While most climbing shoe recommendations you find on the internet make so many recommendations on shoes to wear for climbing in general, Most of them fail to address the most basic topic of all; traditional climbing. This is the first kind of climb every professional climber has to learn before delving into any others as it forms the foundation for how proficient they will be at climbing later. Traditional climbing is where most of a climber’s skills are developed and formed over the years. Honing the skill requires a lot of hard work and commitment from the athlete, and more importantly, it requires the right climbing gear. 

There are so many climbing shoe brands who have produced so many climbing shoes. Hence, while there are a lot of shoes for climbing on the market not all of them are great for trad climbing. So, if you ever find yourself wondering about great trad climbing shoes that would provide the best performance for your climbing routine, here is our best trad climbing shoes list of 2019;

1. Mad Rock Men’s Drifter Climbing Shoe

Product Overview

The Mad Rock Men’s Drifter Climbing Shoe is footwear that would easily exceed your expectations with the level of detailed finishing that the makers have given it. The shoe is capable of stretching and adjusting to intense conditions that could only be created in trad climbing environments. This makes the shoe a perfect kit for any trad climber looking to take on new adventures. It performs extremely well under the harshest conditions due to the durability of the materials used in its production. Mad Rock takes rock climbing to the next level with their release of this amazing shoe.

Athletes around the world who are using the shoe have made incredible comments about the asymmetric build of the shoe. Trad climbing is a lot better to enjoy when there is enough comfort room in the trad climbing shoe. This shoe is versatile enough to make a great addition across all proficiency levels due to its simplistic designs. There is no such thing as too much comfort and this is a footwear that spells that out clearly.

2. Mad Rock Men’s Flash 2.0 Climbing Shoe

Product Overview

The Mad Rock Men’s Flash 2.0 Climbing Shoe makes no room for excuses as to why an athlete is not using one of the best trad climbing shoes on the market. A lot of climbers have come around to embrace this footwear’s offering of durability, comfort, stamina, and performance. This is a shoe with rave reviews all over the internet, and to top it all, it comes with an amazing price that gives athletes value for their money. The amount of detailed research put into the production of this footwear is one of the many reasons it stands out of the competition. The shoe comes with a lot of scientifically proven innovations that are meant to boost the trad climbing potential of the athlete himself.

The shoe is designed with a 3D molded heel for excellent ankle support and to enhance friction as well. The Flash 2.0 also happens to be the first climbing shoe to incorporate the Shock Gel which helps to tone down the impact of force on the athlete’s heels.

3. Evolv Men’s Shaman Climbing Shoe

Product Overview

The Evolv Men’s Shaman Climbing Shoe is one of the cheapest and best quality shoes you will ever find on the internet. This footwear does not compromise any quality for its low price, and athletes are still guaranteed value for their money in so many ways. The shoe’s asymmetrical shape gives the feet an amazing edging, coupled with the big toe TAX XT High Friction Rubber outsole that makes the shoe sticky all day long. The midsole bump is also designed to give your feet full support and help increase stamina during a climb. The shoe is designed to prevent all forms of dead space in the elevated areas and this makes it an excellent shoe that easily accounts for most things a great climbing shoe needs to have.

This footwear takes professional climbers to newer heights in their careers with excellent edging. The shoe has three stick up points in place of laces that hold your shoe perfectly in place. Although the shoe might feel a little bulky at first, it is something you are likely to get used to over time.

4. La Sportiva Men’s TarantuLace Performance Rock Climbing Shoe

Product Overview

The La Sportiva Men’s TarantuLace Performance Rock Climbing Shoe is one of the best trad climbing shoes according to so many athletes. Leaving this shoe off our list would be doing the trad climbing community some injustice because the footwear comes from a company that has been a part of the industry for years (La Sportiva). The biggest feature on this shoe is its brilliant fast-lacing system that helps most athletes save a lot of time during a kit up. The company strategically uses its research team to find solutions to gaps in the industry.

The shoe easily picks up the basic features of any La Sportiva shoe by being high-performance footwear that is also durable. Trad climbers who are into some level of detail will seriously appreciate the level of work that has been put into the design of this shoe. However, the only downside to this shoe is the fact that it doesn’t have any color variations yet. Ultimately, it is still amazing footwear that is worth your time and money.

5. Evolv Men’s Royale Climbing Shoe

Product Overview

Evolv took the trad climbing community by storm with the release of the Evolv Men’s Royale Climbing Shoe which happens to be one of the cheapest trad climbing shoes on the internet. The shoe has enough grip and ankle support to keep an athlete on his feet all day. The materials used in the production of this brilliant footwear are both simple and sturdy at the same time. From being 100% leather to having one of the toughest rubber soles you have ever seen, this shoe has it all. Although, a few people don’t like the fact that its lace-up system is a little daunting and it comes in just one color (blue). However, once you get past those things, then it is easy to love this shoe for offering such value at an amazing price.

This footwear is relatively new on the market but Evolv has ensured that it is constantly gaining new ground with each passing day through stellar marketing. This means that this is the best time to get it before prices go up. The shoe is stiff and durable, and it makes trad climbing a whole lot easier with its high performance.

Final Thoughts

Trad climbing is not an easy sport, it requires the most dedicated and committed set of people who are ready to put in all the extra work to see their skills manifest. The right gear is important because it determines how quickly the trad climber learns and also how safe he is while performing various techniques. The shoes we have outlined easily make the process of trad climbing as easy and comfortable as possible, they place the trad climber in a safe place to commit toward the development of their skills.

The Mad Rock Men’s Drifter Climbing Shoe is the bane of comfort when it comes to trad climbing shoes. It is absolutely focused on ensuring that the athletes are comfortable at all times, and so anyone who values some feet pampering will definitely love this option. However, the shoe might be a bit difficult to clean due to the kind of materials used to produce it.

Mad Rock simply outdid themselves with the Mad Rock Men’s Flash 2.0 Climbing Shoe. This shoe offers durability, comfort, stamina, and performance all in one shoe. Regardless of the fact that a few people have complained that it is too flexible, it is an excellent choice that would last for years.

Being one of the cheapest trad climbing shoes on the internet, the Evolv Men’s Shaman Climbing Shoe is a whole buck load of value for money. The amount of quality this shoe packs, coupled with its price makes it the perfect trad climbing shoe for beginners who don’t want to start off with something too expensive.

The La Sportiva Men’s TarantuLace Performance Rock Climbing Shoe’s fast lacing system trumps what you would find on most trad climbing shoes today. It saves you a lot of time, and it is also a brand with a stellar track record. Athletes who like beautiful shoes might not be too impressed but it is a solid shoe.

Evolv Men’s Royale Climbing Shoe is the cheapest on our list and yet still one of the best on the market. This shoe delivers a great deal of value at an incredible price. It gives no one the excuse of saying they couldn’t get a trad climbing shoe because it was too expensive.

While it may seem like there are a lot of trad climbing shoe options, the seemingly great choices are also many as well. Our top pick is the Mad Rock Men’s Flash 2.0 Climbing Shoe due to the amount of detail it comes with straight out of the box. While the La Sportiva Men’s TarantuLace Performance Rock Climbing Shoe comes in second place.

Our recommendation is just our opinion, and it is best that you go with a trad climbing shoe that simply comfortable with from our best trad climbing shoes list of 2019. Regardless of whatever you decide to go with, as long as you pick a shoe from any of these five, you will definitely love your choice.