The 10 Best Rock Climbing Shoes in 2023 – Top Products Review

Last Updated on March 1, 2023

The necessity of having the best rock climbing shoes during scaling a mountain or hanging off the side of a cliff can never be ignored. It is an essential accessory for all the climbers whether you are a beginner or an expert, even if you are an indoor rock climber as well.

Your safety and success on climbing depend at an extent that how much money you intended to invest on your climbing shoes. A wise investment in climbing shoes can enhance your performance and provide enough safety and comfort to reach new heights.

This type of footwear is designed in a way that it can provide enough support, comfort, breathability, and stiffness to your feet. Again it can be varied along with different kinds of climbing and provides plenty of options to choose particular shoes that fit your needs. It might be versatile and feel like an extension of the foot for those who excel at a particular kind of climbing.

Quick Answer – Rock Climbing Shoes

1. Adidas Outdoor Men’s Ax2 Hiking Shoe

2. Scarpa Men’s Instinct VS Climbing Shoe

3. La Sportiva Katana Lace Climbing Shoe

4. Adidas outdoor Mens Terrex Swift R2 GTX

5. Five Ten Men’s Anasazi VCS Climbing Shoes

6. Mad Rock Men’s Flash 2.0 Climbing Shoe

7. La Sportiva Men’s TC Pro Climbing Shoe

8. ButoraAcro Wide Fit Climbing Shoe

9. La Sportiva Miura VS Climbing Shoes

10. Scarpa Men’s Vapor V Climbing Shoe

Reviews of the Best Rock Climbing Shoes

A good pair of climbing shoes helps you to stay on the cliff and ease your ascent.  Choosing the best rock climbing shoes depends on the climbing style and foot shape.

Again the right fit for climbing shoes relates to shoes style and brand. The shoe style that suits you allows more time on the rock without feeling pain in your feet.

Whether you are a beginner or expert, a right fit best-suited climbing shoes help to keep your feet on the holds to continue the climbing onwards.

1. Adidas Outdoor Men’s Ax2 Hiking Shoe

Adidas is a well-known brand for sports footwear. Today it has branched out into the market from best hiking shoes to high-end snow boots.

Adidas Ax2 hiking shoes uppers are made of lightweight synthetic materials that provide flexibility to your feet. The intersected mesh patches offer enough breathability to sweat and odor build-up.

The molded insoles provide anatomical support to the feet and optimal comfort on the trail. It also follows the natural curves of your feet that gives a more natural feel to you.

The midsoles are typically made of EVA ( Ethyl Vinyl Acetate) that ensures lightweight and long-lasting cushioning. EVA midsoles provide structural support to the shoes and give more flexibility to your feet.

The textile lining increases the overall comfort of the shoe. This is a low-cut (ankle-high) hiking shoe which keeps your ankles safely padded.

The pad is not glued so that they can be easily replaced or removed according to your need. Its deep tread gives excellent traction on dirt, sand or mud. This well-made footwear not only feels excellent but also lasts for long.

2. Scarpa Men’s Instinct VS Climbing Shoe

Scarpa Men’s instinct VS is an edging monster which is stiff and supportive enough on the small edges. These shoes with single velcro closure system are designed to span the performance arc from slabby boulder problems to overhanging gym routes.

It offers a slightly softer and slipper-like more sensitive design with plenty of power to keep you performing at your best. It comes with a synthetic sole and 100% Loricamicrosuede upper that offers a lot of comforts and no-stretch durability.

Its floating hook and loop strap offers more enhanced fit and reliable power. It includes tongue and heel pull loops, Flexan 1.0 midsole, and Bi-tension active randing system which provides maximum toe power.

Besides, Vibram XS edge rubber outsole offers excellent grip and durability as well as resist deformation when standing on a micro-flakes and edges. The rubber toe patch provides toe-scumming and hooking power also.

These shoes are armed with Vibram XS Edge rubber and 100% no stretch Lorica upper with single Velcro closure helps you to stand on tiny holds and allows all style of sports climbing and bouldering.

3. La Sportiva Katana Lace Climbing Shoe

La Sportiva Katana Lace Climbing Shoe is the lace up version of the original Katana which goes as the name suggests. It works well by the varied disciplines of climbing through easy and hard grades.

It has added some extra technical details into the shoe which enhance the performance at a great level. This slightly downturned toe and subtle asymmetry shoes let climbers hook into pockets and hold edges in absolute comfort not only that it is great for cracks and support to keep your foot in relatively flat position.

La Sportiva Katana Lace Climbing Shoe use an innovative construction method that places a lining between the rand and the leather upper to provide breathing properties.

The incorporation of the laces offers the ability to tailor the internal volume more accurately to the shape of your feet for greater and precision feel.

The snug heel with P3 rand holds the weight of your entire body precisely through the toe. The Vibram XS Edges rubber soles excel on smaller holds and also great in the most situations. This is a workhorse, not a show horse at all.

4. Adidas outdoor Mens Terrex Swift R2 GTX

Adidas achieved a strong position in the world of hiking footwear through the latest edition of its Terrex Swift series. Adidas Men’s Terrex Swift R2 GTX is a low-cut hiking shoe which will impress you with its protection and toughness.

These slightly stiffer feel shoes come in at just 1 lb 8.6 oz. These lightweight hiking shoes are best for traction in all conditions. It extends your limit above the tree line.

These low-cut shoes with durable upper including speed lacing support to feet on the uneven ground and the rubber outsole also stick to the wet and dry terrain.

The breathable and waterproof Gore-Tex membrane keeps your feet dry in every step of the way. These decent looked shoes provide an outstanding level of comfort.

