The right selection of climbing shoes is a difficult task as everyone has different foot shapes and preferences. In my opinion, the best way to find the perfect shoe for you is to try out as many as possible until you are happy.
But I also believe in the power of data and that’s why I wanted to do a little survey on my instagram channel @bestboulders to find out which climbing shoe brands and specifically which models you like the most.
Maybe this can be an inspiration for your next climbing shoe choice to find your perfect shoe.
For this survey I specifically asked for your opinion on indoor bouldering shoes. 524 participants from all around the world completed this survey and I would like to present the findings in this article.
Also check out our survey on the most popular climbing and bouldering chalk.
Top 10 Indoor Bouldering Shoe Brands
Before we take a deeper look into the most favourite climbing shoe models, let’s first look at the most popular climbing shoe brands in general.
- La Sportiva – 33,2%
- Scarpa – 27,0%
- Five Ten – 7,7%
- Evolv – 6,6%
- Tenaya – 4,9%
- Mad Rock – 4,3%
- Butora – 4,0%
- Black Diamond – 3,0%
- Boreal – 2,1%
- Ocun – 1,7%
- Other – 5,5%
It is very clear that the two players La Sportiva and Scarpa dominate the market with around 60% combined market share. This means that if you are at your climbing gym and look down, every other pair of climbing shoes is either from Scarpa or from La Sportiva. (Go check it out next time)
Every other climbing shoe is either from La Sportiva or from Scarpa.
Considering this not representative Survey 😉
The next 4 brands Five Ten, Evolv, Tenaya and Mad Rock are all pretty tight together ranging from 7,7% to 4,3% market share.
An interesting fact is that Black Diamond made it in the Top 10 even though they first started their climbing shoe line in 2017.
Another thing I did not know is that Black Diamond offers a vegan climbing shoe so if you are on the watch for cruelty free bouldering shoes check out the Black Diamond Momentum.
Considering the great amount of other climbing shoe brands it must be quite challenging for them as they have to share only 5,5% market share.
Top 10 Indoor Bouldering Shoes
Now let’s look at the Top 10 indoor bouldering shoes. The vast amount of different climbing shoe models makes it really hard for one particular model to stand out but let’s have a look at it.
- La Sportiva – Solution – 9,4%
- La Sportiva – Skwama – 6,5%
- Scarpa – Vapor V – 5,7%
- Scarpa – Instinct VS – 4,4%
- Scarpa – Drago – 3,5%
- Scarpa – Instinct VSR – 3,1%
- Evolv – Shaman – 3,3%
- Five Ten – Hiangle – 2,8%
- La Sportiva – Futura – 2,4%
- La Sportiva – Python – 2,4%
- Other – 56,6%
With 9,4% market share we have a clear winner: The La Sportiva – Solution. This means that if you take a closer look at the climbing shoes in your bouldering gym, every 10th person wears exactly this model!
Also quite popular is the Scarpa Instinct line with a combined share of 7,6% if you combine the shares of the Scarpa – Instinct VS and Scarpa – Instinct VSR. I also have to mention that I had to remove quite a few entries from the survey which only said ‘Scarpa Instinct’ and it was not clear which exact model it was.
Not surprisingly, only two other brands made it to the Top 10 for indoor bouldering shoes: Evolv – Shaman and Five Ten – Hiangle.
More than 50% are other climbing shoe models and I can tell you, the list from the survey is very long. On the one hand, this shows that there is a demand for the vast variety of climbing shoes. On the other hand this means that if you ask 10 of your friends which bouldering shoes they use, around 5 of them will have one from this list. 😉
How did you find your perfect climbing shoe? I’m excited to hear your thoughts in the comments.
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Tenaya is the only shoes I use but I’m so open to try newer companies shoes. Im psyched in unparalleled coming out! http://Www.instagram.com/pez-castellano
Do they have new ones coming? Because they have quite a few shoes available on their homepage already. 😉
My university’s climbing gym has Evolv Shamans that can be rented, but I definitely want to get a pair of my own I can take anywhere. I ended up going to a local climbing store and trying out a pair of green La Sportiva Tarantulas. I dig them, but I definitely need to test the waters with other climbing shoes!
Glad you took the time to compile this survey and write up the article! I’m still in my first pair of indoor shoes and I love them!! They are the Scarpa origins, and I love them because they fit me perfectly (and have molded to my foot!). Honestly I could use a bit more proformance, but the comfort factor is HUGE! I think having a well fitting shoe is more important than total proformance to some degree! It surely has kept me happy and on the wall for this long.
