Climbing shoes

The importance of choosing the right rock climbing shoes

Climbing shoes are essential for climbing. They protect your feet, prevent injuries and improve safety. They are the first piece of kit to own. In addition to protection, they provide optimal precision and grip on holds and walls. They're multiple types of shoes and several criteria should be considered to make the right choice. This includes your size, but also your foot shape, skill level (beginner, advanced or expert) and your style of climbing (bouldering, route climbing, gym, outdoors, …). At Glisshop, we prefer brands with a reputation for the quality of their climbing shoes. This is why we offer a selection of men’s, women’s and children’s models from La Sportiva, Black Diamond, Five Ten, Scarpa, Millet, … We also have vegan models from French brand EB, knowing that some climbers are looking for shoes that aren’t made of animal-based materials. Our goal is to offer climbing shoes for all skill levels and styles by selecting new and classic models.

How to choose women’s, children’s and men’s climbing shoes?

To help you pick climbing shoes, we answer the most common questions climbers can ask themselves. Because not everyone can go to a store to try, we try to give as much information as possible here, to make your purchase easier. In our detailed climbing shoe guide, we present how to find the right climbing shoe for your style and needs.

How to size climbing shoes?

It is often said that you should pick half a size or even a full size smaller than your usual shoe size, for better precision and performance. This is only partly true. Some brands even recommend picking up to 2 sizes smaller than your usual size. However, some manufacturers such as EB have developed climbing shoes that fit true to size. If you’re an 8 and are looking at EB shoes, simply choose a pair in 8.

A soft or stiff model?

Stiffness is a key element that influences performance. Soft climbing shoes and stiff climbing shoes have their own pros and cons. A softer shoe is ideal for lighter climbers, or who prefer sensations over power, who like overhangs, as well as indoor bouldering enthusiasts. A stiffer shoe is better suited to heavier climbers, long route enthusiasts and those who climb slabs and vertical walls.

Choosing your climbing shoe according to your foot shape

Some foot shapes are better suited to certain climbing shoe types. While a shoe’s asymmetry improves precision at the tip and downturn increases performance on steep routes, they can be particularly painful if your feet are straight with a low foot arch. The tips of asymmetrical climbing shoes are centred on the big toe, while the tips of symmetrical climbing shoes are centred on the second toe.

Which climbing shoes for Egyptian feet? Greek feet?

The Egyptian foot is characterised by a longer big toe than the second toe, this foot type is best suited to asymmetrical climbing shoes. The Greek foot, with a longer second toe compared to the big toe is better suited to less asymmetrical climbing shoes. You can rely on this theory to narrow down your choice according to your goals and needs. People with Greek feet can absolutely climb with asymmetrical shoes for bouldering if they prefer to sacrifice comfort in favour of performance.

Choosing climbing shoes based on your climbing style

The choice of your climbing shoes also depends on your climbing style and how vertical the routes you plan on doing are. Glisshop helps you identify the elements to consider narrow down your selection.

Which climbing shoe for bouldering?

Softer climbing shoes are generally preferred for bouldering. Velcro climbing shoes are better suited than lace climbing shoes. As they take longer to take off, lace climbing shoes are not ideal if you want to be able to take your shoes off between two problems. Foot comfort is an important element. It is easier to bear the discomfort during a few minutes when bouldering than when you’re on a 30 m route or multi-pitch route.

Which climbing shoe for long multi-pitch climbing?

As stated above, route climbing in general and multi-pitch climbing in particular require you to keep your climbing shoes on for much longer than bouldering, where you can take them off as you wish. Comfort becomes increasingly important as you climb longer routes. The verticality of your climbs is also an element to consider. For overhangs, a softer, more downturned shoe if more efficient. On slabs or vertical walls, a stiffer shoe, with laces that reach the toe area is preferable for its precision and ability to put maximum pressure on foot holds.

What are the differences between lace-up, slip-on and Velcro climbing shoes?

Regarding the choice of closure system, Velcro models are generally used for indoor climbing, especially bouldering. They are much easier to take off regularly to rest your feet.

You’ll also find slip-on climbing shoes, generally very soft and snug. It is very important to choose them particularly snug as they offer less support because of how soft they are. This type of climbing shoes can be an option for bouldering, novice climbers looking for comfort or experts who want a shoe that offers as much sensation as possible, notably at the tip.

For outdoor climbing and route/multi-pitch climbing in particular, you can choose lace-up climbing shoes for better precision and a perfect fit for your foot shape, resulting in more comfort.

Climbing shoes for every budget

Glisshop offers a comprehensive selection of climbing shoes, including models for the budget conscious, such as the Easy Up from Millet or the Mojo and Electron from EB. For climbers looking for performance without breaking the bank, the EB Guardian 3.0 offers one the best performance/price ratios on the market!

Climbing shoes for beginners

Entry level climbing shoes are often most appropriate for novice climbers. The models mentioned above are perfect to start off, except for the EB Guardian 3.0 which requires more skills.

Glisshop recommends new climbers to pick rock climbing shoes that are not too uncomfortable. Avoid models with too much asymmetry and downturn or camber. They can be hard on your feet when you’re not used to wearing climbing shoes.

How to care for your climbing shoes

You'll find below some tips and advice on how to take good care of your rock climbing shoes and make them last as long as possible.

How to slightly stretch and break in your climbing shoes

This is not really a care tip but more of a trick to improve your comfort. You often hear that climbing shoes are not very comfortable, or even very uncomfortable, especially on the first sessions. To prevent you from suffering during the first climbs, you can wear them at home, seating on the sofa watching a movie or reading a book.

How to clean climbing shoes

Any rock climber knows that climbing shoes can be a breeding ground for bad smells and bacteria. For good hygiene and to avoid spreading your own fragrance at the gym, don’t forget to clean your climbing shoes often. They are made of multiple parts that are sensitive to temperature differences, such as the rubber from the outsole or some patches of the upper. Meaning you should avoid using a washing machine. To take proper take of them, each part needs to be cleaned specifically as follow:

• cleaning the inside of your climbing shoes: the operation to do the most often is cleaning the inside. To do so, put 2 teaspoon worth of baking soda in your climbing shoes and give them a shake to spread the powder. Baking soda absorbs moisture and prevents bad smells. Ideal for day-to-day care after each session. Don't forget to remove the baking soda before using the shoes again.
• cleaning the outsole: simply wipe the outsole using a soft sponge and clear water.

When to resole climbing shoes?

Resoling your rock climbing shoes significantly increases their lifespan. The outsole rubber is the part of your shoes that wears out the quickest. Don't wait for holes to appear on the tips to have your climbing shoes resoled, it could be too late.