes a very secure edging platform, lace that runs from the top to the bottom of these rock climbing shoes, a form-fitting sole and a synthetic upper that’s tight, but comfortably so.
These might be best suited for rocks with smaller edges or with a particularly vertical slant to them.
The brand is a relatively new one compared to some of the others on this list, but this particular range has got it’s standout features nonetheless.
7. La Sportiva Genius
You won’t get lost on the mountain in these.
The La Sportiva Genius range gets better and better as the years pass. They’re championed by seasoned climbers as well as newbies.
One of the stand-out features of these rock climbing shoes is their No-Edge rubber, which transforms the way the footwear connects with the rock face and secures un the footholds.
The result of this new design is that the shoe sticks to the surface area more effectively, and showcases a real evolution in this brand’s design.
8. Scarpa Boostic
If you favor shoes with a less-aggressive toe area, these are the rock climbing shoes for you.
Leather flaps connected by a thin mesh, Velcro straps and a new type of rubber at the toes give these shoes an edge that is extremely comfortable above else.
This is very much a shoe for multi-purpose climbing, inside and outside. In addition, there’s an almost cartoonish charm to these shoes that sets them apart from certain others on the market this year.
9. Five Ten Hiangle
These shoes, plain and simple, look great.
They feature excellent quality leather, a large pad of sticky toe-rubber, and a Velcro fastening that, when combined, provides an ultra comfy shoe.
These are excellent shoes for a steep climb, and is particularly known for its effective toe hooking abilities.
It’s worth noting that these aren’t rigid shoes, and so those looking to really lock themselves into their climbing footwear might not be too impressed with them.
But, this range has been said to reduce slips when climbing on steep inclines and is great for clinging on to incuts.
10. Scarpa Instinct VS
The Scarpa Instinct VS is a sturdy shoe ideal for the likes of steep overhangs, boulders, and thin face climbs.
It features a relatively wider toe box, which is unusual for these aggressive styles of shoe. This mean’s there’ll be less toe crunching, essentially.
Rather than being a simplistic slipper design, the Scarpa Instinct VS features Velcro which adds extra support.
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