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Whether you're just starting out in the gym, stepping outdoors for the first time to climb real rock, or a seasoned climber looking for a specialty shoe for your next project, the right pair of climbing shoes will help you climb with confidence.
For first-time buyers, the Evolv Defy Lace LV is a reasonably priced shoe that prioritizes comfort, so you can stay on the rock all day. Unlike other popular entry-level shoes, you can confidently rely on the sticky rubber underfoot for friction, and it's stiff enough to stand up on small holds.
If you want to progress as a climber, the La Sportiva Skwama Lite represents the perfect intermediate step between beginner shoes and more aggressive options for experienced climbers. Even though it costs only a bit more than the Defy Lace LV, the slipper-like Skwama Lite has the right shape and rubber to help you climb 'steep', overhanging sport routes and boulder problems.
For the experienced climber, the La Sportiva Skwama topped out as our favorite climbing shoe. Its aggressive yet comfortable fit makes it a versatile option for everything from long, technical faces to difficult, overhanging sport projects. For the seasoned crowd, we also highlight our favorite shoes for each discipline with specific Top Picks.
Over the past decade, our team has tested more than 50 women's climbing shoes. For this review, we purchased 19 of today's best shoes to test side by side. From long gym sessions to sweeping walls around the world, we pulled on pockets, tiptoed up delicate slabs, and climbed long crack systems. We lean on our in-depth experience to offer expert recommendations for climbers at every stage of their journey.
Editor's Note: We updated our review of women's climbing shoes on October 30, 2026, to add new shoes from Evolv, La Sportiva, Tenaya, and Black Diamond.
Comfort Fit: down 0.5 - 1 EU sizes
Performance Fit: down 1.5 EU size
Expected Stretch
0.5 - 1 EU size
Downturn
Aggressive
Asymmetry
Moderate
Closure Style
Velcro
The incredibly comfortable La Sportiva Skwama is one of our favorite shoes and our go-to for most projects – from steep, overhanging, pocketed lines to technical faces. The Skwama is confidence-inspiring on the smallest smears and the greasiest limestone footholds. We've climbed in these shoes on technical sandstone boulders in Fontainebleau, on steep tufa lines in southern Europe, and alpine cracks in Kyrgyzstan. With so much sticky rubber on the toe box, the Skwama also excels on thin cracks and corners. “It's a very versatile shoe, and I almost always have it in my bag, whether we're headed to the crag, gym, or up a steep multipitch route,” our lead tester said.
The Skwama is a great all-arounder, but it still has a few weak points. The unlined leather upper stretches out quickly, which is a bit disappointing given the price. Fresh out of the box, they can hold their own on micro edges. But after a couple of months, they start to lose their shape, and the soft midsole doesn't provide enough support underfoot to stand on tiny holds. When we compare the two top performers side by side, we've gotten more mileage out of the La Sportiva Katana Lace. We've also found it's better to size down when buying the Skwama to improve longevity, but be prepared for a painful break-in. That said, once you break it in, there's no shoe on the market that's as versatile as the Skwama.
Comfort Fit: up 1.5 EU size
Performance Fit: up 1 EU size
Expected Stretch
0 - 0.5 EU size
Downturn
Flat
Asymmetry
Neutral
Closure Style
Lace
The Evolv Defy Lace LV is so much better than your average rental shoe, and its affordable price makes it the perfect choice for anyone just getting into climbing. Its fit is snug but comfortable, giving you more control over your footwork than a looser-fitting shoe. With a relatively neutral fit, the Defy Lace has a solid outsole that's sticky enough to trust your feet to walk up slabs, and thick enough to provide the support you need to stand on small edges. A substantial amount of rubber on the toe better protects your foot from abrasion on sharp rock, and combined with a vegan, synthetic upper, the Defy Lace LV is particularly durable.
The “LV” in the name stands for “low volume”, and even compared to other LV shoes we tested, the Defy Lace LV runs super small. The synthetic upper won't stretch much (maybe 1/2 EU size), so it's important to get the fit right if you want a comfortable shoe, especially if you'll use them for multi-pitch climbing. We were excited to try the Defy Lace LV for crack climbing, but unfortunately, the same thick toe rand that increases durability also prevents it from fitting inside finger cracks – if you're excited to climb outdoors, specifically, the La Sportiva Finale might be a better choice. But if you're going to work up to that by climbing in the gym first, the Defy Lace LV is a better all-around climbing shoe.
The Evolv Defy Lace LV may fit tight, but it's much more supportive than other entry-level shoes, giving you a big performance boost. Credit: Trish Matheny
Comfort Fit: down 0.5 EU size
Performance Fit: down 1 EU size
Expected Stretch
0 - 0.5 EU size
Downturn
Moderate
Asymmetry
Moderate
Closure Style
Velcro
Our team was pleasantly surprised by the La Sportiva Skwama Lite – it performs nearly as well as high-end shoes, but for a much more affordable price. It has a slipper-like fit that's comfortable right out of the box, but the synthetic microfiber upper won't stretch as much as leather, so size down for the snug fit you want for precise footwork. With a minimalist design that combines sensitive, sticky rubber with a flexible split sole, the Skwama Lite stands out from other 'beginner' shoes on overhanging terrain. Whether we were training in the gym or climbing difficult pitches on rock, the Skwama Lite gave us the confidence to push harder, making it the perfect upgrade from your first pair of shoes.
