Choosing Your Most Comfortable Climbing Shoes: A Short Review

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Climbing is an awesome experience. Let it be bouldering, rock climbing, alpine climbing, this activity surely gives you chills and thrills. However, climbing has its own risks and dangers. Due to this, it’s important to choose the right kind of shoe.

A climbing shoe is designed perfectly for rock climbing. It is typically tight and has little or no padding at all. Due to this, your comfort is compromised. Nowadays, the wide range of designs and types makes buying a bit overwhelming. In this article, we’ll help you choose the most comfortable climbing shoe for you.

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Product Name

Ranking

Rating

Latest Price

La Sportiva Men’s TarantuLace Performance Rock Climbing Shoe

La Sportiva Men’s TarantuLace Performance Rock Climbing Shoe

BEST OVERALL

Mad Rock Men’s Drifter Climbing Shoe

Mad Rock Men’s Drifter Climbing Shoe

BEST VALUE

La Sportiva Oxygym Climbing Shoe – Women’s

La Sportiva Oxygym Climbing Shoe – Women’s

RUNNER UP

Five Ten Men’s Anasazi Moccasym Climbing Shoe

Five Ten Men’s Anasazi Moccasym Climbing Shoe

BUDGET FRIENDLY

La Sportiva Katana Lace Climbing Shoe

La Sportiva Katana Lace Climbing Shoe

BUDGET FRIENDLY


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

La Sportiva Men’s TarantuLace Performance Rock Climbing Shoe

Features:

  • Adherent FriXion RS rubber
  • Unlined leather
  • Quick pull-lacing technology

Pro's

  • Compatible with any kind of climbing
  • Fine for climbers with wide feet
  • Doesn’t release odor

COn's

  • Stretches over time
  • Holes may be visible

Product Overview

If comfort is your priority, then the LaSportiva TarantuLace Performance Rock Climbing Shoe could be the right one for you. It features the FriXion RS rubber soles for a securely tight grip on rocks and a low-asymmetry RN45 which makes the shoe well-suited to any forms of terrain. It is also perfect for indoor and outdoor climbing.

Its quick-lacing harness technology allows you to adjust the shoes based on the volume of your feet, thereby making it painless yet more convenient. Aside from this, the unlined leather provides superior permeability to moisture which makes it odor-free and comfortable to wear all day long. Furthermore, its overlay of synthetic leather provides an additional level of support and moisture absorption.

In terms of durability, this particular shoe is made of superior quality materials, featuring a 1.8mm LaspoFlex in the midsole and a 5mm of FriXion rubber on the sole. The shoe with these thickness minimizes the occurrence of pain in the midst of climbing.


2. Mad Rock Men’s Drifter Climbing Shoe

Mad Rock Men’s Drifter Climbing Shoe

Features:

  • Rubber sole
  • Leather upper
  • Rip and stick closure

Pro's

  • Inexpensive
  • Lightweight
  • Mild but gently stiff

COn's

  • Rubber wears off over time
  • Sizing problems

Product Overview

Simplicity is superior quality in disguise. This budget-friendly shoe might not be appealing to the eye, but its essence can only be found in what it is made of. Its upper material is classically made of 100% leather for optimized moisture management, while the bottom part is made of polyester.

The midsole, on the other hand, is made of compressed polyester for managing tiny vibrations on the feet. The shoe has a straightforward design. When worn, it gives a slightly tight consistency. Its asymmetrical shape helps focus the point of contact to the bigger toe which is very helpful when it comes to grasping uneven surfaces.

In conclusion, the Mad Rock Men’s Drifter Climbing Shoe is the least complex shoe for a beginner and is perfect for indoor climbing. Despite its inexpensive price, you can surely rely on its durability. From its leather upper to its polyester sole, you are ensured of a high-quality climbing shoe. When buying this product, however, it is recommended to up your size by two more levels due to its snug feature.


3. La Sportiva Oxygym Climbing Shoe – Women’s

La Sportiva Oxygym Climbing Shoe – Women’s

Features:

  • Modified hook and loop Velcro closing system
  • Three-layer WashTex fabric in the upper external
  • FriXion RS rubber

Pro's

  • Washable by a machine
  • Guaranteed breathability
  • Odorless

COn's

  • Low sensitivity
  • Could feel pretty tight and small

Product Overview

If you are more into comfort than performance, this shoe is the right one for you. From the name itself, the Oxygym shoe is best for extended periods of gym climbing sessions and is also appropriate for beginners.

The Oxygym shoe is stylish-looking and slightly more than averagely priced than other climbing shoes. Two of the prominent features of this shoe is its easy-to-wash mode and 100% moisture management due to its 3-layer WashTex fabric located in the upper external.

