Best climbing shoes women reddit.
Best climbing shoes women reddit When researching climbing shoes earlier this year, i found out that la Sportiva men's and women's shapes are the same, but the sole rubber may differ on some models: the Kubo has a softer rubber like Vibram grip2 for women, and the Vibram edge for men, for instance. I’ve retired my shoes (Scarpa Instincts - must have been some factory defect, I’ve never had problems with these before). In fact honnold and Tommy used to wear the “womens” muiras before the TC Pros IIRC. When a company designs a new suite of shoes, they send pairs to us and our testers, and we climb in them, compare notes, write a review, and then, later, do a roundup of the latest and greatest releases of the year. Seconding Tenaya! The Ra LV shoe is a bit more snug in the heel than the regular Ra, and is one of the comfiest shoes I've ever tried while still being intermediate. Drago LV have a slim and relatively shallow heel. Best All-Around: Butora Mousai ($135) Best for Alpine Climbing: Arc’teryx Vertex Alpine ($220) Best Value: Astral Loyak ($99) Best for Cragging: Arc’teryx Kragg ($160) Most Durable: La Sportiva TX4 Evo ($169) Honestly I think 99% of climbers will be just fine with a pair of shoes that a comfortable, erring on the side of snug. I'm looking to buy a good pair of climbing shoes for beginners! Here's all the information that may (or may not) be helpful: I've been climbing for 4 weeks and am climbing 5. My first shoes back in 2019 were tarantulaces, which I remember liking, but not sure if I’ll hate now/they’ve changed in quality over the years. 5 street shoe and 9 in climbing shoes. Feb 19, 2021 · A climbing shoe’s “shape” refers to its degree of down-turn (aka. 8s. for a good pair of starter shoes I would recommend the LA sportiva tarantulace (90 bucks), they fit comfortably and break in easy they have laces which I liked because if felt more secure… beefy toe pads and good heal pad all around solid shoe Feb 11, 2025 · Earning our highest praise for climbing ability, we find the La Sportiva TX Guide to be the best shoe for smearing, edging, and crack climbing due to its precise, narrow fit and stiff midsole. Evolv Elektra: Best Beginner Climbing Shoe for Women The Women’s VS fit similar to the men’s but I prefer the stiffer XS Edge in the men’s vs the XS grip 2 in the women’s. More info provided below :) Hey guys, I am currently looking to update my La Sportiva Mythos (been climbing through three pairs in the past few years). This is the smaller rock climbing community on reddit. They were significantly better than the completely worn out pair I had been using, but I promptly broke my toe and 4 years later still can't tolerate how they distribute pressure. The heel in the instincts can feel a bit baggy but not so much to affect my confidence while heel hooking. I can buy the argument that at the very top level, cramming your feet into tiny shoes that you’re going to take off immediately after an attempt gives some marginal but worthwhile advantage, but I think most of us should just admit that we aren’t world-class level I find they don’t need to be downsized much. My gym grades: White: V0 Yellow: V0-V2 Blue: V1-V3 Purple: V2-V4 Black: V3-V5 Red: V4-V6 I can comfortably climb the purples (V2-V4). r/RockClimbingShoes: A subreddit designed to help those looking for rock climbing shoes. Personally, trying on the men's and women's shoes, the women's shoes tend to have a narrower heel and a slightly smaller upper. This is how much of a downturned toe the climbing shoe has: it angles the foot into a sharp arch, with the toe box curling downward. Generally, the more advanced or high performance a climbing shoe, the more aggressive its downturn. 5US in regular shoes) and I love them. I was wearing Millet Easy-Ups prior. A good climber can send a stout 5. Toes feel great, heel stays on! Apr 16, 2025 · What to look for in sport climbing shoes; Ten things you need to know about climbing shoes; Our favorites; Honorable mentions; Most gear roundups cover new releases. All of that background to say If you had to recommend 1 shoe, you used every climbing session (2-4 times a week for me) for indoor bouldering what would it be? When people talk this shoe is > than that for X its almost entirely preference. But honestly, for 90% of climbing, the best shoe is the one you like. Now I m looking for flat shoes suitable for indoor and outdoor climbing, sport or alpine climbing. These shoes feature a specialized “sticky” rubber outsole that allows climbers to access the base of their climbing objective. In the 80's people were in tennis shoes climbing harder than most of us ever will using anything. 11 in almost any shoe laceup, velcro, slip on, rubber all hardly matter. A sub for women and non-binary climbers and their allies. I’d go either true to size or only a half size down max Edit: 9 is for other mad rock shoes. In street shoes I wear a womens size 8. Swapping shoe “genders” is super common. 