Even though it stands one step above other entry-level shoes, the moderately shaped Skwama Lite still can't quite compete with more aggressive shoes like the original Skwama. The Skwama is stiffer, so it's more supportive, while we noticed our toes fatigued faster because of the Skwama Lite's softer, more flexible rubber. There are pretty significant differences in durability, too – after only a few pitches of crack climbing in the Skwama Lite, we noticed the rubber toe rand starting to delaminate. While La Sportiva advertises that the Skwama Lite fits a variety of foot shapes, its low-volume shape definitely fits narrow feet better. If you have wider feet, the Tenaya Oasi LV is a very similar, albeit more expensive option that will likely fit you better.
Laces and leather uppers could have durability issues
SPECIFICATIONS
Sizing Recommendations
Comfort Fit: down 0.5 - 1 EU sizes
Performance Fit: down 1.5 EU size
Expected Stretch
0.5 - 1 EU size
Downturn
Moderate
Asymmetry
Moderate (sharp toe)
Closure Style
Lace
The La Sportiva Katana Lace Women's is one of the best all-around shoes we've ever worn. We've been wearing the men's version for years and were excited to get our hands on the women's-specific model when it was released. The Katana Lace can really do it all. It excels on steep rock, tiny micro edges, and slippery slabs. Our lead tester commented, “When sized right, I found these shoes are a technical edging machine.” The toe box is noticeably narrow, which helps them perform well on thin cracks and corners. These shoes are super easy to adjust – cinch them down when it's time to take the sharp end on the crux pitch, or loosen them up for cruising hand cracks or warming up at the crag. A medium-stiff midsole makes the Katana Lace versatile, and once broken in, you can trust these shoes on any type of hold.
Our only real gripe with the Katana Lace is its steep price point, which is beyond budget for some climbers. Our testing also led us to suspect durability issues in the leather uppers and toe box from repeated abuse on crack climbs. If you're shopping specifically for crack climbing shoes, check out the La Sportiva TC Pro, or if you have a slightly wider foot, the Scarpa Generator Mid. But for hard, multi-pitch trad routes, it's tough to beat the Katana Lace's ability to adapt to virtually any climbing style.
While they may be our favorite trad shoe, the Katana Lace is versatile enough for bouldering, too. Here we are on a rest day in Kyrgyzstan, playing around on some low-lying slabs. Credit: Whitney Clark
Comfort Fit: true or down 0.5 EU size
Performance Fit: down 1 EU size
Expected Stretch
0 - 0.5 EU size
Downturn
Aggressive
Asymmetry
Moderate
Closure Style
Velcro
The Scarpa Instinct VS has earned its place as our favorite shoe for hard sport climbing by combining precision and power in a versatile design. It feels like the Instinct VS can do it all – it's a great shoe to throw in your bag if you're unsure of what the climbing might be like on any given day. The moderately aggressive shape directs energy toward your big toe so you can push powerfully off small footholds, while a split sole lets the shoe flex at the midfoot so you can smear securely on steep holds. Scarpa's tensioning system helps you maintain strong body tension on steep sequences, making it highly effective for overhanging routes. But unlike other aggressively shaped shoes, the Instinct VS is supportive without being painfully stiff.
This low-volume shoe fit our testers like a dream, something we can't always say about high-performance climbing shoes. That said, the Instinct VS has a relatively wide toe box designed for wider, rounded feet. If you have narrow feet with more pointed toes, the La Sportiva Miura VS is likely a better fit. These shoes are directly comparable – in fact, we had to retest them side by side to decide which one we liked more. In the end, the snug-fitting heel pocket on the Instinct VS offers a bit more pulling power for heel hooks, which makes it a more appealing choice for the modern sport climber.
Surprisingly comfortable for an aggressive slipper
CONS
Too soft to edge very well
Hyper specialized and not very versatile
SPECIFICATIONS
Sizing Recommendations
Comfort Fit: down 0.5 EU size
Performance Fit: down 1 - 1.5 EU sizes
Expected Stretch
0 - 0.5 EU size
Downturn
Aggressive
Asymmetry
High
Closure Style
Velcro
The Scarpa Drago LV is a highly specialized shoe specifically designed to match the needs of modern gym climbers. Built for steep sport climbing and competition-style bouldering, the Drago LV prioritizes sensitivity and precision over support and structure. You can feel everything in these shoes, which is what you want when climbing overhangs and pulling with your toes. The low-volume (LV) version retains the same ultra-soft platform as the standard Drago but features a narrower heel pocket, a slimmer mid-foot, and a lower-volume forefoot. The result is a slipper that feels almost like an extension of your body, giving you the confidence to make challenging moves on slippery plastic slopers.