The sturdy rubber rand enhances the lasting durability of these shoes. The superbly grippy outsole provides a secure ride even over unpredictable terrain.

This is a real sized shoe which is one of the best rock climbing shoes that hikers need to tackle challenging trails. It offers you total perfection on the hiking along with outstanding waterproofing, comfort, and excellent durability.

5. Five Ten Men’s Anasazi VCS Rock Climbing Shoes

Anasazi Rock climbing shoes are most popular all around climbing shoe which is versatile enough to climb equally well on both indoor and out.

It provides more sensitivity for pulling on holds or steep rock. It is a powerful tool which offers extreme sports climbing and bouldering.

It is an ‘all-around’ shoes that feature flat profile. The stealth C4 rubber outsoles and revised heel provide 25% more friction, better fit and twice durability to you.

The medium stiff midsoles combined with stealth OnyXX rubber also allow lethal edging ability. It features cowdura uppers that provide next-to-skin comfort and a glove-like fit. The dual hook and loop-straps make on and off easy.

6. Mad Rock Men’s Flash 2.0 Climbing Shoe

Mad rock men’s flash Climbing shoes are considered one of the best rock climbing shoes available in the market. It offers good friction to hold your position and great for edging and smearing on rocky hills.

It also works well on surfaces made of lime and grit. These shoes offer a room for gaps between shoe and foot, so these shoes are not intolerably tight to the feet.

It features a slingshot strap at the back to adjust the shoe and velcro straps for easy fastening. It has a 3D modeled heel which maximizes friction and helps to hold your position firmly.

The midsole is made of polycarbonate that gives a steady and predictable stretch. These rock climbing shoes give you a fresh and cozy fit to your feet.

The upper of these shoes are made of leather and Synflex. Again, the heel area comes with a shock gel. This shock gel and upper ensures that any impact on your heels from the rock will be absorbed.

7. La Sportiva Men’s TC Pro Climbing Shoe

La Sportiva TC Pro climbing shoes feature phenomenal edging to climb anything at anywhere and help you to hold your position firmly.

It also includes flat toe, ankle protection, ultra-supportive semi-stiff soles, smearing ability and so on. It left behind many specialized shoes through its quality and performance.

The feature that commemorates TC Pro as an original high-rise climbing shoe is its mid-rise ankle.  These shoes are foam padded and protective that you don’t feel anything wrong.

These non-flat climbing shoes are stiff enough for the highest level of foot support. It also features an unlined leather upper to provide comfortable fit through stretching and XS Edge rubber with P3 rand system for best edging performance.

Its semi-stiff sole can stand in the crack all day long without hurting your toes. These shoes are designed for edging performance, which is exceptional than other all-rounder shoes and also for providing foot support.

It is all-around free climbing footwear, which offers robust, technical edging with crack climbing strength without compromising any quality.

8. ButoraAcro Wide Fit Climbing Shoe

ButoraAcro wide fit climbing shoes come with some unique features which are mostly needed for those people who have wide feet. These shoes with charming look and sleek design can make you feel great.

The thin profile and irregular shape make the shoes stand out in the market. Its curved design facilitates you bouldering along with steep climbing.

Its leather upper with soft synthetic build enhances the comfort and performance. The large and sticky Rubber toe patch helps with secure toe hooking even in difficult situations.

It features triple fork hook and loop strap which provide extra security and custom fit for bouldering. This shoe with high-tensioned heel offers a great edge to climb properly and empower the front toe for climbing between rocks. It ensures both your comfort and safety as well.

9. La Sportiva Miura VS Climbing Shoes

La Sportiva Miura VS climbing shoes are tough climbing shoes which have absurdly asymmetric shape and hard edges to power down on invisible features.

This is one of the classic pairs of shoes that can easily hold its own on big wall or multi-pitches climbs. Miura is great for bouldering and technical routes.

These shoes rely on a soft midsole with No-edge technology to use small holds instead of stiffness. The shoe’s leather upper with synthetic lining can be stretched about half a size.

It features a slingshot rand and power hinged sole to keep power and control on tiny holds and P3 rand to increase foot support and harden up feel. The multi-paneled lining gives a perfect fit to the foot and the lacing system offers quick lace-ups.

10. Scarpa Men’s Vapor V Climbing Shoe

Scarpa Vapor V climbing shoes are one of the most comfortable shoes available in the market. It is a workhorse. These all-around shoes are designed to break conventions.

The uppers made of soft, stretchy and strong suede enhance the overall comfort and prevent debris from falling in. Flexanmidsoles are on the softer side and Vibram XS edge sole keeps it asymmetric shape.

This downturned shape helps to excel at thin foot placement. The bi-tension system pulls the power back from toes to get more power with less tension on your foot. As a result, these shoes allow powerful performance on static moves to huge dynamic jumps.

Final Words

For your rock climbing adventure, if you make a mistake while choosing a pair of shoes, it can give pinch on your toes, backaches and even can cause death in case of bad rock.

So, if you are looking for your next adventure on the rock, you need to consider buying a pair of climbing shoes as well. Here, we have reviewed various rock climbing shoes based on customer choice to help you choose the best rock climbing shoes which are best suited to your feet.

10 Best Rock Climbing Shoes

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Campbell John

Hi, I am John Campbell, an outdoor enthusiast. Just like you, I value the habitat, heritage and tradition of great outdoors. I do my best to make sure the correct research, writing, and photo are shown on Tacticalgearslab.com. Indeed, I am committed to preserving a great online experience for you.