**How to Choose Your First Climbing Shoes

(and Why You Should Go Straight for a Good Intermediate Model)**

🎒 Just starting out? Awesome. But don’t choose your climbing shoes like you’d pick a pair of flip‑flops.

You’ve just discovered climbing. You’re having a blast in the gym, you’re starting to enjoy real rock, and a friend even told you:

“You’ll see — with good shoes, you’ll stand on holds that don’t even exist.”

And then you walk into a shop… and someone tries to put you in flat, floppy shoes with the texture of a shopping cart wheel.

Spoiler: don’t do that.

🤦 Why “ultra‑beginner” shoes are a bad idea

Basic beginner shoes are designed to “let you try the sport,” not to help you progress. Here’s what they do poorly:

• Too flat → impossible to learn proper toe loading

• Too wide → your foot slides, precision disappears

• Slippery rubber → even on easy slabs, you start praying

👉 It’s like learning to drive with a foam steering wheel and cardboard brakes.

🚀 The real solution: choose an intermediate shoe… right from the start!

And you might be thinking:

“But I’m not good yet, I shouldn’t skip steps…”

Exactly: a good intermediate shoe doesn’t send you to the Olympics — it simply teaches you the right habits from day one.

A good intermediate shoe offers:

• A slightly downturned shape → you learn to load your toes without crushing them

• A more precise fit → your foot stays in place, you feel the hold

• Grippy rubber → no more fear on slabby counter‑pressure moves

🎯 Want to reach 6a/6b quickly? These shoes are made for that.

And here’s the kicker: some climbers send 7a, 7b, even 7c in these models. You don’t need a mutant shoe to climb hard.

👉 A well‑chosen shoe that fits your foot does the job. It’s the climber who climbs — the shoe just follows.

👣 How to choose the right intermediate shoe (and avoid regretting your purchase)

🔍 1. Know your foot

• Narrow foot → more fitted models (Tenaya, Tarantula Woman)

• Medium to wide foot → Scarpa Veloce, Kubo

• Not sure? Try two close sizes in-store.

📏 2. Don’t size down too much

• Your foot swells during a session

• Better a snug, supportive shoe than a torture device

🧠 3. Think long-term

Climbing twice a week? Aiming for 6c/7a within a year?

👉 Choose a shoe that grows with you, not one you’ll throw away after two months.

💡 Recommended models (serious, comfortable, progression‑friendly)

ModelFoot TypeWhy It’s Great

Tenaya TantaNarrow to mediumUltra comfortable, good edging, precise without being aggressive

La Sportiva KuboUniversalPerfect for progression, gym + outdoor

Scarpa VeloceMedium to wideVery comfortable, great for overhangs & gym climbing

Ocun Jett QCStandardGood support, durable

La Sportiva Tarantula (women or velcro)Medium to wide (or narrow in women’s)Durable, versatile, great up to 6b/c

🦶 But… are they comfortable?

Yes! Not all climbing shoes are medieval torture devices.

You should:

• Be able to walk slowly in them

• Have curled toes, but not crushed

• Feel no sharp pain on the big toe or instep

👉 If you leave the fitting session limping like you’re leaving a nightclub, it’s not the right size.

😅 A bit of humor… but real advice:

If you choose your shoes well, one day you’ll proudly say:

“I didn’t get better — I just changed rubber.”

🧗 In short: climb smart, choose well

✅ Forget floppy “beginner” shoes ✅ Choose a precise but forgiving intermediate model ✅ You can learn everything up to 6c/7a/7b with them ✅ And you won’t need to buy a new pair after two months

✔️ Check these 5 critical zones

Toes

• What to feel: curled toes but no sharp pain

• Avoid: constant pressure on the big toe

Heel

• What to feel: snug, no dead space

• Avoid: heel slipping or painful pinching

Instep

• What to feel: light compression

• Avoid: painful pressure on veins/joints

Arch

• What to feel: support without crushing

• Avoid: excessive arch pressure

Sides / Width

• What to feel: foot held securely

• Avoid: numbness or tingling

3. Movements to test

To simulate real climbing sensations:

• Stand on your tiptoe → test edging

• Curl toes and load the front → check big toe pain

• Simulate a heel hook → does it hold?

• Walk slowly → detect progressive discomfort

• Full squat → test extreme positions

❓ Useful questions to ask the salesperson

• Does this model stretch a lot?

• Is this the right volume for a narrow/medium foot?

• Is there a similar shoe with a softer/harder heel?

• What type of climber is this shoe designed for?

• Can I test it on a wall if you have one?

🧩 Quick test trick

Put a thin sock in one shoe → simulates a swollen foot after 2–3 hours. If it hurts: the size is too small.

“Want to go further?”

If you’ve read this far, congrats — you’re already more motivated than the people climbing slabs in sneakers.

Now that you know a good shoe can change your life (or at least your climbing), here are a few bonus tips to go even higher — literally.

🔍 1. Try them in-store (and take your time)

Yes, even if you’re afraid your feet will start speaking Tibetan after 10 minutes.

Try:

• Two close sizes (e.g., 40 and 40.5)

• Barefoot or with thin socks if you get cold

• At the end of the day (feet slightly swollen)

Pro tip: if you can keep the pair on for more than 5 minutes without wincing… good sign. If your vision starts to blur → no.

🧦 2. Match your shoe to your practice

• Gym only? → more comfort

• Outdoor? → more precision and support

• Lots of overhangs? → think downturn + heel tension

• Bouldering, routes, mixed? → choose a versatile model (Tanta, Veloce, Kubo)

3. Think ahead, not just about your first session

A good intermediate shoe can take you all the way to 7a/7b. You don’t need a new pair for every grade. You need a shoe you can wear for 3 hours without crying.

4. Ask for advice (but not from the friend who climbs barefoot)

Everyone has that friend who says:

“I size down two sizes and my toes poke through the rubber — totally normal.”

Ignore him (nicely).

Ask someone who understands:

• Your body

• Your foot

• Your goals