Although the Drago LV crushes it on overhung routes and problems, it lacks the support for any sustained edging on vertical walls (and we certainly wouldn't crack-climb with them!). For a more versatile shoe that still pulls well, check out the La Sportiva Skwama. The Skwama has a similar slipper-like fit, but it's stiffer in the forefoot, so you can stand more comfortably on small edges. If you're focused on gym climbing but spend most of your time in the bouldering cave, compare the Drago LV with the La Sportiva Solution Comp. While the Drago LV is the superior smearing shoe, the Solution Comp's hooked toe and tighter heel pocket make it a better bouldering shoe. However, if you're spending your days projecting hard sport climbs, the Drago LV is our go-to shoe.
Comfort Fit: down 1 EU size
Performance Fit: down 1.5 - 2 EU sizes
Expected Stretch
0.5 - 1 EU size
Downturn
Aggressive
Asymmetry
High (sharp toe)
Closure Style
Velcro
The La Sportiva Solution Comp shines on steep sport routes and hard boulder projects. It's similar to the original La Sportiva Solution in design and performance, but better. The toe box is slightly wider and features extra rubber coverage, making it a secret weapon for technical toe hooks. Its pointed toe fits perfectly into small pockets and digs into even the most challenging holds. On the other end, the heel cup has a lower profile and is more sensitive than the original. Like a well-fitting glove, the Solution Comp envelops your foot, turning it into a high-performance, precise talon — ideal for toeing in on steep terrain.
Since it's designed for high-performance climbing, the Solution Comp isn't versatile and can be a bit limiting. It's not a jack-of-all-trades shoe; it's a master of one, and it's best to bring this shoe out for certain occasions. The slipper-like fit and soft midsole simply can't deliver the same edging power as stiffer shoes. On thin, vertical faces, we often wished for something more supportive. Though our tests show neither excels at crack climbing, the Scarpa Instinct VS offers a similar slipper-like fit with a slightly stiffer last for improved edging. Still, for overhanging climbs and highly technical boulder problems, the Solution Comp's precision is hard to beat.
Heel hooks with a view. The soft rubber Solution Comp offers outstanding smearing ability, no matter what part of the shoe is in contact with the rock. Credit: Eric Bissell
Comfort Fit: true to EU size
Performance Fit: down 1 EU size
Expected Stretch
0 - 0.5 EU size
Downturn
Aggressive
Asymmetry
Moderate (sharp toe)
Closure Style
Velcro
While we love many La Sportiva shoes, they often miss the mark for anyone other than women with narrow, low-volume feet. The Tenaya Oasi LV fills an excellent niche – it has the same sock-like fit as other aggressively shaped shoes, but a wider forefoot. The proprietary Draxtor closure lets you tighten the two straps over your forefoot and instep independently, letting you dial in a better fit than shoes with a single Velcro strap. The split sole with Vibram XS Grip rubber makes for a nice balance of smearing and edging ability – it's stiff enough to edge on vertical walls, yet sensitive enough to actually feel what you're standing on.
Unfortunately, the Oasi LV forgoes the thick, textured toe and heel patches of other top-performing shoes. This will limit your ability to heel and toe hook, and to pull into small holds while maintaining body tension on overhanging routes. If this is a deal-breaker, we'll direct anyone with wider feet to Scarpa shoes. The Scarpa Instinct VS has a substantial toe patch, but its much stiffer last makes it perfect for women who want to push their grade on sport routes. The Scarpa Drago LV, on the other hand, is even more flexible than the Oasi LV, and it's covered in sticky rubber, which makes it our favorite bouldering shoe. But don't just settle for one of these two more popular shoes – we think that the adjustable tensioning system, specifically, really sets the Oasi LV apart as the best option for anyone with wide or high-volume feet.
The Tenaya Oasi LV is a great shoe for those after a little more space in the forefoot. We were also impressed by how well the aggressive toe and soft rubber allowed you to climb on the training board. Credit: Trish Matheny
Product Comparison Table
From single pitches to indoors boulders to alpine multi-pitch, we had a ton of fun evaluating the performance of each shoe in the award-winning lineup. Credit: Felipe Tapia Nordenflycht
How We Tested
Our testers spend more time climbing than they probably ought to. Over the past 9 years, we've put countless climbing shoes through the wringer to find the best shoes to meet our specific needs. We purchase each pair and ship them to our expert testers, who painstakingly break them in and test them across every style of climbing. While a jack of all trades may be a master of none, we can at least make well-founded judgments on the performance of each of these shoes in a wide range of climbing styles.
Our climbing shoe testing is divided into five rating metrics:
Our lead tester is Whitney Clark. Whitney spends her summers climbing alpine granite throughout the West and winters in the mountains of Patagonia. She is joined by Trish Matheny, who has spent most of the last decade moving from one climbing location to the next. She is a current member of the Yosemite Search and Rescue Team and lives more than half the year in Yosemite Valley, and the other portion among the many sport crags in the Eastern Sierra.
We had a blast testing climbing shoes. From hard sport routes to alpine adventures to bouldering indoors, we tested these shoes side by side to compare them directly.
