Climbing shoes

[BrokenButNotFinished]

My daughter has started visiting a climbing wall regularly with her university mountaineering society. She's now asked for her own shoes as a Christmas present.

Any tips or advice? I've idea what I'm looking for. TIA.

The fit is so important with climbing shoes that it doesn't really make them ideal presents, so I think probably the best thing in this scenario would be a voucher, or an offer to go shopping for them later. Otherwise try to buy them somewhere local so if they don't fit she can go in and try other sizes on and find the right pair.

The best place to start is probably cheaper beginner-friendly shoes like the La Sportiva Tarantula or Tarantulace (the difference between these is velcro vs laces), and as climbing shoes are generally worn in a smaller size, I'd suggest maybe one full size smaller than her everyday shoes.

Whether she climbs with ropes or without (bouldering), and whether she intends to climb mainly indoors or outdoors could be important distinctions, because some shoes are designed with a particular kind of climbing in mind. The bouldering shoes are usually velcro and a bit more uncomfortable, with the assumption being you can take them off between climbs. Shoes for roped climbing usually have laces.

Depending on your budget I personally would recommend the La Sportiva Mythos. They're a classic shoe that have existed for years and are good for rope climbing outdoors, but I personally find them the most comfortable shoe I've tried and wear them bouldering all the time. They stretch with time and are sized quite big, so while my everyday shoes are size EU38/UK5, my Mythos are EU35/UK2.5 so I'd suggest maybe trying these two sizes smaller to begin with. But fit is also dependent on things like foot shape so it's hard to compare with others' experiences!

If it doesn't ruin the surprise, I'd be tempted to ask her to go try some on and report back with what fits. Otherwise if she has specified a size, you could try phoning up her local climbing wall, finding out what brand their hire shoes are, and getting her a pair of those in the right size since you know that's something she's tried and works.

I would agree, they're really hard to buy without trying on, even for yourself. The sizing is really tricky - they're supposed to be super snug, but some brands size based on your street shoe size and you have to size down to get the right size, and some pre-assume the level of snugness if that makes sense.

There are also so many different styles, and unless you know about climbing - and your daughter's climbing style/ambitions specifically - you're likely to get the wrong style.

I would say a voucher/promise of a shopping trip after Xmas would be best. Where do you live - we can recommend some shops.

The fit is essential. I'd suggest checking if her local climbing wall sell shoes and get her a voucher. Yes, they'll be slightly more expensive than online but they usually let you try climbing in them on the wall to make sure they feel ok when actually climbing.

Where in the country are you or is she? I'd get her a voucher, either for a climbing shop or a climbing centre if it's got a decent shop. If you're in the South West I'd recommend Banana Fingers in Bristol as all the staff are climbers.

Thank you. This is really helpful. I absolutely wouldn't gift them without her trying on, so it will be the sort of present that comes without surprises. Good idea to call the climbing wall people.

I'm just north of London, outside the M25, so either somewhere local to me or somewhere in central London would be accessible to purchase.

Many thanks all.

@ammpersand reply was perfect. You really cant risk buying them for her tbh. Depending on where she is based i would get a voucher for the local wall. The pricing for climbing shoes is often discounted at walls so she might be able to take advantage of some January offers too.

For info, i would say my DD has had about 50+ pairs of climbing shoes over the last 10 years. Different shoes from the same manufacturer would fit or be a nightmare. Different shoes from the same manufacturer did different jobs for her. It was a happy day when one day they brought out a shoe that seemed to tick all boxes for her. We currently have 5 brand new pairs of them stacked up waiting for 2025. She wears them out at quite a rate.

Oh and trying them on doesnt necessarily ensure they fit well. A good climbing wall will allow a person to try them on the wall before buying. There is always demo days going on for most of the big brands at walls for the locals to try them out properly. This is the best way to find your ideal shoe imo.

You've had loads of great advice already. I'd recommend Rock On at the Mile End Climbing wall as a good place to buy from. They do gift vouchers so if you wanted a present to unwrap you could perhaps get her a chalk bag and pop the vouchers inside?

Echo all the posters saying fit is hugely important, staff at climbing centres with shops are generally the best bet.

I've been trying to buy myself some new climbing shoes for the last 6 months and can't find anything I'm happy with. I want all day comfort but with fair performance and decent rubber, which is a bit like trying to find a golden ticket!

Ellis Brigham in London would be a good place to go.