Again, thanks!
Ian
https://www.instagram.com/ian.__.bowyer/
I’m a die-hard Scarpa VS Instinct fan due to my very wide feet that mean other brands fit too narrow! Can’t beat the C4 rubber on 5:10 shoes though. Would be great to have a blend of the two somehow! Will have to keep searching for the perfect shoe!
http://www.instagram.com/jennfranklyn
You can always resole with C4 when the time comes ☺️
This is extremley eye opening, it gives great insight into what exactly the average climber prefers in shoes and will definitely be able to help other climbers when chosing a new climbing shoe.
That was my intention when writing this article. 🙂
The chart on the most popular shoe is so true. Whenever I’m in the gym I always see Solutions. Me personally I not a huge fan of them. There a great climbing shoe it’s just my heels for always slip out of them even in really small ones. I personally like the Shamans.
It’s really interesting to see this information laid out like this. I thought the article was well written and well thought out! Love that the research is continuing!
I’m also quite excited on how the data will change over time!
I have been using the same pair of tarantulaces ever since i started climbing. Now that i’m moving into V8’s I notice a big difference and need for a more aggressive and less worn down shoe. This article is super helpful especially because I know nothing about where to even start looking for shoes! instagram.com/rion.alverson
Thanks! Good luck with the V8’s!
Still using some evolv shoes from my local gym. Hopefully getting new ones soon???
I have been using the same pair of boreal shoes ever since I started to climb more seriously. Am keen to try out different shoes that are more capable of doing the crazy stuff. Will definitely use your tips when looking for them!
Climbing is my life ans i work hard top progress
What more better than New choose? (Vive la France )
For my first pair of climbing shoes I went to a climbing shop and just tried on some models and choose a comfy one.
The next time I knew what I was looking for and tried on only some with the attributes I wanted.
Same for me! With time you also start to think about outdoor/indoor shoes or shoes specifically for multi-pitch routes.
Finding the perfect shoe definitely takes trial-and-error but seeing the most preferred ones all compiled like this will surely help some a lot on that path.
This is the first time I have seen an article like this about climbing shoes.
This is so interesting. I never tought the market ist so dominatet by those 2 brands. That’s why I think it’s great to support smaller labels.
In my opinion the best way to find fitting shoes is to try them on the wall 😀
I also love to support smaller brands. On the other hand there is quite a bit of research and knowledge involved in the bigger brands which is hard to reach for smaller brands.
Could you do an article discussing the differences in shoes and the different climbing that each shoe favours?
I have a lot of insightful articles in my head. Stay tuned 😉
I don’t have good indoor climbing shoes yet. My rock climbing shoes hurt too much to wear them during all the gym session! But really, La Sportiva-Solution? They look quite aggressive, I’d try to go for something more comfortable
I personally love the Scarpa Force V – They are very comfortable and durable.
It’s interesting to know what kind of shoes you could use according to what people use…
I’ve recently been researching intensely about bouldering shoes as I am buying my first pair as an investment. This blog post was insightful as it gave a clearer idea of the market share and which type/brand of shoe the general public prefers. It also shared with me many different models I was previously unaware about. Thanks for sharing the knowledge!
It was also quite interesting for me and during the research I learned a lot about brands and shoe models I never heard of.
Insightful article, If only I saw this when I started climbing, then I wouldn’t have had to buy two pairs of shoes before I got my best pair, scarpa instinct vs
At least your learned something with the first 2 pairs: That you don’t like them 😀
So useful! I really need new climbing shoes because there is a big hole in my old pair oops
And this article will really help me choose a new pair! Maybe I will try la sportiva this time!
Was about to buy new shoes (except I win the shoes 😉 this article helps alot with making the final decision
Nice.
It’d be interesting to see if there’s a big difference between countries. I just moved from Australia to the UK and up until now I hadn’t seen anyone wearing Tenayas, whereas here, it feels like they’re everywhere!
That’s actually quite interesting! I have to think about this. 😉
I bought these used shoes at a local climbing store in Portland and they’ve served me well up until they developed a hole in the toes. I’ve been looking into buying new shoes but im always conflicted. This article has definitely given me some more insight and helps narrow my choices alot more! Thanks!
Yeah – You better get new ones. Once, I used my pretty used ones on a climb and suddenly one of my toes slipped out of a hole in the shoe. That looked quite funny 😀
Definitely not surprised by this list. I’m looking for my first pair of bouldering shoes outside of rentals and the top five shoes seem to be pretty much everybody wears in my gym. It would be interesting to compare the most popular shoes versus the highest rated and reviewed shoes to see if there is any correlation.
