Amateur Climbing Shoes

As an amateur climber, I want to find a nice new pair of climbing shoes. This also means that I have no experience with climbing shoes whatsoever. I need to find a really good brand, for as cheap as I can get them. I appriciate all the help I can get, Thank You.

Ugh I hate the coyotes and not sure why everyone is recommending them. They are a comfortable lace up and I guess that is good but they perform horribly. They are super soft and awful at holding an edge, a beginner might not notice by why recommend a inferiour shoe? I would go for the evolv defy, plus who wants a lace up? Velcro is so much easier.

Eric Dorsey wrote: Velcro is so much easier.

Tying those knots sure is tough. I still use velcro on my running shoes too.

I actually climbed a grade or two harder when I made the switch from the Defys to the Five Ten Spire (very similar to Coyote) because they fit better. Needed to modify my footwork a bit but but the results didn't lie. I still love those shoes for their comfort but they did stretch like mad and doubt they still fit.

Best the try them on before you buy bud.

Phil Lauffen wrote: Tying those knots sure is tough. I still use velcro on my running shoes too.

I never said it was tough, but unless the guy is doing long multipitch(doubtful) why would you not go velcro for cragging or boulding?(which he lists as his type of preferred climbing) Who wants to tie their shoes 15 times a day when you could just slip them on? Not to mention the Coyotes are the worst performing shoes I have ever tried and they even fit my foot well... Thanks for being a smartass though :)

A lot of bullshit up above, not much help.

Backcountry.com has the Evolve Royale on sale right now for under $50 bucks. They are the best beginner shoe out there. Very comfy, very supportive, very durable, and they climb well. I got a free pair and use them a lot more than I thought I would. At $46 bucks you won't find a better deal.

I bought a pair of Boreal Joker velcros for my last pair of shoes. Been using them since February climbing both inside and out. They've been a pretty god all-around shoe for me. The toe on my right foot is just now starting to wear through the rubber.

I got a deal on them and paid about $75, I think they're normally about $100.

They're great for all day use, just snug enough for a good fit, but not so tight that it kills your foot after a pitch or two (granted they're velcro and can be taken off and put on without much trouble).

IMO they're a great shoe for what you might call an amatuer climber. Little more than $50 but they're a good shoe for someone who isn't out climbing every single day, specially if you can find them on sale.

Nick Bouley wrote:I bought a pair of Boreal Joker velcros for my last pair of shoes. Been using them since February climbing both inside and out. They've been a pretty god all-around shoe for me. The toe on my right foot is just now starting to wear through the rubber. I got a deal on them and paid about $75, I think they're normally about $100. They're great for all day use, just snug enough for a good fit, but not so tight that it kills your foot after a pitch or two (granted they're velcro and can be taken off and put on without much trouble). IMO they're a great shoe for what you might call an amatuer climber. Little more than $50 but they're a good shoe for someone who isn't out climbing every single day, specially if you can find them on sale.

Nick is a punter though, so take that with a grain of salt...

Seriously though, I started with a pair of defy's, and I loved them. Getting them resoled to add to the quiver. Basically, good brands in my book are La Sportiva, Evolv, and 5.10. There are other reputable brands, I just haven't liked any of their shoes. I would suggest going to a climbing store and trying on the different shoes. Evolv's fit my feet better than 5.10, and La Sportiva is too narrow for me. But, I have manky feet. Find a comfortable size, snug, but not painful, and talk to sales specialists. Buying online is a crapshoot and a pain in the ass.

Try on a lot of shoes and see what fits you well. That's your best bet.

After wearing Evolv and Sportiva for years I've recently switched to Scarpa because they fit my feet better (I have a wide, high-volume foot). It also depends on the type of climbing you intend to do. For example, I don't wear my agressive bouldering shoes when I go crack climbing.

As a general guideline, the more overhanging the climb, the thinner the rubber should be on your shoe. If you are doing mostly slab/crack/face climbing, you will benefit from a stiffer shoe with more rubber on the bottom.

Taylor Ogden wrote:Try on a lot of shoes and see what fits you well. That's your best bet.

This is the only advice I've seen posted so far that's worth listening to. Try every pair of shoes on and then decide, I've bought too many shoes based on price, sight unseen, only to be disappointed.