Analysis and Test Results
If you're just starting out, you'll want a well-rounded shoe to work on the three primary techniques of footwork – using the sticky soles to gain traction ("smearing"), standing with the edge of your shoe on small footholds ("edging"), and using your toes and heels to pull your hips into the wall ("pulling"). Many of the highest-scoring shoes are designed to excel at one technique or another, and these relatively expensive shoes are typically purchased by experienced climbers who want to up their technical climbing game.
Beyond the superficial (like color schemes), the main difference between men's and women's shoes is that they are usually built around different lasts (the form that matches the foot's anatomy and is used to shape the shoe). The female last is similar to the male version but typically narrower, especially in the heel. Other differences may include a higher arch, a thinner and longer toe box, and a lower instep. These changes in last dimensions can improve fit for many women, particularly those with low-volume or very narrow feet. Additionally, many women's models are built a bit softer and more flexible, with thinner midsoles or slightly softer rubber compounds (like Vibram XS Grip 2 instead of XS Edge). The lighter you weigh, the less force you put on the rock, and a softer rubber helps climbers feel more of what's underfoot. But, of course, women aren't just limited to “women's” shoes – if you have a larger foot, or you want a stiffer shoe, many of the shoes we examine below are made as men's or unisex models.
Women's shoes are designed with a lower-volume fit and slightly softer soles to better accommodate many women (though not necessarily all). The right shoe ultimately comes down to the right fit. Credit: JP
Worse Value
Better Value
What's the Best Value?
The Evolv Defy Lace LV, with its solid outsole and grippy rubber, does a particularly good job smearing and edging, the two most common climbing moves. The sizing runs small compared to other 'entry-level' shoes, but this actually gives you a leg up – as long as you size them correctly, you'll be able to climb harder and progress faster in the Defy Lace than other comparably priced shoes. If you reach a ceiling with your progression, the La Sportiva Skwama Lite is the perfect upgrade – it will help you step up your game without jumping from your first pair of shoes directly into an expensive, aggressively shaped pair. With a slipper-like fit and a slightly softer, stickier rubber, the Skwama Lite helps you pull all the same moves, just with more precision, which really counts if you want to climb harder, overhanging sport routes or boulder problems.
While the Defy Lace LV (left) is a great option for just starting out, the La Sportiva Skwama Lite (right) helps you advance your footwork.
Resoling (Rather Than Replacing)
When the toes start wearing thin, you don't have to throw your shoes away. Rather than buying a new pair, you can save some money by sending them to a resole company – many of the most popular brands either have their own service centers or offer a list of resole centers. This option not only saves you some money, but it also keeps your favorite pair of already-broken-in shoes on your feet!
Comfort
Evaluating the comfort of a climbing shoe is difficult, and many folks have different ideas of what makes a comfortable shoe. Climbing shoes, in general, will be less comfortable than shoes worn around town. Some people size their shoes small for maximum performance. Others want a fit similar to a street shoe for all-day comfort. Some shoes are designed to be worn tightly, while others are designed with a relaxed fit – it's often based on the style of climbing the shoe is designed for. We based our evaluation on how closely the shoes hugged our feet, how cramped our toes felt, and the extra features that make a shoe bearable to wear.
Naturally, shoes with a flatter shape, like the La Sportiva Finale and the La Sportiva Tarantulace, are more comfortable for longer wear than models with an aggressive downturn.
The Finale has a tapered, relatively pointed toe for improved performance. While it's just as comfortable as the popular Tarantulace, it climbs much better. Credit: Luka Krajnc
The Evolv Defy Lace LV is another relatively flat shoe that's perfect for newer climbers. However, we found the fit runs very small, and unlike the Finale and Tarantulace, which have leather uppers, the Defy Lace's vegan synthetic upper won't stretch much – it's much more important to find the right fit right off the bat.
The Defy Lace LV runs very small, but you can size up for comfort. The laces also allow for a more 'custom fit', at least in the forefoot. Credit: Trish Matheny
Even more aggressive models, like the La Sportiva Skwama, fit comfortably enough once broken in to wear for a while at the gym without taking them off. Its soft sole and sensitivity make it one of our favorites for multi-pitch sport climbing, where both comfort and performance matter. The more moderately shaped Skwama Lite is even more slipper-like. It has an unlined microfiber upper that's comfortable out of the box, and gets even better after a few sessions as it molds to the shape of your foot.
You can tell how much we love the La Sportiva Skwama simply by how old they look after just a few months' worth of testing. Credit: Whitney Clark
The Scarpa Drago almost feels like a rubber sock. We were surprised by how comfortable it was after a couple of gym sessions. It's lightweight and flexible, with a perfectly snug fit. Taken all together, we loved the fit of this shoe – compared to other aggressively shaped, high-performance bouldering shoes, pulling on the Drago is a bit of a relief.
We loved the snug and sock-like fit of the Scarpa Drago LV. Credit: Tad McCrea
Downturned shoes push your toes into the front of the shoe to amplify their power and allow the climber to toe-in on small holds more aggressively. Surprisingly, a few of the most aggressively downturned shoes we tested, such as the La Sportiva Solution Comp, also turned out to be some of the most comfortable. These shoes don't crush your toes, and they have a sock-like tongue that cradles the foot. The La Sportiva Miura VS also features bonus padding on the tongue and around the heel that tightens the fit for women and makes it very pleasant to wear.