Nice idea – thanks!
Honestly that was pretty eye-opening, the order of the top ten brands was quite surprising, I would’ve assumed black diamond would have been at least 6th or above
It’s really just a very small research and is by no means representative of the actual market shares. ^^ But still very interesting and real data 🙂
Interesting survey!!! I’ve never thought about it. I want yo buy a new pair of climbinh shoes but i’m not sure about which ones. This is really helpful! Thanks
http://www.instagram.com/larapalacios_
Personally I’ll always go with butora now that I have purchased the acros! But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be open to other brands! http://www.instagram.com/lucas_harris8
Not super surprised that solutions are king. I only use tenayas iatis but only because I can’t afford more shoes, definitely not tied to tenaya in any meaningful way. The iatis are nice shoes though. http://www.instagram.com/ruddydoesstuff
I filled this survey out, really interesting insights! I really like La Sportivas for the comfy toe-box and the great fit that they wear in. I’m using Otaki’s at the moment. Great article, thanks for sharing:)
Thanks for filling out the survey!
This article is really valuable and will definitely influence my decision making on shoes going forward! Thanks so much!
Thanks for reading it 🙂
Loved this article!
Im brand new to bouldering I’ve been training for just over a month and so far borrowing and hiring my way through a swathe of shoes. Mostly in the evolvs but I’ve found they really don’t fit my foot shape well.
I think now I have a solid list of options to try ( think I’ll start with LA sportiva )
Thank you for compiling the research so I can just climb
http://www.instagram.com/liam.brady
In the hall where I normally go, I see shoes of the brand “Red Chili” very often. I don’t know if I just see them more because they look like my own… Or maybe ” Red Chili” is more popular in Germany?
As they are headquatered in Germany, maybe that’s the reason. Did you know that the brand name actually comes from the band red hot chili peppers?
In Germany, red chili are super popular. Literally everyone is wearing them.
I bought a very comfy pair of evolv recently but alas, had to send them back after one climb as the rubber started to crack immediately 🙁
This has really helped me out, I started climbing about 3 months ago and it really dispersed a huge interest, I’m thinking about getting my own climbing shoes now so that I can stop spending money on rentals every time.
Now I know exactly what to look for, thanks
I’ve owned 3 pairs of shoes by Scarpa and they really deserve those high numbers. Their shoes (especially the dragos) feel super nice, however it was still a little shocking to see how massive they are compared to the other brands.
I have started my climbing adventure this January – yep I am a begginer 😉 I’m about to buy my first climbing shoes eveeer. Articles like this one is what makes my decision anyhow possible, THANKS!
I have started my climbing adventure this January – yep, I am a beginner 😉 I’m about to buy my first climbing shoes – this article really makes it anyhow possible, THANKS
Thank you and keep climbing! 😉
This is super insightful. I’ve been looking into getting some scarpas and it’s crazy to know that if I want some insight on them, I just have to go talk to like 5 people at the gym hopefully I’ll be able to try some Asakusa shoes soon though Instagram.com/nickkatsilas
Currently on the hunt for a new bouldering indoor shoe, now that I have started bouldering indoors the first pair of shoes are no longer working so well for indoors. So will definitely use this article to help me narrow down my choice as there is so much available it will definitely be easier to choose
by using what most people have found worked for them to narrow down the selection! Thank you
Thanks! I also like the list but it’s also always important to think for yourself and make your own experiences and decisions. 😉
I’m not surprised seeing la sportiva and Scarpa at the top. Very surprised to see black diamond in the top, I’m quite interested in their different approach, always nice to see new ideas. http://www.instagram.com/cfindlay90
This article was eye opening for me and very interested. Good job http://www.instagram.com/romin_ray
This was way more helpful than any REI employee no offense, but they should read this!
Thanks 🙂 It really depends on the employee… But also if they might have a lot of experience, it’s still only ONE opinion.
Yes, but I like when people have research to back them up as well as experience. Thank you! Great article.
I found my perfect climbing shoe by buying the wrong ones over and over until i found the right ones!
Articles like this provide knowledge i could have used during my research when buying shoes! Too bad i didnt have it at the start haha!
It would mean a lot to me if you used the sharing buttons to share this list with people who are new to climbing 😉
I use evolv shoes right now but I’ve tried la sportiva and like those as well! http://Www.instagram.com/Hannah.angelo
Thank you for posting this article! I found it very helpful, as I’m relatively new to climbing and it was interesting to see what other climbers are wearing.
Saw someone else commenting about different results for different countries.
