From gym rentals to...?
You're hooked on climbing and you're finally ready to size up from your gym rentals. With a plethora of options, it can be difficult to narrow down the best choice for your first purchase. Fear not! We're here to help you think of what to consider when purchasing your first pair of Rock Climbing Shoes.
3 Things to Consider When Buying Rock Climbing Shoes:
1. What type of climbing you plan on doing
2. Your Budget
3. Your foot size and shape
1. What type of climbing do you plan on doing?
One of the important factors to consider when purchasing your first pair of rock climbing shoes is what you'll be using them for. There are shoes specifically designed for different types of rock climbing. For example, an aggressive pair of La Sportiva Solutions were designed for intermediate-advanced climbers who boulder and climb technical sport routes whereas a non-aggressive pair of La Sportiva Tarantulace's were made beginner-intermediate climbers who do a variety of climbing (gym climbing, bouldering, top-rope, etc).
Consider what kind of climbing will you be doing. Will you mostly climb at the gym or outside? Do you prefer bouldering or sport climbing?
Once you know what direction you want to move in, you can start researching different options best suited for your needs. When you know what you're looking for, you'll know how to better find it. You'll be able to Google things like: "best beginner climbing shoes for gym bouldering" or "cheapest climbing shoes for top-rope climbing")
If you're just starting out and don't have a preference or idea of what type of climbing you'll be doing, that's totally fine! The good news is that if you're a beginner climber, you can probably get away with choosing any neutral shoe as your first pair. If that's the case, you can search for a versatile climbing shoe and make your decision based on your budget and foot shape. And that brings us to our next subject:
2. Consider Your Budget
Whether you're a CEO or a server, you should take into consideration how much you plan on spending for your first pair of climbing shoes.
If you're a beginner climber, chances are you're going to trash your shoes relatively quickly. You're probably still learning the ins and outs of technique and movement, so your footwork probably isn't as precise or efficient as it will be once you gain more experience. That in mind, if you jump right in and buy a high-end, $180 climbing shoe as your first pair, you're probably not going to get the best bang for your buck. Instead, it might be worth looking into getting the $80 shoe that you can easily replace if/when you trash them. Makes sense, yeah? So,
Going cheaper for your first pair of rock climbing shoes might be the best way to go.
You can always upgrade to a more specialized or aggressive shoe when you feel like your beginner shoes aren't serving you anymore. If you go that route, you can save your first pair and use them as a warm up shoe (or give them to your buddy who you convinced to start climbing, really get them invested!)
In short, we'd say: start cheap, practice, upgrade as you progress.
3. Consider Your Foot Size and Shape
So now you know what kind of climbing shoes you want to look for and how much money you want to spend on them. Now all you have to do is research, compare, and * try them on before you buy them *
Climbing shoes don't fit like street shoes or hiking shoes or even other climbing shoes!
These are confusing times we live in, we know, but you can be less confused on how your shoes should fit after you finish reading this section.
If you're a US size 8 in street shoes, but are using a US size 8.5 MadRock Rhinos at your climbing gym, don't assume that you're an 8.5 in all climbing shoes! Climbing companies are located all over the world and their sizing runs differently, so depending on what brand you're shopping with, your size will vary.
To figure out which climbing shoe works for you, try on a variety of shoes in a few different sizes and see which pair feels most comfortable (note: climbing shoes are not going to be as comfortable as other shoes you wear). You can start with your street size and have that be your baseline, sizing up or down as needed.
Your climbing shoes should fit snugly on your feet:
The shoe should feel secure around the front, sides, and back of your feet - no extra space to slip around in.
Your toes should touch the tips of the shoe - you want foot sensitivity, you want to feel the surface that your feet are moving to and from.
Your heel should suction into the heel cup of the shoe - not too tight or they'll chafe your heels, not too loose or they'll slip off when you heel hook.
If you're just starting out, it might be difficult to determine what feels "right," but the truth is, only you can determine what is right for you. We recommend researching and coming up with a list of your top choices (a few different shoes and/or brands) then visit your local retailer and try them on, comparing the various shoes and sizes.
Most retailers that sell rock climbing shoes have a practice wall that you can climb so you can get a feel for the shoe. Practice standing on the footholds, moving from one to another, try standing on your toes, hooking with your heel, basically any movement you would do while at the gym. When in doubt, ask the staff if you any questions, they can be a wealth of knowledge or a great resource because they'll likely have first-hand experience or will have heard what others have experienced with their climbing shoes.
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If you're ready to start researching to find the best rock climbing shoes for you, check out our Reviews page to get started.
Happy Hunting ✌️