Buying Advice
What’s the difference between women’s and men’s shoes?
Of course there’s colour: women’s climbing shoes tend to look more ‘girly’; falling prey to the same problem across the entire outdoor sector when using colour to signify femininity. That’s right, I’m talking about the wanton use of colours like hot pink and purple (though I do like a bit of purple). But what about the actual design and construction of the shoes?
Well as a general rule, women’s climbing shoes tend to be a bit narrower overall but especially in the heel. So if you’re a person, female or male, who struggles with baggy heels then perhaps give some women’s shoes a try.
Women’s climbing shoes also tend to have higher arches with narrower and longer toe boxes. They usually also have a lower instep (the bit between the ball of the foot and the ankle).
Do women need to wear women’s shoes? Absolutely not! But if you have low volume feet and find yourself fitting length-wise but not width-wise into unisex or men’s shoes then you may benefit from a women’s pair.

Shoe Shape
When looking at climbing shoes in the market, you’ll see quite a few different shapes from flat to aggressively downturned. Most climbing shoes are designed with a particular style in mind e.g. slabs, steep overhangs etc. So let’s start to understand what kinds of shoes perform best on which kinds of terrain/type of climbing.
Flat/Neutral Shoes
Should you be buying a flat shoe? These tend to be far more comfortable than their more aggressive counterparts but that doesn’t mean they can’t also perform just as well on hard climbs. Flat shoes are best for vertical or slabby walls and cracks. They also lend themselves really well to both sport and trad climbing, not to mention being a perfect first pair for beginners. Flat shoes are characterised by, dare I say it, a flat profile when viewed from the side and a nice stiff midsole. They allow your toes to lie flat in the toe box and are perfect for fitting in cracks.

Moderate Shoes
Moderate shoes have a slight downturn to them and can be very versatile. They tend to have stickier and thinner rubber soles than neutral shoes and force your feet into a point. This places your feet into a more powerful position when climbing and is great for more technical climbing. However this does mean they usually aren’t as comfortable as neutral shoes and won’t perform as well on very steep sport climbing or bouldering than their more aggressive counterparts.

Aggressive Shoes
Finally, for those intimidating but funky aggressive shoes, these babies are mainly designed for routes that require copious amounts of heel and/or toe hooking. They usually fit tighter and are less comfortable than less aggressive shoes. We wouldn’t choose these for multi-pitch marathons or climbs involving a lot of smearing. These shoes tend to feature an asymmetrical toe box so a lot of power can be focused on the big toe so you can feel confident when placing and pinning your feet on tiny footholds. These shoes are specialised tools that are far too excessive for beginners and only need to be brought out for those high level steep overhanging routes or boulders.

Uppers
Uppers refer to the materials the shoe is made of, that is, the bits that aren’t rubber. The key points to keep in mind when it comes to the leather vs synthetic debate is that leather tends to have more stretch and give over time and synthetics tend to leave the shoe with a stronger odour. Now a lot of shoes have a mix of the two to try and gain the benefits of each material. Personally, I don’t believe this is a major push or pull factor when it comes to choosing a climbing shoe but it is worth keeping in the back of your mind when it comes to sizing. If the uppers are leather, expect at least half a size of stretch while synthetics can expect much less stretch.
Closures
What’s the best shoe closure? It really comes down to personal preference. Laces tend to be more of a pain when it comes to taking the shoes on and off but are fantastic for when you really want to ensure a more customisable fit. This might be more important if you’re choosing shoes you want to project a climb in. Taking the time to tighten the laces of your shoes properly can really help their fit and ensure there aren’t any air pockets. On the other hand, if the shoes you’re after are more of a warm up or gym pair or if you’re a complete beginner then I’d choose velcro anyday for their sheer ease of use! A less popular closure is none at all, some climbing shoes come in slipper form. These can be great but be sure they fit you really well before opting for one as you won’t be able to customise the fit further to your feet and ill-fitting shoes will definitely hinder rather than help your climbing.
Rubbers
Each climbing shoe brand will have their own secret formulas for the proprietary rubbers on their shoes. The most important questions to ask when testing out the rubber on a shoe is:
- How much of it is there (mm)? We’ve included this information for each shoe and obviously the less rubber there is, the quicker it’ll have be resoled and that means shelling out more money. But if you have a great big thick slab of the stuff you’re trading in sensitivity for durability.
- How grippy is the rubber? If the rubber is super grippy like Mad Rock’s Science Friction rubber on the Lotus, you can safely assume it won’t last as long as a less grippy rubber. And yes herein lies the other tradeoff.
The rubber conundrum that is the balance between grippiness, sensitivity and durability. But at the end of the day, this isn’t something to lose sleep over. As you try different shoes you’ll get a better feel for the different rubbers and which are best suited for the styles of climbing you do.
Fit and Sizing
Sizing a shoe well is definitely more of an art than a science. There’s no formula to apply that will get you perfect results each time. With sizing it is really down to the unique shape of your foot, the unique shape of the shoes you’re trying and the how much discomfort you the climber is willing to put up with. Just stick to these basic guidelines and you shouldn’t go too wrong:
- Tight fit – your climbing shoes shouldn’t fit like trainers, they should morph to the shape of your feet with no dead space or air pockets.
- Toes – your toes shouldn’t be so cramped that you’ve cut off circulation but they should touch the end of the shoes and even be slightly curled. If you plan on using these shoes for multi-pitches then they should be comfortable enough for you to walk around in them for hours. If you plan on using the shoes for your super steep overhanging project then feel free to go tighter and take them off in between goes. For something like a gym pair, we recommend something on the more comfy side.
- Heel – the shoe should be cupping your heel snugly and not pull away when you step on a small foothold. Try on a lot of shoes and find a shoe that fits your heel well, it may take some time but it’ll be worth it to not have a baggy heel when you’re trying to nail that tricky heel hook.