5 sizes down from street shoe. Approach shoes typically have stiff midsoles that also Nov 11, 2023 · The Best Intermediate Climbing Shoes. Also, the best shoes are going to be the slones that fit your foot, so don't be afraid to try all the shoes you can find at your local climbing gym/shop! They should be snug, but it shouldn't hurt to wear them. I'm curious about shoe recommendations or any modifications that have helped alleviate discomfort. Check out our posts for advice and reviews. There's still a small bubble, but at least the heels aren't slipping off on heel hooks or totally deforming. Like every climbing shoe, the right one for you ultimately comes down to how well the shoe fits your foot and how well-suited it is to the climbing terrain. See full list on climbinghouse. I have flat and rather narrow low-volume feet. I’ve had the best luck with high end soft shoes (which tend to have less of a / more tolerable break-in period) — standard and low volume drago and women’s comp solutions — as well as women’s solutions (stiffer). The climbing shoes were more of a side thing, and the staff who sold them did climb, but compared to the knowledge of walking and ski boots, we definitely knew less about the climbing shoes. I was told by a shoe guide in a climbing store that you should try on as many shoes as you can to find the best fit; it does not matter what they look like, as long as they are Weird I have very low volume narrow feet and the women’s Miura lace are the only shoes I can find that fit me with no dead space. I wear a 10. Upgrading from my beginner shoes after a year of climbing and was wondering if anyone had experience with women's scarpa vapors. La Sportiva Skwama (womens): My intense bouldering shoe. TLDR: I am looking for intermediate but comfortable climbing shoes for indoor climbing with slight/medium downturn and low/medium pre-tensioning. Need shoes, been doing a good amount of bouldering and indoor climbing. I prefer top-rope over bouldering and currently am not planning to ever climb outdoors. Preferably the same shoe size would be good. From the LA Sportiva website: Women's Climbing La Sportiva’s climbing shoes for women differ from their male counterparts both in looks and technical features, making them more appropriate for the female foot. This chart actually lines up pretty exactly with my experience trying on La Sportiva shoes and I wish I had seen it earlier because then I would know why the Skwamas don’t fit my foot whatsoever. Fitting your climbing shoes for comfort is like buying a car because you like the driver’s seat. I spend most of my time sport climbing indoor, maybe around a 70/30 split of the time, where I engage in bouldering more often than top/lead climbing. Women’s Solution comp, Skwama women, Mantras, 5. 5 (sometimes 8 depending on brand). I bought intro shoes again, and I'm back up to climbing 5. I ended up settling on a pair of La Sportiva Otakis in size 38 for aggressive/overhung climbing, and La Sportiva Mythos in size 38 for warming up / more chill sessions. Jan 22, 2025 · Best Climbing Shoe for Beginners: Black Diamond Momentum Climbing Shoes; Best Climbing Shoe Under $100: La Sportiva Tarantulace Climbing Shoes; Best Climbing Shoe for All-Day Comfort: evolv Kronos / evolv Kira; Best for Trad Climbing: La Sportiva TC Pro Climbing Shoes; Best Climbing Shoe for Overhung Bouldering: Scarpa Instinct VS Climbing Apr 16, 2025 · We evaluate each shoe based on important climbing techniques – like how well they smear on slabs, edge on small holds, pull into features, and jam into cracks – and draw on the experience of multiple climbers to help you find the perfect fit. For harness I used the black diamond momentum… got it at REI for 64 bucks. Go to the store and try a lot of softer, split-sole shoes, to find the one that fit you best. While it’s not true for most, there is a significant minority of us that find men’s shoes provide a better fit (go figure). My 9. The difference may not be volume-centric, but the women's shoes do fit differently from the men's. My street shoe size varies from 38-39 and I tried both size 38 and 39 at the store, with 38 being far too tight and 39 being quite My first shoes were the Scarpa Origin, followed by the Evolv Kira, which I both loved dearly. the scarpa vapor v is a fantastic shoe for intermediate climbing! if you wanted to go the la sportiva route you could try the kubos, i’ve never worn either of them but i have friends who have and loved the shoes— if you’re looking for more aggressive shoes and you’re primarily gym climbing la sportiva has the theories which are an "I climb V8-V9" means nothing when it comes to suggesting shoes. My feet are quite low volume so they fill in this model best out of the ones I tried. Im climbing everyday & I can’t climb w/o feeling pain at this point. Edit: Talked to a dude at the gym, tried on several different pairs of shoes before finally getting a pair of 5. Nearly all first-time climbing shoe buyers sized the Kirigami up from their standard shoe size to achieve a tolerable, pain-free fit. The only brand I have found that fits is Scarpa. Anna Davey and plenty of other women would wear the “mens” dragos in comps. I'm still using my beginner shoes that I got from a sports shop called Decathlon. 