In terms of structure, the Oxygym has a broad toe box and is made to be more neutral in foot shape. It is also inflexible and flat in profile, making it more appropriate for beginners. The firm sole helps the user withstand longer than usual climbs.

In other words, the user can wear Oxygym for the whole day without worrying about pain. Also, its well-designed upper comes with a patented rip and stick Velcro closing system which is very adaptive to your foot shape and size.


4. Five Ten Men’s Anasazi Moccasym Climbing Shoe

Five Ten Men’s Anasazi Moccasym Climbing Shoe

Features:

  • Elastic closure system
  • Made of Stealth C4 rubber
  • Moderate profile
  • Can be resoleable

Pro's

  • Durable
  • Highly versatile
  • Easy to take off and on

COn's

  • Softer rubber
  • Turns the feet red from the dye
  • Not great for edging

Product Overview

The Five Ten Men’s Anasazi Moccasym Climbing Shoe is a highly versatile shoe. It is mostly made of leather and features a soft rubber on the sole. It also comes with a handful of unique features. It’s highly sensitive, meaning your feet can truly feel the shoe’s grasp on the rock. In terms of appearance, it has three pull tabs to allow convenience when storing or securing the shoe.

One additional feature is the slingshot heel which makes the shoe cozier when worn, especially in outdoor climbing. Additionally, it is also resoleable, allowing you to replace the damaged sole with a new one.

However, one considerable feature of this shoe is its lack of adequate support in the midsole. This makes it not great for very steep climbing. These features make the shoe particularly good for intermediate and advanced climbers. It is recommended to downsize the fit by half of your original shoe size.


5. La Sportiva Katana Lace Climbing Shoe

La Sportiva Katana Lace Climbing Shoe

Features:

  • Vibram XS Edge Sole
  • Medium asymmetry
  • 1mm Laspo Flex Midsole and patented P3 technology for quality build

Pro's

  • Sensitive
  • Versatile
  • Durable
  • Best for crack climbing

COn's

  • Expensive
  • Not so durable laces
  • Toe hooking

Product Overview

The price certainly stands out, but it is still worth a buy due to its versatility. From cragg climbing to bouldering, you can consider the La Sportiva Katana Lace Climbing Shoe to be your all-around pal. This shoe features mild asymmetry and a moderately downward-facing toe which both allow users to let their feet grasp into edges and pockets with great comfort.

The design relatively keeps your feet in a flat position which is perfect for cracks. With a tightly-fit heel and a P3 rand, the weight of the climber’s whole body is precisely directed towards the toe. The soles of this shoe are made of Vibram’s XS Edge compound which is a rubber substance that never wears off easily. Despite providing high support on the sole, sensitivity is never compromised.

The Katana Lace protects your toes from being bruised while forcingly fitting in cracks and pockets. With ensured durability and a structured design, the Katakana Lace will keep you climbing towards the top.

Final Thoughts

There are lots of varieties to choose from. Knowing the most appropriate climbing shoe is essential for maximum comfort. Basically, there are three main things to consider before buying climbing shoes: type of climbing, how the shoes fit, and how the shoe stays on your foot.

Among the five climbing shoes in this list, La Sportiva’s TarantuLace is one of the best climbing shoes for starters. It’s the perfect all-rounder for people who prefer comfort over high performance. Its sole is built with FriXion RS rubber which results in more durability but lesser grip. It is considerably round and has a flat fit which makes it more symmetrical compared to other climbing shoes.

It can fit tightly even on people with wide feet. Overall, the shoe can provide you with a good climbing performance but up to a certain level only. However, if you have a tight budget, you can try the Mad Rock Men’s Drifter Climbing Shoe. It is an affordable and durable all-rounder for beginners. It is best used for gym climbing and bouldering.

Meanwhile, if you practice climbing for long periods of time indoors, you relatively need a flat and comfortable shoe. Hence, the La Sportiva Oxygym Climbing Shoe is the one you’re looking for. It’s perfect for cragg walls and gym walls since it has a flat profile. However, not only does it offer the best kind of comfort for indoor climbing, it is also convenient for washing. Aside from this, it also has a colorful design which is appealing for gym goers. This kind of shoe, however, is more into comfort than heavy-duty performance.

On the other hand, if you are more advanced and want to break your limits, the La Sportiva Katana Lace Climbing Shoe is highly recommended for you. It is a superior-quality shoe which is suitable for any kind of terrain. Its P3 System makes it aggressive for its entire lifespan. With the durable Vibram XS Edge sole, the shoe can lighten its load on smaller grasps. Despite its high performance, this shoe is still considerably comfortable, making it ideal for people who venture on rockier and more advanced terrains.