Climbing Shoes

We all have our favourite climbing shoe, but small tweaks and improvements in a different model or brand might edge out your current choice and replace it with something more aggressive, roomier or less bulky. Here are some top models for this summer.

La Sportiva Futura Women $210

The Futura is an aggressive, super-sensitive performance shoe that helps you climb difficult routes better. The no-edge sole keeps your toes close to the rock, which helps you better feel for those micro-edges. The unlined synthetic uppers don’t stretch over time, but give a long-lasting comfortable fit. Another top shoe in La Sportiva’s impressive line of footwear.

Black Diamond Zone $169

The new Zone shoes are edging masters that come in four colour ways and in two volumes. They feature knitted uppers, much like the popular Momentums, which are great for keeping your feet nice and cool. We love the fit of the Black Diamond shoes and the Zone continues with giving a snug and comfortable experience. The sticky rubber combines with the edging power to give you ultimate control on sharp edges.

Tenaya Oasi LV Women’s $165

The low-volume (LV) Oasi are one of the most comfortable shoes on the market. They have an innovative closure system that gives a tight fit, no matter the shape of your foot. The dual-layer tongue is breathable and soft. The toe box doesn’t have the most aggressive angle, which gives more comfort over time, but allows for excellent edging. The Oasi uses Vibram XS Grip rubber, which is soft and really good for smearing. An amazing choice for hard summer sends.

Unparralel Sirius Lace $199

Unparralel is one of the newest brands on the market, but the company employs many folks who once worked at the famous Five Ten shoe manufacturer. The result has been a line of near-perfect shoes, of which the Sirius Lace is one of. This isn’t a shoe for the newbie, nope – it’s for you climbers aiming to send your hardest projects. One of our favourite features is the offset lacing system, which lets you dial in the fit but leaves plenty of room for technical toe hooks. Highly recommended.

Boreal Satori $190

With an updated toe patch and softer construction, the new Satori not only hugs your foot better, but it gives better toe-hooking ability. The updated closure system is more convenient to use than the last version.

Boreal’s new rubber is stickier than many of the soft rubbers on the market. The midsole has a nicer fit and the new tensioning system helps distribute energy where you need it.

The new Satori is an outstanding high-end climbing shoe designed for absolute precision on steep routes.

Scarpa Mago $190

The new Mago is perfect for you climbers who love downturned, aggressive shoes that can edge on small edges. It’s optimal for narrow feet and has a grab-your-heel cup that locks the back of your foot in position.

Like many updated shoes on the market, there is more rubber over the toe for better toe-scumming. The colour scheme was tweaked and a blue tongue was added. It still has a chiseled toebox with an active rand to bring your big toe to the tip of the shoe. An all-around great shoe and recommended for steep climbs that require precision footwork.

Five Ten Aleon $190

Five Ten teamed up with legendary climber Fred Nicole to design the Aleon and the result is an amazing shoe that will surprise many climbers. Unlike other aggressive shoes, these slide onto your foot with ease. They look cool and the quality is second to none.

They have soft rubber that hugs your foot, are medium stiff for bouldering and sport climbing and have a moderate downturn for controlled edging. And the Stealth C4 is still makes for an industry leading sole. One of our favourite new shoes of the year.—Gripped