5 or even 2 sizes. You didn't give remarks on your feelings with the LS Solution or Skwamas, but what the Kubo and Katana you seem to favor have in common is that they are more moderately downturned. Check /r/climbing for more content. Jan 9, 2025 · SHOES DOWNTURN CLOSURE UPPER WEIGHT (PAIR) La Sportiva Katana Lace: Aggressive: Lace-up: Leather/Microfiber: 1 lb. Buy it here. The five shoes I will share with you on this page are some of the best climbing shoes for intermediate climbers available in 2023, all of which are Idk why people downvoted this comment, starting with the sensitive good shoes for bouldering is the only way to get used to sensitive shoes for bouldering, you can get in tarantulas or some other stiff shoes with no downturn and when you feel like you can climb better but your feet aren't helping you as much and you go for performance shoes you're almost back to 0 because you climb different I've been climbing for several months now and have been wearing used Climb X shoes that I got from my cousin that fit and felt like I could climb well in them. One thing to note is that La Sportiva also have less rigid lasts for their women's shoes, so if you go for women's versions while not weighing 50kg you'll get better sensitivity but worse performance on small edges. Hey everyone, I was thinking of purchasing my first pair of climbings shoes but was wondering how the sizing compares to my regular street shoes. Pretty much the only shoe that fit semi-comfortably, due to my wide, flat Hobbit-esque feet. So I’m looking for a new (<$100) pair to carry me for now until I’m at a place where I can afford a more advanced shoe again. There is no beginner shoe. Any recommendation? For the narrow and flat feet thing, you'll want to look into women's/low volume models, most likely. 3. I bought aggressive shoes after climbing 5 years. Best Outdoor All-Rounder: Scarpa Arpia V ($169) Best Sport/Mixed Shoe: Unparallel Qubit ($186) Best Bouldering Shoe: Scarpa Drago XT ($229) Best for Beginners: Butora Rubicon ($150) Best Shoe for Steep Routes: La Sportiva Mandala ($209) Best Training Shoe: Scarpa Veloce L ($175) Best Pure Slipper: La Sportiva Nov 17, 2023 · Here, we’ve compiled ten of our favorite bouldering shoes—and a list of ten things to think about when buying climbing shoes. The best I've found so far are La Sportiva Katana (women's version) which I wear 1. Instinct VS\R and S also. I agree with the commenter above, it seems like you should go for a softer shoe. 11s in them with no issues. Keep in mind everyone has different opinion on shoes varied by price, what everyone in their community has, foot shape, climbing style, etc. Keep in mind that climbing shoes are meant to be loaded through the toes and heels, not as much walking, so this is taken into account in the design. 10 Asym's. ) I'm not sure that's entirely true. Section divider Ten Things You Need to Know About Climbing Shoes 1. it has nice padding and easy slider adjust. Best Tennis Shoes for Women; Best Compression Socks for Women; Top Posts Apr 29, 2025 · How to Choose Approach Shoes for Women Approach Shoes 101. Simply put, approach shoes are a combination of a hiking shoe and a technical rock climbing shoe. If you're climbing that hard, you should know that a big cave will be best suited by totally different shoes than a slab problem, which will be best suited by totally different shoes than a crack problem, and so on. Personally Miura VS womens fit me well, but now I prefer to climb in Scarpa Instinct VSR - they seem to have more ergonomically designed last (but the same rubber). Just wondering what the best shoes to get are. Best of Reddit; Topics; Content Policy; Best Rock Climbing Shoes for a Beginner In Bosnia, the selection of these shoes is limited and overpriced, so my only option is online stores like banana fingers and epictv( bergfreund doesn't ship here for some reason). If you’re climbing mostly indoors with occasional outdoors, I really enjoy a soft shoe. Dont worry about what other people say about a certain shoe; if your comfortable and feel like you can climb for a couple hours or so in them, then they are the ones. I know evolvs fit my feet so I stick with their phantoms for downturned aggressive shoes and their Kronos when I need a softer shoe. For a lot of the walking boots and shoes, there was an actual difference in the volume, but this also varies a lot by brand. Yes aggressive shoes perform better on overhung and a stiff toe is better for tiny footholds while soft rubber is better on volumes but you can climb anything in anything. 5 drone 2s feel too small. I want one that looks good to wear normally, comfortable, for running and waterproof. I say this as a guy who usually buys women's shoes because the men's sizes don't go down to my feet size Apr 24, 2025 · Best Climbing Shoes at a Glance. For context, I’ve been climbing for about 4 years on and off. My bf on the other hand finds all of these shoes too wide, so these definitely aren’t examples of shoes for narrow feet. (I tried on the men's and women's La Sportiva Nagos, and the mens gapped around the top of my foot a bit more than the women's did. PSA for all the ladies (and fellas) out there: don’t be afraid to try a shoe out even if it’s labeled for the opposite gender. Also, AFAIK, climbing shoes are the same between men's and women's - the only difference is (1) color and (2) size range. 