Anatomy of A Rock Climbing Shoe

Since I've been regularly rock climbing, I decided it was time to invest in some gear. I headed to REI to try on some shoes but they didn't have a huge selection in the store. The ones I tried on were tight and uncomfortable except for the La Sportiva Mythos, which could be mine for $130 dollars but I wasn't expecting to drop that much on shoes.

I headed online but didn't want to order from anyone who didn't have a friendly return policy especially since all of the shoes that I tried on in the store felt so different.

There are many varying opinions about what to look for in rock climbing shoes depending on your skill level etc.

Rock Climbing Shoes Review

Best Rock Climbing Shoes For Beginners

Over at Vegan Fitness, there's a discussion regarding the best shoes for vegans which include the Evolv and 5.10 brands.

This diagram that I found at Cheap Rock Climbing Shoes was cool. All I know is that I don't ever want a tight toe box.



I decided to go with La Sportiva since I found them comfortable and, yes, comfort is everything to me.

I first settled on The Mojo:



Then, I decided that a slip-on shoe would be better. Check out the curve on this shoe.

I'm hoping that the shape will allow the shoes to mold beautifully to those tiny holds.

Now that I have my La Sportiva Katanas, this article on rock shoe care will also be helpful.