Both La Sportiva and Boreal are European…the price difference for someone buying in say Australia is huge!
Quite interesting, I started with my La Sportiva Tarantula women’s and eventual upgraded to Scarpa Vapor V women’s. I’d love to try out the brand So ill but it’s difficult to find stockists that you can visit to try on as my foot sizing varies so much. It’s not a brand that I’ve seen anyone else locally wear however.
So iLL was so close to get into the Top 10 – just barely missed it 😉
My first pair was la sportiva so I always have a fondness for them. It was slightly too small but grip and climbing wise, an amazing pair when climbing.
Interesting read. I personally use the 5.10gambit and can climb V6 in them. It took me nearly a year to find new shoes this time as I unfortually have crazy hobbit feet and wanted a really good fit this time around. This is 8th pair of shoe and I’ll always be on the hunt for “the one” haha
Great article for those trying to look for their first or second pair! And comparing climbing vs bouldering. Never knew about the difference. Continue the research pls! 🙂
I will! 🙂
It’s impressive to see how many people use La sportiva brand! I always used La Sportiva too, actually I ve got katana for the gym and Miura outdoor. I ve tried scarpa instinct but maybe I took the wrong number, so they are uncomfortable. From scarpa I really like vapor v, BTW great article!
http://Www.instagram.com/mrs.malaussene
Yeah, getting the sizing right is a totally different game^^
I use to be a for hard la sportive solutions fan but something always felt a bit off with the heel hooking capability for me. That’s when I decided to take a chance with the Evolv Agros which far surpassed my expectations with both the toe rubber and how solid heel hooks felt. I think it was due to the solutions having more of a ball shaped cup which made heel hooking slightly more bulky. Instagram.com/hastinlam
It’s impressive to see how many people use La sportiva brand! I always used La Sportiva too, actually I ve got katana for the gym and Miura outdoor. I ve tried scarpa instinct but maybe I took the wrong number, so they are uncomfortable. From scarpa I really like vapor v, BTW great article!
http://Www.instagram.com/mrs.malaussene
Wow, looks like I’m really average when it comes to choosing shoes! My first “real” pair (I’m not counting my very first beginner shoes) were Scarpa Vapor V and right now I have La Sportiva Solutions. I love them both but prefer the Solutions.
I’ve only ever climbed in Five 10 shoes since I bought my first pair of Mocasyms—just got a pair of Hiangles a couple of months ago and really love them (now that they’ve broken in). That said, I wish there were a way to try a bunch of shoes that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
I only have one pair of shoes from evolv but I’m not sure which model they are, thoug i have noticed that many of my climbing mates have the exact same shoes form la sportiva!
Nice try of including some data to a piece of advice on climbing shoes. It would be interesting to see if these samples are experienced climbers that have tested other models and of course done demographics because there are some bias regarding availability too… Eg. There are almost no scarpa shoes in South America.
Yeah, for the next survey I might collect a few more data on that.
The most important thing I look for in a coimbing shoe is that it fits my heel well. I find it ver important to get a tight fot on the heel in order to do heel hooks.
I love reading articles like these about shoes. That’s one thing that I always notice when I’m at the gym is just how many la sportiva or scarpa shoes I see. I’m still trying to figure out the best brand/model for my food so this definitely helps to see what other people like when looking at one’s for myself!
Great article but Black diamond is certainly not the only company with vegan climbing shoes, almost all of evolv’s line is vegan, so ill is also mostly vegan, and tenaya also has a number of vegan shoes.
True – I am already thinking about an article about all the vegan climbing shoe options. 🙂
I just started bouldering and have been looking for bouldering shoes ever since so I can stop renting from the place I boulder. After reading this article, I feel like I should get Scarpa brand because I only climb indoors. From my knowledge I know that the shoes should be smaller abit to it gives the toes more power to step on smaller holes. This article has been really helpful on my decision and is a real eye opener
I use La sportiva shoes since I started climbing. They’re quality is amazing and it’s not surprising that Solutions are that popular. The gym where I go is full of people wearing La Scarpa shoes, never had a pair of them but I’m thinking about trying out the Instinct VS!
http://www.instagram.com/bettinellirebecca
‘La Scarpa’ 😀
I currently own my first pair of boulder shoes (from la sportiva) but I definitely want to try out other ones! Thank you for making the effort for this article!
http://www.instagram.com/beccieh_doll
Thanks for all this information. I learned a lot about different shoes that I’d honestly never heard of before. I was excited to see that the solutions were most popular.. as I wear those ( and I don’t want them to ever stop being sold!) I love the toes on them! I feel like they are a great bouldering shoe 🙂
This is a great post for beginner boulderers! I’ve been thinking about getting a pair of shoes but don’t know where to start! Thanks
Interesting! I am in the market for new shoes, but it’s so hard to find ones that fit right without trying them in but many stores have limited options. Thanks for sharing!