Despite its aggressive shape, the snug-fitting Miura VS offers an excellent balance of comfort and power. Credit: Luka Krajnc
Even though Velcro and lace-up shoes can include additional padding, in general, shoes with hook-and-loop closures tend to be much more comfortable. Shoes like the Scarpa Vapor S use a fast-lacing system that lets you fine-tune the fit around your foot and adjust tension quickly. A Velcro closure is often preferred by gym climbers, who tend to take their shoes on and off between climbs.
Not too stiff and not too soft, the Scarpa Vapor S is the perfect middle ground, especially if you mostly climb in the gym. Credit: Luka Krajnc
The Tenaya Oasi LV features a sock-like fit and a tight heel cup, but a much larger toe box, making it one of our favorites for women with wide feet. The unique Draxtor tensioning system lets you tighten the straps over the forefoot and instep independently, giving you an even more customized fit. However, there's very little rubber on the top of the toe, so it can be quite uncomfortable inside cracks.
A highly adjustable Velcro closure and wider toebox make the Oasi LV a better fit for wider feet. Credit: Trish Matheny
Consider the Shape of Your Foot
It's important to note that finding a comfortable shoe often depends on the shape of your foot. La Sportiva shoes tend to have a narrower toe box, whereas Scarpa tends to run a tad bit wider. Many of these shoes might be comfortable for one person and uncomfortable for another, so it's really important to size right (and try them on, if you can!).
La Sportiva shoes tend to be narrower in the toe, while Scarpa shoes tend to be a bit roomier. Credit: Whitney Clark
Smearing
One reason climbers rely on specifically designed climbing shoes rather than sneakers or boots is that the former allow a climber's toes to feel the rock and use minuscule features on the wall. We find that the more sensitive and precise we are, the better we can smear because we can trust our feet as we make delicate moves. Keep in mind that shoes with a stiff construction and lots of rubber around under the toe tend to be less sensitive than shoes with less.
The Scarpa Drago LV turned out to be the most sensitive shoe we've ever tested. Soft and supple, you can feel everything you're standing on, even tiny undulations in the rock. You can use your feet in the Drago in ways that you just can't in stiff shoes. They are super flexible and don't inhibit the natural flex in your foot, making them great for smearing on all sorts of holds.
The Scarpa Drago LV is the softest and most sensitive shoe we've ever tested. Credit: Tad McCrea
The Solution Comp is slightly stiffer in the forefoot than the Drago LV – you can expect to stand on footholds a bit better in the Solution Comp, rather than smear over them in the Drago. Its tight-fitting heel cup is also comparatively more sensitive, allowing us to find subtle features with our heels that we often missed while wearing the Drago.
We can feel the smallest of holds while wearing the Solution Comp. Credit: Luka Krajnc
The supple, flexible construction of the Skwama is quite sensitive, allowing your foot to move and flex naturally across the rock. Instead of balancing on a stiff edge, the shoe lets your foot spread out, maximizing surface contact for greater friction and stability on slabs and volumes. The Vibram XS Grip 2 rubber adds to that confidence, giving you a high-friction feel that grips even when footholds seem almost nonexistent. The split sole design further enhances performance by allowing your foot to bend and maintain constant contact with the surface. This adaptability means the shoe conforms to subtle rock textures instead of resisting them, giving the Skwama its signature secure, “locked-in” feel when smearing on delicate terrain.
With its ability to spread out, you can really press into the rock with the Skwama to confidently smear up long slab pitches. Credit: Alexa Flower
The Scarpa Instinct VS, once softened up, can perform really well for smearing moves. Like the Skwama, the Instinct VS also uses Vibram XS Grip 2 rubber. As one of the most trusted rubber compounds for friction climbing, it's tacky enough to trust your feet, even on smooth or slippery surfaces. Again, like the Skwama, the Instinct VS has a split sole design, which helps the shoe conform to the rock as you flex into it, giving you more surface contact than a fully rigid shoe would.
With a more flexible midsole, the Instinct VS will confidently stand up on even the most slippery limestone. Credit: Luka Krajnc
The Skwama Lite also impressed us with its ability to compress one foot inside a crack while smearing the other on slippery edges on the face. The FriXion Black rubber isn't quite as tacky as the Vibram XS Grip2 rubber on original Skwama. However, we could still easily feel the holds beneath our toes and really press into our feet to smear on slabs.
The sensitive rubber of the minimalist Skwama Lite really lets you toe in and pull down on tiny holds. Credit: Trish Matheny
The Tenaya Oasi LV is another great shoe for smears, thanks to its split-sole design and flexible upper. Combined with a sharp, aggressive toe, we could precisely place our feet on small holds, even on overhanging routes, which quickly made this shoe a favorite for hard training sessions on the Kilter Board.
With a split sole that combines a stiffer, aggressively pointed toe with softer rubber underfoot, the Oasi LV works quite well both on the training board and outdoors. Credit: Trish Matheny
On the other end of the spectrum, the Five Ten NIAD VCS, the La Sportiva Finale, and the Black Diamond Momentum Shoe were a few of the least sensitive shoes we tested. Their thick rubber, combined with the stiff, inflexible midsole, made it hard to feel any holds beneath our feet.
