Climbing shoes

There’s no piece of climbing equipment that can improve your performance more than a good pair of climbing shoes. They’re your point of contact between your feet and the wall and make a huge impact on your climbing style, so you need to be sure you’ve got yourself a pair that fits well. At MEC, we carry rock climbing shoes from top brands like SCARPA, La Sportiva, Evolv and more, so come visit our store for a fitting to get you on the wall as soon as possible.

Finding the right shape

While researching tips for buying your first pair of climbing shoes, there are several factors to consider. First, look at your bouldering shoes’ profile. Climbing shoes with flatter feet are best for beginner climbers as they’re stiffer and provide more support. Downturned shoes are often softer and better at grasping foot holds, which are common in steeper terrain and modern bouldering gyms.

Climbing shoe sizes

When you first put on a pair of climbing shoes, they should be snug and fit like a glove without any major air pockets or dead space around your feet. A properly sized climbing shoe will generally cause your toes to curl a little bit. Make sure there aren’t any pressure points that are causing your feet pain.

Laces or Velcro?

It’s up to you when deciding what type of closure you want on your rock climbing shoes. Velcro is super easy to use for getting your shoes off quickly, while laces give you more control over where you want your shoes to be tight. Consider where you’ll primarily want to be climbing too, whether that’s at an indoor climbing gym or outside on the crag.

Climbing shoe care

You want to make sure your bouldering shoes last a long time. While taking a break between climbing, try not to slip your heel out of the shoes and walk around while standing on the backs. It’ll cause the shoes to bag out and lose their original shape. Also, store your climbing shoes in a cool, dry area. Leaving them in the sun or a hot car can cause the materials to soften.

Expert climbing advice

Rock climbing isn’t something you can easily step into without any preparation. Stop by any MEC store to meet our team of gearheads and climbing experts who are more than happy to provide tips and help you find your next pair of shoes.

Flash routes from the climbing gym to the crag

Grab your chalk bag and your brush — it’s time to talk bouldering. If you’re just getting into the sport, interested in trying out a more aggressive technical shoe or just replacing your old pair of gym beaters, you’re in the right place. Here you’ll find bouldering shoes from climbing mainstays like Scarpa, La Sportiva, Evolv and Black Diamond to help you send your next proj, indoors or out.

Allez allez!

Now’s a good time to think about what kind of shoe you’re after. Are you gravitating towards steep, intense comp routes, dipping your toe into some outdoor climbing, or just looking for a casual shoe to throw on when you’re socializing with your pals at the gym? Do you want a shoe that’s comfy for long days at the crag, or a super-downsized performance fit? If you’re unfamiliar with the sport and need some extra guidance, our article on choosing climbing shoes covers the basics.

Take on bolder boulders

Once you’ve found your perfect pair of bouldering shoes, you can start flagging and toe-hooking your way to victory. All that’s left is to look through our rock climbing and bouldering tips for more specialized info, chalk up and start sending.