Even if you try out a lot of pairs, some shoes change their shape a lot after a while which can get a bit frustrating.
Great chart just to show the stats for the brands! Good for beginners to know what kind of shoes are out there and what are the popular ones to look out for!
Meaningful comment
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I wanted a synthetic shoe, so la sportiva was eliminated immediately. I tried on different fivetens and scarpas and in the end went with dragos because they fit my foot perfectly. In my opinion they are perfect for bouldering. The down side is I had to resole them after 3 months (climbing 3-5 times a week).
I’ve been a long time supporter of FiveTen, but the stats don’t lie, La Sportiva and Scarpa dominate the industry. I’ve purposefully avoided Solutions because of their popularity and a personal desire to be different, but maybe it’s time for me to see why they’re the most worn shoe for myself! Love the article
I’ve been a long time supporter of FiveTen, but the stats don’t lie, La Sportiva and Scarpa dominate the industry. I’ve purposefully avoided Solutions because of their popularity and a personal desire to be different, but maybe it’s time for me to see why they’re the most worn shoe for myself! Love the article
http://www.instagram.com/Matt.irwin
Funny to know how standard I am have had both La Sportiva and Scarpa. Not sure if I have found the perfect climbing shoe yet, I end up trying basically every shoe in the store, and they end up feeling all the same and sore once I’m done, find it hard to choose haha. For me, shoes also fit super different in summer and winter depending on temperature. Interesting article! Hi from Australia!
Funny to see how standard I am haha! Have had both Scarpa and La Sportiva. Can’t say I’ve found the perfect shoe yet, I usually end up trying on every shoe in the store, and they all end up feeling the same and sore by the end of it haha! interesting article! Hi from Australia!
Love the knowledge on this page! I started climbing a couple months ago, and learning the fundamentals of climbing is definitely a must! Thank you
Love the knowledge on this page! You definitely need to do some research before getting anything! I’ve been climbing for a couple months now and i realize that my shoe is a bit too big lol! Would definitely love a new pair!
Could you say anything on why these brands and models are overwhelmingly more popular than the others? Are they better/cheaper/have more retailers/have a better image?
Propably because they both have been around for a very long time. 😉
I wish in 2 months, this climbing shoes can be the first climbing shoes I put on my injured foot which has shattered fractures of both tibia and fibula from bad luck falling from climbing 4 months ago
My very first climbing shoe was a la sportiva and I’ve used this brand ever since. My boyfriend on the other hand keeps trying different shoe brands. I’m really happy I already found the perfect shoe for myself!
It is very interesting to read to see which brand of shoe/model are most popular – my first pair was whichever i couls find online in a sale/in my size. It would be great to see a breakdown of models and how they fit/compare to eachother. I know I’ll be looking through the most popular ones for my second pair.
It’s so interesting reading this
I also use the women edition of the solution and always saw a couple of other climbers using them… but nearly 10 percent that must be millions of solutions and at my opinion (not everyone who has those high end shoes really needs them). I learned so much from this article because I never really informed about shoes… I know a lot of brand but all of those complicated names… Thank’s a lot for that nice article
I’m still looking for the perfect shoe for me, for now I’m inclined for a La Sportiva. I’m trying all the shoe models that I find around. Do you have any suggestions for me ??
Fun to see what shoes are the most popular. I’ve been looking into smaller and different brands to see if there are ‘hidden gems’ in the climbing shoe world. But I’ve been reconsidering that because these top 10 shoes and brands might last longer then the avarage shoe. With these shoes being quite expensive it’s nice to have data like this helping with deciding which shoes to try out. Thanks for collecting the data and writing the article with it!
I climb boreal, and those are pretty New. If i win i’d like to give the shoes to My younger brother because he tought me how to climb. ✌️
I feel that people can very quickly be caught in the hype and technicality of buying shoes. I feel that it is all a matter of ability. The shoes will only bring you that extra 5% of the way. That being said, I am a horrible climber so I’m probably wrong 🙂
😀 True story! Shoes should never be an excuse to try hard!