The 5 mm outsole of the Finale is simply too thick to feel the rock very well. However, it significantly enhances the shoe's durability. Credit: Luka Krajnc
Edging
Edging and sensitivity are similar but apply to different styles of footholds. Sensitivity allows you to smear on and toe into tiny footholds with confidence. Edging, as we define it, is the ability to place a toe on a small edge and have it feel like a much larger feature. This aspect of climbing shoe performance requires a stiffer sole that supports the whole foot when pressing down on thin edges.
The Scarpa Instinct VS edges exceptionally well thanks to a winning combination of design and fit. The shoe has a stiff midsole, which helps transfer power from your midfoot to your big toe. The fully wrapped rand pulls tension through the shoe, providing additional power, while the ultra-tacky XS Grip2 rubber helps you stick to tiny edges.
Tricky limestone edging made easy with the Scarpa Instinct VS on foot. Credit: Luka Krajnc
The La Sportiva Miura VS is also a top-notch edging shoe. Its stiff midsole and slight downturn help toe-in on gently overhanging terrain. At the same time, its shape allows for precision edging on vertical terrain and even slabs. The slingshot rand is connected to the P3 system, which helps deliver consistent edging power. When the toe is weighted on an edge, the climber's weight stretches forward from the heel towards the front of the shoe. The result is that you can stand on edges with your full weight and still feel secure.
With a powerful, precise toe, the Miura VS is an edging powerhouse for overhung boulders. Credit: Tad McCrea
Although it's not the stiffest shoe, the Scarpa Instinct VS features Vibram XS Edge rubber in the forefoot and a Flexan midsole. This provides enough structure and tension to stand confidently on tiny footholds. The shoe utilizes a bi-tension active rand that supports and stabilizes your foot under pressure, really helping you stand on those micro edges.
Even off-angle, the Instinct VS lets you keep tension and push through small holds, even if they're made of slippery plastic. Credit: Luka Krajnc
The Katana Lace was also one of our favorites for edging, especially in vertical terrain. Its stiff midsole keeps the weight over your toes and your foot on the hold. This structure allows you to apply consistent pressure through your toes, reducing fatigue on long, technical routes. The shoe also uses Vibram XS Edge rubber, which is slightly harder than softer rubbers like XS Grip 2, helping it resist caving under pressure.
Figuring out beta and standing on the smallest of holds with the help of our Katana Lace. Credit: Luka Krajnc
It's no surprise that stiff shoes edge well, and the La Sportiva TC Pro is no exception. Since they were originally designed for Tommy Caldwell's impressive free climbs on El Cap, the TC Pro is especially good at helping you maintain proper body position while standing on small, granite edges. With a stiff platform across the shoe, you have plenty of support for long days edging up huge vertical walls.
Thousands of feet of vertical edging? No problem with the La Sportiva TC Pro. Credit: Luka Krajnc
While we didn't love the overall performance, the Black Diamond Method gave us the confidence to climb above our gear, thanks to its solid edging ability. Although it has a split sole, particularly thick rubber makes it rigid underfoot, providing enough support to stand confidently on small edges.
While we weren't particularly impressed by the Black Diamond Method, it did edge well, especially on granite. Credit: Trish Matheny
Especially compared to other beginner shoes, the Evolv Defy Lace LV has a grippy solid rubber outsole that provides enough support and rigidity to balance on edges. That said, the thicker rubber, flat downturn, and neutral toe made it difficult to feel our toes on teeny tiny edges.
The solid outsole on the Defy Lace LV provides a more rigid platform for standing on edges, both vertical and overhanging. Credit: Trish Matheny
Another affordable option that excels in vertical terrain is the La Sportiva Finale. While this doesn't come close to the same edging capabilities as the Katana Lace, the Finale will get the job done on more moderate routes. It has 5 mm of Vibram XS Edge rubber, which creates a nice platform to stand on. Our issue is that the shoe stretched out after a handful of uses, compromising its edging performance and making it feel sloppier over time.
The flat, stiff design of the Finale makes it nearly ideal for edging on moderate terrain. Credit: Luka Krajnc
The La Sportiva Solution Comp, the La Sportiva Skwama, and the Skwama Lite fell short for serious vertical edging. Although these shoes excel in other ways, standing on vertical dime edges is not their strong point. The midsole is too soft and, over time, fatigues your feet.
Shoes like the Skwama Lite excel in other ways, but any shoe with a split sole and soft rubber will fall short for edging. Credit: Trish Matheny
Pulling
This metric evaluates how well a given shoe can sink into a rock surface's cavities, allowing you to “pull” into these features with your feet. Often, a pointed-toe shoe excels in this way. Moreover, a shoe with a downturned toe offers the added advantage of hooking pockets on steep to overhanging terrain (as opposed to simply pressing down on them), allowing you to pull your hips in close to the wall for efficient body positioning.
