How to Buy Climbing Shoes

Video Transcript

"Hi today I would like to talk to you about how to choose rock climbing shoes. It is going to depend on what kind of climbing you plan on doing. There is sport climbing, which is basically clipping bolts. And generally the grade of climbing is much harder so your shoes that you wear are much tighter, smaller, they want to be pointed down more on the tips so you are doing a lot of toe work. But you are generally just wearing them for one pitch, which you know fifteen to forty minutes, and then you can take them off. So they are not real comfortable. If you are planning on doing long routes you want to pick a shoe that is flexible, that stretches, that is not too tight on your feet, that is something you can be in standing on your toes for the entire day, and they will still hurt at the end of the day. Plenty of different manufacturers out there that sell shoes. My experience is that it is best to go to a store, and try on a bunch of different brands. Find one that fits your feet the best, and the size that you like, and then order them on the Internet where you can get them a lot cheaper. But it is important to know what fits your feet, because they vary in the size, and the last. Some of them are very flexible like these, some of them are much stiffer they don't require you to use your calves as much. But mostly, you know some of the lace up, some of them have Velcro straps, some of them are elastic like moccasins they pull on. It is just important to find what fits your foot best. If you can take, go to the store and try some on, and keep them on for a little while, and try a little practice wall or something, and then find the best shoe for your feet. And it never hurts to get advice from other friends that you respect that brands that last longer or more durable or more comfortable."