I find this article very interesting and I didn’t know there were so many types and brands of shoes. I bought my first shoes when I was very little in my local bouldergym. Right now I’m wearing the evolv electra, but for my next pair I won’t buy them again because they have a very thick bottom so I can’t really feel whether I’m standing good on my foot or not (and I think that is pretty important with bouldering). Thank you for giving me this much information about the best climbing shoe. I’ll definetly use this article for my next purchase.
Great article! I just recently ordered my first pair of shoes and started with la sportiva, but i’m definitley gonna try some other brands in the future and this article Will sure come in handy!
Looks like we have some outstanding winners. Never tried Scarpa or La Sportiva “in the wall” but in shops and liked the feel on my feet. I climbed with Ocun shoes and a pair of Red Chili shoes BUT in the end I stuck with Lowa for Indoor and Outdoor climbing. They fit really well, last long, excellent grip and are quite comfy for climbing shoes. Since Lowa is not the most popular climbing shoe manufacturer most people do not know about their excellent climbing shoes. When I ordered my first pair, I simply relied on my superb encounters with their high touring and backpacking shoes ( I own a pair of Mt. Expert and the Vantage for hiking) and when they arrived I wasn´t surprised about the high quality. I started with the Lowa Falco Lacing and for harder climbs I recently bought the Lowa Rocket. I can recommend them without a doubt and I think, besides the name game which is played in every kind of sport, they are at least as good as the Scarpa or La Sportiva shoes.
I love the statistics because they are so accurate. And it is so helpful because I know what to get next
Cant really say much about different shoes, i tested some of red chillig, they were nice but didn’t fit my form of foot 🙁
Also i recently got to test some boreal shoes, the fit was really Nice but i took them one size too big ^^
Hope to win the shoes u promote, they Look really nice
Insta: @420_LongboardStyle
Thank you so much for this article! I‘ve been shopping around for climbing shoes and just felt so overwhelmed by all the options! This was really helpful!
I’ve only used Scarpa, but after a few months, realised I hadn’t fit it properly. Now I can feel how “sloppy” the fit is when I climb and am looking forward to trying out other climbing shoes, especially properly fitted ones! Am keen to try La Sportivas and Asakusas!
I’m surprised at the large number of different bouldering shoes as the gym I go to is a pretty even split between Solutions and Shamans.
I’m a Shaman user myself but not loyal, looking to try out some newer models 🙂
Surprised by the huge variation in bouldering shoes! Just goes to show how many awesome options there are in the marketplace currently and newer brands challenging the big boys!
I apologies for my English, it’s not so good. I think it depends too in the country, because in my country is very difficult to buy climbing shoes from so I’ll, butora and scarpa, but evolve, 5.10, la sportiva and national brands are very easy to purchase. This article was very helpful, I feel that I need to read the specifications of this favorite climbing shoes or climbers opinions
I’ve had a hard time trying a lot of different types of shoe to find the perfect one cause climbing shoes are so expensive over here, but whenever I travel I go to an equipment store an try the whole place on lol
Instagram.com/antoniocesarv
Wonderful,
This article is very useful, a guideline for finding your way around the world of climbing shoes
https://www.instagram.com/lucreziabaracani/
This article was super insiteful. Iv been stuck in the v5 range for a while now and my feet just never feel solid. I’m rocking the sportive tatantulace and it’s just not aggressive enough. This article has showed me the aggressive shoes that work best for the most people, thus saving me from guessing and checking for a $100+ purchase. Thank you! http://Www.instagram.com/jpiselli
Try, try, try. I don’t know how many pairs of shoes I tried before I got the perfect pair. With so much info out there and so many opinions it was really hard to know exactly how much “discomfort” one should endure when it came to the fit of the shoe. I think a lot of it also comes down to what shoes are actually stocked in your country. I’m from Australia, and most outdoor/adventure shops stocked Scarpa/La Sportiva. We also have limited shipping options being so far from everyone else 😛 so for me, at least, it didn’t feel like there was a great deal of choice at times
For me Skwama is the best choice.
Hi! Eric here, personally I bought my first pair of climbing shoes following the advice of the store employee: the best quality/price pair, which was the La Sportiva: Tarantula. I went with those, still climbing with them, and I’m very satisfied; I think I will be climbing with these for at least another 2 years!
First pair of climbing shoes for me was the La Sportiva: Tarantula (which I still use). Employee said it was the best quality/price model for beginners (general purpose shoes), and I love them! Probably gonna be climbing with them for at least 2 other years. Love this page btw, great content 🙂
instagram.com/good_guy_rick
http://www.instagram.com/pariseasia
It might be interesting to know what attributes the people who participated in the survey are looking for in their chosen shoe (for context), and if their choice was based on a recommendation, what that person had seen others wearing/liking or if it was independently due to design, brand, etc.