The Solution Comp is our favorite shoe for pulling pockets and steep climbing. This commonality shouldn't be too surprising, considering the similarities in ankle and toe movement across the two techniques. Its aggressive downturned shape, combined with the P3 power platform, helps you keep tension in your toes so you can pull your body close to the wall. Its extended toe rubber patch makes toe hooks feel secure, while the narrower, lower-volume heel improves sensitivity and fit for heel hooks and heel-to-toe cams.
Steep and burly comp-style bouldering is where the Solution Comp shines! Credit: Luka Krajnc
With its soft design and slight downturn in the toe, the La Sportiva Skwama naturally channels power to your big toe, helping you press or pull into the pockets with control and precision. This shape, combined with its soft rubber, keeps your toes engaged, semi-curled, and locked in when you're pulling on steep terrain.
The Skwama's toe is slightly downturned, making it perfect for digging in and rocking onto those small footholds. Credit: Will Stanhope
With its aggressive asymmetrical shape and slightly pointed forefoot, the Scarpa Drago LV helps your toes dig into small holds. Flexible, low-volume shoes like this one are also the best for heel hooking – when you can feel the features with your heel, you're more likely to stick the move.
Slopey heel hooking made easy with the Scarpa Drago LV. Credit: Tad McCrea
We were surprised at how well the Katana Lace performed on steep routes, but given its narrow toe, it really fits well into pockets. It needs to be broken in to have enough sensitivity, but once it softens, you can better utilize your toes and feel the rock – a crucial element for steep climbing.
For hard boulder problems where moves swap between edging and pulling, the Katana Lace does a great job of splitting the difference. Credit: Sonja Peltzer
Despite its stiffer midsole, the Scarpa Instinct VS was also great for tackling overhangs. Its aggressive downturn and moderate asymmetry really help transfer weight to the forefoot, allowing you to dig in and draw your body toward the wall. These shoes are a bit more precise than the La Sportiva Miura VS, thanks to a better fit (at least for our feet). The latter fits well into small pockets, but we couldn't achieve the same pulling power.
The moderate asymmetry and tacky outsole on the Instinct VS helps us pull pressure against holds, even larger, slopier volumes in the gym. Credit: Luka Krajnc
Unsurprisingly, the flatter-soled shoes in this review, such as the La Sportiva Finale, the Evolv Defy Lace, and the Five Ten NIAD VCS, do not perform well when toeing into pockets. Their semi-stiff last and symmetrical shape simply perform better in vertical terrain.
While the NIAD VCS doesn't toe in very well, its heel cup is tighter and more sensitive than the Finale's, which makes it better for heel hooking. Credit: Jack Cramer
Bear in mind that the pulling evaluation is, in many ways, the polar opposite of the crack climbing assessment. Rather than a stiff platform you can squeeze into a crack and stand up on, shoes that pull well are more flexible, providing additional dexterity for your feet. As such, the shoes that perform poorly on crack climbs are often among the higher performers on pocketed terrain and vice versa. But as with all generalities, there are, of course, notable exceptions to that rule.
While a narrower shoe like the Solution Comp has a slight advantage due to its shape, you don't have to suffer if it doesn't fit your foot. The wider, flatter Instinct VS pulls nearly as well. Credit: Whitney Clark
Crack Climbing
As the name implies, the crack climbing metric evaluates how well a shoe will perform when jammed into cracks. Sliding your foot into a crack and twisting to the side so you can stand up on it is one of the more unique ways to use your feet while climbing. A good crack shoe has a flatter shape that can fit inside a crack without painfully compressing the knuckles of your toes.
Additionally, these shoes have a stiff platform that supports the whole foot. This prevents lateral tacoing of a shoe while simultaneously providing enough rubber along the edges to find purchase on the interior and along the edge of a crack. Ideally, a crack shoe will also be decent at edging and smearing since you will likely need to do all of these things on a traditional climb, even if it's just a single pitch.
Shoes with thicker rubber and stiffer platforms often perform best in cracks. Credit: Gus Landefeld
In the past, we turned to the La Sportiva TC Pro for crack climbing, even though it is not a women's-specific model. We still love this shoe and think it serves its purpose for endless crack climbs and long days in the alpine. Even though this shoe is stiff as a board right out of the box, once you break it in, it's comfortable enough to wear all day and durable enough for plenty of use and abuse. The hi-top design protects your ankles better than other shoes, making it a great option for wide cracks and chimneys. However, because it has a relatively bulky toe box, it's not a great choice for climbing thin cracks.
Wide cracks are where the TC Pro really shines. Credit: Luka Krajnc
With the release of the new women's-specific La Sportiva Katana Lace, the TC Pro is no longer a frontrunner. Once you break them in, the Katana Lace is stiff yet sensitive and can be sized up for a comfortable all-day shoe or sized tight for more technical climbing. It is our top choice for thin and technical crack climbing. With a narrow toe box, excellent edging abilities, and relative comfort in cracks, the Katana Lace is a more versatile shoe on routes that require a variety of techniques.
