Climbing Shoes

What are climbing shoes?

Rock climbing shoes are specialist footwear designed to provide grip and stability on the wall. The best climbing shoes have a compact fit that compresses your foot tightly, which minimises movement within the shoe itself and allows you to impart more force with each foot press. They’re also lightweight, have a robust toe rand, and squared off sole edges. A hard rubber outsole will provide traction required on uneven rock wall surfaces. You can usually choose between neutral rock climbing shoes, moderate and aggressive, depending on what type of climbing you are doing.

How do I clean climbing shoes?

Rock climbing shoes used outdoors will need regular cleaning to remove sweat build-up, plus dust and dirt off their surfaces. Similarly, indoor climbing shoes will most likely get chalk on them. To clean them, start by dampening a soft cloth with a mild detergent and warm water. Then, gently wipe them clean inside and out. If you have one on hand, use a toothbrush to clean the finer areas such as seams and joins. Finally, rinse them off thoroughly to ensure no detergent is left on the rubber, then let them dry completely before using or storing them. Be careful of drying them in direct sunlight for long periods of time as this can irreversibly harden fabric materials.

How tight should climbing shoes be?

The fit of rock climbing shoes will be different for everyone, because perception of comfort is different for everyone. But typically for rock climbing shoes to perform best, they must be a firm fit. In some cases, this may cause discomfort around your toes when walking around and standing, however often the shoes will stretch over time and become more comfortable the more you climb in them. Factors to consider when working out your climbing shoes sizing include what type of climbing you will be doing, the amount of climbing experience you have, and comfort vs performance.

When should I resole climbing shoes?

Before they get a hole! While this seems obvious, it is possible to get past the point of being able to resole rock climbing shoes if all the material is worn away. The main area to keep an eye on is the toe, as this is where the most wear will happen. You can generally see the joining line of the sole and the toe rand – if you can see that the edge of the sole is getting very close to that joining line, then it is time to resole. If left for too long, then a hole will form. If you do resole your rock climbing shoes before a hole forms, then you could resole two or three times, but if you let a small hole form then you might get away with resoling once. If that hole becomes a large one, you’ll be pushing your luck to get it resoled at all.

What size climbing shoes do I need?

There are multiple factors to consider when working out your climbing shoes sizing. These include the type of climbing you’re doing, your climbing experience, and the balance of comfort and performance. Whether you are shopping for indoor climbing shoes, bouldering shoes, unparallel climbing shoes, or in fact any type of rock climbing shoes, often the standard sizing is smaller to give you a firmer fit. With this in mind and as a general rule, you will want to go one (1) whole size up than your regular shoe sizing. If you are after comfort with room for your toes, then look at going one and a half (1.5) sizes larger than your regular shoe size. Alternatively, if you are looking for an aggressive fit and wanting to really conform your feet to the shoes for best performance, then only a half (0.5) size larger than your regular shoe size will be sufficient. Remember to work off the same sizing metrics you do for your normal footwear, for example, US sizing or UK sizing.

How long do climbing shoes last?

Like with all footwear, the lifespan of your rock climbing shoes typically comes down to how much use they get. It also depends on what type of climbing they are being used for. For example, if you are just using them as indoor climbing shoes, they will last for a much longer time, possibly up to several years. If you are wearing them outdoors a lot, they will wear through much quicker. On rough surfaces like granite, you could chew through your rock climbing shoes in just six months or even less!

How to buy climbing shoes online?

To make sure you get the best shopping experience online – whether buying men’s rock climbing shoes, women’s climbing shoes or climbing shoes for kids – do your homework.

Don’t just buy a pair because there is a climbing shoes sale, make sure you get the right pair that will be comfortable and perform best for you on the wall. Read the sizing guides, learn the difference between a comfort fit and an aggressive fit, and understand the various features and benefits of each style. 

How much do climbing shoes cost?

Similar to other types of footwear, this will differ between men’s rock climbing shoes, women’s climbing shoes and climbing shoes for kids. Rock climbing shoes with more features and benefits, and greater quality of manufacture, will be more expensive. Typically, you could expect to pay somewhere between $50 for rock climbing shoes for beginners and $300 for top-of-the-line rock climbing shoes for experts.