Thanks for the feedback!
@bestboulders I have only had one pair of climbing shoes. An unknown Mexican brand that I just adore. However, they are old, I want to try new models because, I agree, the only way to know what you need is to try. Also, I don’t have a climbing gym nearby, so I am making an effort to keep my strength at the fitness gym and gather the best training tools for my return to the boulders. It would be nice! I think shoes are the most important tool for climbing. Maybe the only important tool. I am shocked at the reduced variety among users. I thought every climber chose their shoes according to their needs. Maybe it’s more about availability than suitability.
For the perfect shoe you have to deal with so many aspect… you can’t just say go buy this shoe. The best you can do is drive to every climbing shop and try out shoes. For lead climbing I’m really happy with my la sportiva mythos And your shoes have to fit on your feet shape. You really have to try them and if you can’t just buy any shoe. No big help maybe… You’ll find your perfect pair of climbing shoes
I recently bought a pair of solutions only to find out they are not my cup of tea(yes I’m English)prefer 5.10 black wings have had 2 pairs but they have been discontinued since Adidas has taken over ☹️
Was nice to know that quite some people wear mad rock shoes too! I always felt lonely in my gym with all the scarpa and la esportiva shoes
http://Www.instagram.com/alineblanche
I part of the la sportiva gang as well Haha. But I’m looking to explore more under rated options as well!
Everyone seems to tell me that their la sportivas wear out way too quickly but I suppose that’s the price you pay for high performance. I’m wearing some ocuns I got on a sale but would love to try the 5-10 anazis.
I’ve been looking in to trying to get a pair of climbing / bouldering shoes for a very long time and this article really helped me a lot in my brainstorming processes. Thank you !!
My university’s climbing gym has Evolv Shamans that can be rented, but I definitely want to get a pair of my own I can take anywhere. I ended up going to a local climbing store and trying out a pair of green La Sportiva Tarantulas. I dig them, but I definitely need to test the waters with other climbing shoes!
http://www.Instagram.com/c_rambo14
I live in Italy and here there aren’t that much brands of shoes, we have sportiva and scarpa of course but I’d like to see more types of shoes
I totally agree with trying on as many shoes as possible! I must say thay my favorite this far is the hiangle from five ten. Would also love to see which climbing shoe is best for bouldering and rope climbing. I always find myself struggeling with this as I find different shoes better for bouldering and rope climbing. 🙂
I’m still looking for the perfect shoe for me, for now I’m inclined for a La Sportiva. I’m trying all the shoe models that I find around. Do you have any suggestions for me ??
This is extremely helpful. Especially because I am looking to purchase indoor rock climbing shoes and the gym I go to only carries La Sportiva to rent, so I figured if that’s the only brand they have it must be the best. Clearly though, this article shows me I have some other options to look into!
I love my las sportivas, but would definitely try a different brand for my next pair. Really like the look of the new black diamonds and the woven fabrics used. Bit surprised that 5.10 didnt have a bigger share of the pie though. http://www.instagram.com/starling.callum
I’m personally a big fan of the la sportiva muira XX, I mainly climb lead and the support the shoe offers is pretty great. I use it for bouldering to and they feel great in really overhanging routes. They fit really tight though, which makes them quite oncomfortabele during long sessions.
I love my las sportivas, but would definitely try a different brand for my next pair. Really like the look of the new black diamonds and the woven fabrics used. Bit surprised that 5.10 didnt have a bigger share of the pie though. http://www.instagram.com/starling.callum
I started climbing as I met my boyfriend who has now been climbing for 6 years. He has been extremely helpful in terms of foot work, working out and most importantly helped me choose my shoes. He recommended La Sportiva straight away and I bought La Sportiva Tarantula which I’m very happy with.
I found your article very interesting as I wasn’t aware that different shoes work best or worse for different people, I just thought you had to break them in and wait for them to stretch!
Hace menos de 1 año que estoy escalando y solo he probado las más baratas del decathlon (Simond) para principiante y cuando ya me lo comencé a tomar más enserio un amigo me regaló sus viejas Five Ten. Estoy ahorrando poco a poco porque mi intención era comprarme unos pies de gato buenos (que me duren años!) Y más adelante ir comprándome un equipo entero de escalada. Estoy realmente ansioso de poder tener unos pies nuevos para estrenar y buenos! Será mucha la diferencia? No lo sé. Tengo muchas ganas de tener unos buenos pies!
This is definitely a useful article for me.