Who said techy shoes were just for cragging? Putting the La Sportiva Katana Lace to the test on cracks in the Bugaboos. Credit: Will Stanhope
Surprisingly, we also really loved the La Sportiva Skwama for thin crack and corner climbing, where we had to rely on rand smearing rather than pure jamming. The Skwama has a good amount of rubber around the toe, which helps grab onto the granite crystals and provides some extra friction. Although the Katana will keep your foot more protected and is more comfortable to wear in cracks, both shoes climb thin cracks and corners exceptionally well. However, if you're just climbing splitter hand cracks, then the Katana is a better choice.
The Katana's are one of our go-to shoes when it comes to technical granite cracks. Credit: Clint Helander
After switching from the stiffer, classically rigid TC Pro, we were surprised by the precision of the flexible Skwama Lite. With its flat profile and narrow toe, we could mush this flexible slipper into finger cracks for impressive purchase. That said, they lack the durability of the original Skwama – after a few pitches of hard crack climbing, we noticed the toe rand already starting to delaminate.
We wouldn't recommend breaking in shoes like this, but the first thing we climbed in the Skwama Lite was this nearly 400-foot crack system. Credit: Trish Matheny
The Unparallel Up Lace LV was also one of our favorites for crack climbing. They are comfortable for extended jamming and feature super-sticky rubber that digs into rock. They perform better in thin, more technical cracks than the La Sportiva Finale, thanks to their narrow toe, which provides better precision. The Finale is more comfortable and better suited for moderate crack routes.
The leather upper on the La Sportiva Finale protects your feet and gives you the support you need for crack climbing. Credit: Luka Krajnc
Similarly, the La Sportiva Miura VS and the Scarpa Instinct VS have a slightly downturned toe, but not enough of a curve to be painful when jammed. This slightly more aggressive shape makes them masters of difficult, finger-sized cracks.
The Miura VS is most at home on steep terrain and is perfect for routes where a chimney leads out to a technical face. Credit: Babsi Vigil
Even as a 'beginner' shoe, the Evolv Defy Lace LV is another surprisingly solid option for crack climbing. Thanks to the high-quality vegan synthetic upper and thick toe rand, it's not only durable, but it did a surprisingly good job of protecting our toes inside cracks. However, that same thick rubber prevents you from stuffing your toes into finger-sized cracks.
The Defy Lace LV is durable, thanks to a substantial toe rand that protects your forefoot while jamming. Credit: Trish Matheny
The Five Ten NIAD VCS are also good crack-climbing shoes, but are much narrower in the toe, which makes extended jamming more painful. These shoes are best reserved for thinner cracks or routes where you can take them off between burns. Shoes with a significant amount of downturn are often uncomfortable when foot jamming.
Just another day out testing climbing shoes! Our lead tester is wearing the Katana Lace high above a glacial valley in Kyrgyzstan. Credit: Luka Krajnc
Other Notable Climbing Shoes
Over the years, we've tested a lot of climbing shoes. Even though they didn't make the cut for our favorite shoes, many of them are still readily available and are more than worth your consideration:
La Sportiva Miura – This shoe has been around for what seems like ages, and it's still a great option. Built for techy climbing, it excels on everything from razor-thin cracks to tiny edges and delicate smears. Unless you're specifically crack climbing, we prefer the Velcro version, the Miura VS.
La Sportiva Solution – This shoe is tried and true and has been setting the bar for performance climbing shoes for decades. They are an excellent choice for steep sport climbing and bouldering. They have a stiffer midsole than the Solution Comp, so if your project requires more edging, this could be a better option.
La Sportiva Otaki – This is another high-performance shoe that offers plenty of precision, power, and durability, especially for sport climbing and overhangs. The Otaki is an edging machine, but the slightly softer Skwama is more versatile.
Scarpa Generator Mid – If wide cracks are your thing, look no further than the Generator Mid. These have ankle protection, a stiff sole, and will keep your feet nice and cosy for hours of jamming hand- and fist-cracks. If you have wider feet, these may fit better than the La Sportiva TC Pro.
Butora Gomi – If you have wider feet and struggle to fit into some of the other low-volume models, the Gomi is a good option. It is a high-performance, downturned climbing shoe that blends aggressive performance with surprising comfort.
Evolv Kira – If comfort is what you're after and you don't want to break the bank, this is a solid, budget-friendly option. The performance and low-volume design are similar to those of the Five Ten NIAD VCS, another great entry-level climbing shoe.
Five Ten Kirigami – For climbers just starting out, this is a reasonable budget buy. It's the least expensive shoe we've tested, and it's super comfortable for all-day wear. If you climb a lot in the gym, the Black Diamond Momentum is a better choice. However, if you're learning to climb outside, the Kirigami is supportive enough for crack climbing and standing on larger holds.
From left to right: La Sportiva Solution; Five Ten Kirigami; Scarpa Generator Mid.
Conclusion
After months of testing, our goal is to offer a cross-section of the best climbing shoes on the market. That said, we recognize that climbing shoe preference is subjective, and almost entirely driven by fit – a shoe that feels tailor-made for one woman might be incredibly painful for another. Women's shoes are also designed to fit smaller-volume feet; if your feet are wider or otherwise larger volume, don't hesitate to check out the unisex models in our other review of climbing shoes.
