Rock climbing for beginners can be a scary experience for many. It involves various tasks based on the type engaged, this article on beginner rock climbing shoes is written explicitly for starters’ outdoor climbing.
Fear may tend to overcloud the excitement, as beginner climbers accumulate more knowledge, fear wears off, replaced by the thrills of one of the most exciting endeavors known to man.
The overwhelming task of rock climbing can only be achieved by combining a determined mind, vibrant experience, and alas, the right equipment and gears that are sure to be 100% dependable.
For indoor gym climbing and bouldering, which are much safer than outdoor rock climbing, some of the shoes listed here may well be suitable, but it should be noted that this article’s focus centers on beginner rock climbing shoes for outdoor climbing.
10 Best Rock Climbing Shoes For Beginners
One essential gear involved in rock climbing that plays an influential factor in safety and easy ascension is the shoes you wear. From friction to comfort, rock climbing shoes are invaluable in climbing exploits, especially in challenging terrains
Climbing Apex presents the 10 best beginner rock climbing shoes.
10. La Sportiva Tarantulace
Pros & Cons
From the experienced hands of one of the world’s oldest climbing shoes, you can be confident that quality is 100% assured when you wear any La Sportiva shoe. This is highly recommended for beginners as comfort is prioritized.
Aside from convenience, durability is also assured. Suitable to be worn in indoor gym climbing routes and outdoor rock climbing, the La Sportiva Tarantulace has a thick sole, about 5 mm high.
It is the perfect shoe for climbs rated 5.0 to 5.9 or V2. For hard terrains with tight paths and tiny fissures, the La Sportiva Tarantulace is not ideal. Price varies based on size.
9. Scarpa Helix
Pros & Cons
In rock climbing, Italian shoe manufacturers have created a solid reputation based on reliability and durability. Scarpa Helix proves this fact. Tested and proven to be ideal for beginners, it is the perfect blend for comfort and high performance.
Climbing with a Scarpa Helix shoe on a moderate Alpine will remove every doubt about its quality. One particular quality that makes it stand out from other beginner-level climbing shoes is its specialization.
This may not exactly be an advantage when talking about rock climbing shoes in general, but for beginners, it’s alright. It costs about $109.
8. Evolv Addict
Pros & Cons
One unique footwear in our list is the Evolv Addict, which is best described as slippers; yes, climbing slippers. Do not be quick to rule it out as inefficient.
The Evolv Addict is made of elastic rather than the lace and Velcro closure familiar with most climbing shoes. The elastics in the Evolv Addict makes fitting into rock fissures as easy as a knife through butter.
The Evolv Addict ensures your climbing experience is comfortable as it fits your foot perfectly like a glove. The flat sole provides stability as pressure is distributed evenly across the edges.
The shoe is ideal for indoor climbing, bouldering, and outdoor climbing with moderately smooth paths, but when you’re set to climb a rough track with lots of overhangs, the Evolv Addict should not be considered.
The simple design and the convenience it offers make it one of the best beginners rock climbing shoes ever produced. Price ranges between $78 to $98 based on size.
7. Black Diamond Momentum
Pros & Cons
Black Diamond is a leading player in the climbing gear market, evidenced by the Black Diamond Momentum. Suitable for top-rope climbing and indoor gym climbing, performance is when taking into account routes between V0 and V10 is impressive.
Your feet can be safely clustered in Black Diamond’s entry-level shoe for hours, and yet you won’t complain about pains.
The shoe quality is regarded as one of the shoe’s top-selling points as the 4.3 mm NeoFuse rubber sole is a rarity in entry-level shoes. Despite this, the Black Diamond Momentum has several shortcomings, unsurprising as the shoe is the first-ever climbing shoe produced by the renowned climbing gear manufacturer.
One such deficiency is the shoe’s closure system, which ranks relatively low compared to other top entry-level climbing shoes. It costs about $59.
6. Scarpa Vapor V
Pros & Cons
Not precisely a rock climbing shoe for beginner, the Scarpa Vapor V is regarded as a shoe for intermediate climbers, but that doesn’t mean beginners can’t benefit from climbing with the shoe. For fast learners and beginners who have athletic builds, the Scarpa Vapor V is recommended.
The Scarpa Vapor V is versatile, in that it provides the same performance a thick-soled shoe for tricky edges and a thin downturned shoe for overhangs provides. The Velcro closure system also makes it a good pick.
The price tag attached to quality is often high, and it’s no different for the Scarpa Vapor V. It costs $175, which is quite expensive for a climbing shoe recommended for beginners.
5. Evolv Defy
Pros & Cons
Unlike most shoe climbing brands, Evolv shoes are not the sort that comes to mind when discussing best climbing shoes, but after trying out the lots, the brand’s name surely will be firmly placed in your heart.
The Evolv Defy is one such model that convinces climbers that the brand is best in churning out incredible climbing shoes. This model ranks as the second twin in Evolv’s best selling list.
The synthetic upper system and flexibility make it ideal for steep terrains. Depending on your size, Evolv shoes can be bought for as low as $39 and as high as $89.
4. La Sportiva Oxygym
Pros & Cons
La Sportiva Oxygym farther solidifies La Sportiva’s reputation for churning out only the best climbing shoes. The synthetic upper system makes it incredibly fast, so you can rest assured that your movement while donning the La Sportiva Oxygym can be fluid-like.
Like all of La Sportiva climbing shoes, the Oxygym is durable and comfortable. The shoe can also be washed, so feel free to toss it into your washing machine. It is highly recommended for gym charging. It costs about $99.
3. La Sportiva Mythos
Pros & Cons
For those familiar with rock climbing shoes, the Mythos is legendary. Unlike most beginner rock climbing shoes, which features reduced quality thanks to the quality of material used, the Mythos stands out by prioritizing quality 100%.
Aside from its price and inefficiency in bouldering climbing, the Mythos is a contender for the number one spot.
It is a versatile shoe as it can be used on any climbing surface. For those quite interested in eco-friendly products, the Mythos Eco, manufactured with 95% recyclable materials, is an excellent alternative to the Mythos. It costs $145.
2. Scarpa Origin
Pros & Cons
This climbing shoe is good news for all beginner rock climbers. It was made by one of the very best climbing shoe designers, Scarpa’s own Heinz Mariacher.
That knowledge further clarifies why the Scarpa Origin design is exceptional for beginner rock climbing shoes. It is Scarpa’s best-designed entry-level rock climbing shoe, as the material ranks pretty high for a shoe meant for beginners.
It is also a worthy challenger to the Evolv Defy, which ranks as one of the market’s bestselling climbing shoes.
The quality of the material of the shoe provides comfort. The only downside to the shoe is that the focus on appealing to beginners may hold intermediate climbers willing to try it out. The price is quite encouraging, at just $98.
1. Butora Endeavor
Pros & Cons
They say perfection can only be realized with practice. This is quite true in the case of the Butora Endeavor. Though not exactly perfect, it’s close to excellent, closer to perfection than most climbing shoes.
This shoe extends Butora’s dominance in the rock climbing shoe market after entering the industry years back. The Butora Endeavor was made with beginners in mind, and thus the attention to detail, comfort, quality, and low price makes it a rarity.
This is our number 1 pick in beginner rock climbing shoes. It is versatile and made with a hemp loner, which is 100% organic, significantly reducing odors.
The only shortcoming the Butora Endeavor has is that it’s not ideal for overhangs, but because as a beginner, you’ll most likely not try climbing overhangs out, at least not so soon, the Butora Endeavor is covered. It costs just $100.
Conclusion
We hope you love our top 10 picks on beginner rock climbing shoes. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.