I’m currently using Ocun Strike QC climbing shoes. But lately they have not fully met my requirements, and I am looking for a replacement for them now. Perhaps this article will help me. Such statistics is a good reason to think.
Thanks for your research, go on!
I am a firm believer of you can make do with what you have but I’ve been trying to do that for awhile with just sneakers for climbing but it helps to have proper shoes. I always borrow shoes bc I don’t have any. I have fiquredvout that climbing shoes to climbing is like a hammer to a carpenter; although the carpenter doesn’t need it it’s hell without one.
I used to wear 5.10 Teams and Hiangles but recently i’ve switched to solutions. They last a lot longer and the toe box is really comparable, I’d recommend La Sportiva over 5.10 any day now. The only downside is the heel that doesn’t fit super snug, but I have that problem with most shoes.
Very insightful. Definitely gonna refferal back to here when I need new shoes. Saved!!
There’s an issue highlighted for me, the two more popular companies produce good shoes but the smaller companies need supporting they offer good equivalents sometimes better fits. There are a lot of great options and one really needs to look around and try as many as possible, not just go for a well known brand.
http://www.instagram.com/jamie_phillips_86
Thats true! I think often times, people are concerned with the quality of the shoes if they don’t know the name.
Nice article. In our Boulder Hal they sell Sqark shoes. Those are my first set of shoes, and I am like them a lot. I am wondering how other boulders hoes fit.
http://www.instagram.com/nouwxie
This article and survey are so great and helpful given I am hoping to get a new pair of climbing shoes. I know the choice comes down to what feels most comfortable to me but it’s sweet to hear what other people like as it help narrow down the hunt. Thank you!
As someone with quite thin feet, my La Sportiva Skwarmas were the only shoes my gym sold that didn’t fall off my feet. I love climbing in them compared to the shoes which I was hiring. However, as a realtive beginner they are quite an aggressive shoe and am thinking of getting a slightly less aggressive pair. This list is super useful as there are so many brands out there that my gym don’t sell that might fit my feet so thank you!
Thank you for writing this! I’ve been having a hard time finding a brand that I like the feel of. My old 510 shoes have massive holes in the (they were well loved haha) & when I tried new shoes from the same brand it was a no go. This is so helpful! http://www.instagram.com/livlupton
Hey! Really good article! Thank you for the research and also to share it with us, it is really interesting!
I would like to say that I don’t think that La Sportiva or Scarpa are the best brands but I think they already have a really good advertisement and name. It is very difficult for the “new” shoes brands (expect Black Diamond, which every one knows), to be known around the world.
I use to were the “Miura – Sportiva” but now I found ones “ozone plus – Ocun” that they really fits perfectly!
Choosing a pair of climbing shoes is quite the nightmare for beginners like me. It seems everyone has its favorites and so on. Thanks bestboulders for clarifying it, regarding the many brands there are. Very helpful to me!
http://www.instagram.com/esmanha
La sportiva are my go to shoe, they are so reliable and always fit my feet so well no matter what pair it is!
My evolution in bouldering shoes has gone from Mainstream to obscurity; following my budget, proximity, and access to physical examples to trial. I started out with a pair of La Sportiva Miura SV’s that I bought gently used from my best friend. They were great shoes, but they hurt like heck every time I wore them. After a couple years (I know…) I bought a pair of Evolv Shaman’s (the 2016 version) after rave reviews from friends and utilizing my member dividend from REI (see there, budget and access). I tried them on, and they were amazingly more comfortable than the Miura’s and yet were 10 times more comfortable. After rocking the Shaman’s for a couple more years, I got into a local gym as a route setter. The gym owner had a partnership with Mad Rock and as a beneficiary of that I was able to get Mad Rock shoes for crazy discounts! I have never looked back from my Mad Rock Redlines and Drones (high volume). They are my go to shoes for bouldering (and they are comfortable enough to set in as well!). I was lucky enough to snag a pair of Haywire’s before they officially went on sale; they are fun because they are so light and flexible, but for a top notch all-around bouldering shoe, it’s hard for me to beat the Redlines and Drones.
Thanks for your detailed thoughts! 🙂
I currently have soulutios, shamans, hiangles, and oracles and like them each for different reasons. I love the options to have leather free shoes from Evolv, but man do they small bad! The soluions just fee nice, like they are made with quality materials, my 5.10s are great, but the sticking inside began to fall apart, but adidas had great customer service and sent me a new pair
I know its not a boulder shoe. But ı use la sportiva miura vs. And love them. I think they are do everything kind of shoes. What your opinion about it?