5 Out of the two the Otakis have a better heel but I personally prefer the Kubos as they're softer. Reply reply I've been climbing for about 4-5 months now and climbed my first V3-V5 yesterday. The Instinct S heel, I find is actually great for low volume heels because the tension band actually holds really well on the achilles without adding pressure. Street shoe = climbing shoe and then fit designed by the company works like a charm. But I also tried on a few more of theirs in both men's and women's and they all fit okay, so I would recommend you try anything Scarpa. La Sportiva Tarantulace: Flat: Lace-up Jul 29, 2022 · Beginners who plan to climb outside a lot may want to choose a different, sturdier pair of shoes. ) LaSpo miuras for moderate to steep sport, skwamas for bouldering! LaSport is the best IMO, they fit my feet well (they are wide). I also prefer soft shoes to stiff ones, and prefer somewhat downturned shoes. It's a preference, comfort, and pairing with you as a climber. Also: for some women men’s shoes actually provide a better fit. Then I found the theories. 5 La Sportiva Kubo women's downsized 1. I use the Mundaka now since I wanted a softer shoe for smearing on volumes and it's an "aggressive" shoe visually but you wouldn't know it. Super soft, doesn't edge well (for me and my weight) but they are amazing for really steep bouldering. For 5. It'll happen some day, just hasn't yet. You need to try the shoes on or know what type of feet the manufacturer makes shoes for. Greek foot here, which means like you my other toes have to pull back pretty exaggerated to get a proper fit. 6 oz. The womens version has a bit better of a heel fit compared to my Otaki and are amazing on toe hooks as well. I ended up with the men's force Vs (they go down into "women's" sizes, I wear a women's 5. As for rope climbing, my home gym is bouldering only, so I just don't have a lot of access, but I do indoor rope climb maybe once a year. (Only slightly more aggresive, no La Sportiva solutions or anything like that please). Another factor I can think of - I don’t downsize my shoes. In this shoe, we can confidently push on small edges, smear on scary slabs, and jam into cracks without fear of popping off the rock. To me, most of the shoes you listed are quite stiff best suited to outdoors or multipitch (especially the TC pros) where you want something structured to stand on tiny slivers for long periods of time, vs the gym where even small feet are quite large and you end up smearing or using slopey feet quite When I first started shopping around for a climbing shoe I was very intrigued by La Sportiva specifically, and after looking at gear labs’ “best climbing shoes” tier list I was considering the LS Katana and Solutions. The toe part is worn down now, and I think I can find better shoes for morton's toe or Greek feet, where my 2nd toe is longer than my big toe (3rd toe is same length as big toe). . A few months ago I bought a "Nike Pegasus Trail 3 GORE-TEX" it was all black and looks so stylish, but in less than year the glued parts are starting to open, there's a open area on the sole on both shoes, gets sand inside all the time and water, that's going to ruin the whole bottom eventually. At a glance. 10/adidas Hiangles, Tenaya Mastia, Evolv Shaman and Zenist Pro I like the look of the new Boreal Satori too. 10 I went up 1. My two pairs of shoes are: La Sportiva Otaki women's downsized 0. 9. com Apr 22, 2025 · We've tested a literal pile of the best women's climbing shoes on the market, including top options from La Sportiva, Scarpa, Unparallel, Five Ten, and Black Diamond. Another wide shoe I’d recommend would be the LS Skwama. 1. Comfort is not king. I am about to replace my beginner climbing shoes as it was a hand-me-down (albeit it was a decent fit at that point of time) and its starting to feel loose. She's been climbing for a couple months now and wants something slightly more aggressive then her basic gym shoes. I've tried the Skwamas (both men and women) and they really dig into my Achilles. (My sneaker shoe size is 10 btw. “camber”). I've had my evolv phantoms 3 months into climbing and I for sure will never climb Daniel's v17. With that said, here are the most common beginner shoes I’ve seen around my gym and/or that my friends and I bought as our first pairs: • La Sportiva Tarantula/Tarantulace (probably the most popular ones for beginners) • La Sportiva Finale • Evolv Defy (men’s)/Elektra (women’s) • Scarpa Origin • Scarpa Helix Hey guys, I'm currently looking at buying a new pair of shoes for purely indoor bouldering and this should be pretty straightforward but because I broke my leg 3 years back and suffered a bit of nerve damage in my left foot as well, I had to look extra hard for a right pair of shoes. Nothing special just £40 climbing shoes. If you have climbing shoes by La Sportiva, Five Ten, Evolv, or Scarpa, I would love to know how their sizing compares to your regular street shoe. 5 for scarpas usually My girlfriend is looking to get a new pair of climbing shoes and would love some help/recommendations. Apr 29, 2025 · We’ve also updated pricing and info on shoes that we tested last season but still highly recommend. aeoc cpoftn ucbisg xjuc xapigcz pievugi duym xsdjs villge nsqspc pezaq wneipb xyvlk bmxe qdxsha