Dayne Currington wrote:Ahh hell, what would I know. I'm just a novice climber speaking from personal experience. It all boils down to the type of rock, angle, and style of climbing involved. For me, progression from a soft soled shoe into a stiffer shoe helped me focus more on my footwork going from slab to steeper face climbing. I'm not sure what is particularly better for a beginner, but I feel our Admin. is forgetting Guideline #1. Everyone has their own opinion so, take everything with a grain of salt.

I wasn't referring to your advice, but rather the ensuing argument about wearing laceups instead of velcro. Like I said, it isn't very helpful to the OP.

Get something comfortable, i'd recommend a shoe that is leather(stretches) and is of a less aggressive shoe type. shoes like the 5.10 spire and coyote are great and i've used them both, la sportiva mythos and cliff. i think shoes like that perform well on a variety of rock types and style of climbing will best suit the beginner. good luck

Zach Wahrer wrote: Yeah, because laceup vs. velco isn't something you should consider when buying a shoe... 0.o

Says the guy who wears lace ups and doesn't tie them.

I think when you're a beginner you learn most quickly by buying a higher end shoe on the snug side. If you can afford it, buy a pair of anasazis that are at your street shoe size, smaller if it's comfortable or only slightly uncomfortable. Another option is a pair of moccasyms, which are cheaper (buy them so they are uncomfortable because they stretch a lot). If you really need cheap, a pair of used Defys is a good bet. (make sure the toe rubber looks pretty new).

The Coyote is an awesome shoe! If anyone tells you different then they are mistaken. I have a buddy who's favorite pair of shoes is the coyote with a wool sock on. He does almost everything in em from bouldering to leading. Ive seen him onsight 5.12 in em and boulder v5 or so. For a pair of beginner shoes my biggest thing is DO NOT get anything downturned. Get a flat or neutral shoe, because it will force you to learn good technique and improve your footwork. Downturns are great but only once you know how to use them.

All of this, in my opinion, is retarded.

My answer: Get the cheapest shoe you can possibly find.

My first pair of shoes was a La Sportiva Miuras. I got them for 30 bucks new off of ebay. I don't see any reason why a beginner shouldn't have a high end shoe except for they're more expensive. And honestly, unless you're climbing super hard (which obviously a beginner isn't) different shoes don't really make a difference. You're not going to have to worry about slipping off of holds because of poor edging, because let's be honest, beginners aren't going to be treading on micro holds, at the very least they'll be crimp size holds which i can stand on in tennis shoes. After about 5-6 months of climbing, in which a beginner will usually have replaced his first pair of shoes by then anyway, is when footwork will start having to be worked on. Then you can start worrying about shoes.

So again. Get the cheapest pair you can find, be they La Sportiva Solutions or Evolv Defy. Size them right and relatively comfortable (and yes you can size downturned shoes comfortably, it just takes away the point of the downturn) and you'll be completely fine.

PS. Yes I am angry. Tennessee just got raped by Florida. It's my right as a fan to get as pissed off and as drunk as possible to stow away my feelings of hatred.

Eric Dorsey wrote:Ugh I hate the coyotes and not sure why everyone is recommending them. They are a comfortable lace up and I guess that is good but they perform horribly. They are super soft and awful at holding an edge,

Very comfy shoe, he's from Larkspur so I'm going to guess he's going to start out on the Flatiron E. Faces ( edging not so important ) or the easier routes in Eldo and Boulder Canyon, large positive edges so comfort and smearing is more important than edging. Get something cheap that you can wear on your feet without discomfort. My first pair were a pair of EBs that were so tight my toes curled, everyone told me at the time that this was standard fit. Amazing I still climb after putting those frickin things on.

The best fitting 5.10's you can afford.

the correct answer ...

get what fits ... brand is irrelevant as is the model if it doesnt fit ...

then worry about the price, etc ...

buy what fits you not what fits other people ... or what some random dude eating cheezy poofs is typing on his puter while surfing p0rn on another window ...

mmmmm ... cheesy poofs ;)

I don't know about you bear, but when I surf porn I devote every window to nothing but ass 'n' titties. I take my porn very seriuosly, and would never disrespect myself by typingg about climbing at the same time as getting my jollies. And food has it's place in the bedroom, but cheesy poofs don't really do it for me.