If you are looking into doing more crack climbing in the great outdoors, then your typical indoor gym climbing shoes just don’t cut. Crack climbing requires your shoes to be extra grippy, and on top of that, you will be challenged to use more friction and balance to stay on the rock face. If you are on a harder rock surface like granite stone or slate, it will require you to have a harder rubber shoe that is stiff enough to edge carefully on even the smallest micro formations and flakes. On the other hand, if you are rock climbing on a softer mor brittle rock surface, for example powdery and crumbly sandstone or limestone route, you will much prefer a softer rubber sole that has the ability to do smearing.
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What are the Best Climbing Shoes for Crack Climbing?
To find the list of absolute Best Climbing Shoes for Crack Climbing, we have researched many Crack Climbing Shoes and what people who bought and used them say about these products. Based on their experiences, we compiled for you the top 5 Climbing Shoes for Crack Climbing.
Also, to make it easier for you to making the right choice, we also wrote a mini Crack Climbing Shoes Buying Guide and frequently asked questions (FAQs). You will find it at the end of this article.
1. Five Ten Moccasym Shoes Men
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| Price: 💲💲 (fewer 💲 = cheaper) |
The Five Ten Moccasym is a minimalistic, high-performance shoe, great for slab work with its soft materials and flat profile, and light as a feather to carry up the crack climbing wall with you. The slip-on design, while a little less comfortable than a lace-up, makes taking the shoes off and putting them on a seamless task, making it easy to transition to a more comfortable shoe to belay your partner in while halfway up the wall. The highly breathable shoe will ensure your feet stay as cool as possible, helping you to keep your cool while working hard at height.
Pros
- Quick and easy to pull off and put on Light and breathable climbing shoe Soft and flexible, great for smearing on sloping rock surfaces to accumulate extra grip
Cons
- Less rubber coating than competing brands, may leave your toes vulnerable to more of a beating. Less adjustable than similar climbing shoes with laces.
2. La Sportiva Men’s TC Pro Shoes for Climbing
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| Price: 💲💲💲💲 (fewer 💲 = cheaper) |
The La Sportiva Men’s TC Pro Climbing Shoe is a comfortable and versatile laced up shoe that is designed for technical, big wall and free climbing. Its uniqu mid hike cuff with padding makes it great for vertical edging, crack climbing and all day comfort and support. Climbing atheletes like Tommy Caldwell are some of the users of this model.
Pros
- Lace design
- Comfortable fit that can be worn all day,
- Endorsed by Tommy Caldwell,
- Padded toes to protect from sharp edges
Cons
- The product may easily be damaged due to the thin material,
- Might not be for long use on rocky mountains or slippery slopes,
- Difficult to wear and remove especially those with laces
3. La Sportiva Mythos Climbing Shoes
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| Price: 💲 (fewer 💲 = cheaper) Sole Material: Recycled/Repurposed Rubber and Eco Idro-Perwanger Biodegradable Leather Closure Type: Lace-up |
The Mythos is an eco model that is full laced with an easy to break in leather uppers and low toe profile. Its is popular with both beginnersand as well as advanced climbers. This model is made with recycled materials in portions like the soles, webbing and tongue padding. The metal-free tanning, biodegradable leather makes it one of the most environmentally conscious and vegan climbing models out there.
Pros
- The leather material makes it comfortable for your toes, especially on high climbing and difficult areas
Cons
- Time-consuming to wear and take off as you need to loose/tighten the laces,
- May not be suitable for a bouldering gym as the material is too thick
4. Evolv The General Climbing Shoes for Men
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The Evolv General Climbing shoe is a great show for multi pitch and big wall. The sole made with Trax XE rubber sole and comes with a protective rubber and stiff rubber, which makes it perfect for edging and small cracks. This not overly agressive and downturn model has a slight asymmetry balances between performance and all-day comfort.
Pros
- Secured and adjustable lace up style,
- A bit out of the ordinary unlike the other items that are more flat, which is an essential part of the product,
- Impressive 80’s colors that do not look boring at all,
- High cut designed to protect the ankles while climbing
Cons
- Shoes look a bit “chunky” due to its solid and thick material making it difficult for air to flow and might make your feet sweat inside
5. SCARPA Arpia Climbing Shoe
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| Price: 💲💲💲 (fewer 💲 = cheaper) |
Scarpa Designed their shoe to have all the benefits of an aggressive shoe without the pain. This is due to the moderate downturn; it doesn’t bend the arch of your foot too much. The climbing shoe is excellent for boulderers; it uses a velcro system that replicates laces. This feature makes it easier to put on but gives you a lace-like fit around the foot. It’s constructed using Vibram XS Grip rubber, which makes the shoes extra sticky. If you’re looking for a bouldering shoe that can handle smears, these shoes do the job straight out the box. We found that users didn’t have much joy when crack climbing. The lack of rubber around the toe made it quite uncomfortable when jamming your foot. This shoe is excellent for technical climbing; the large toe box helps with hooks. And the rubber which connects the two parts of the shoe helps to transfer power into your toe.
Pros
- V-Tension system
- Vibram XS Grip rubber
- Lace styled velcro system
Cons
- Heel cup dislodges easily
Verdict
After all of our long research about the Best Climbing Shoes for Crack Climbing, we found that Five Ten Moccasym Shoes Men is the best Climbing Shoe for Crack Climbing available today.
There’s also a Premium Option with all the best features and high-quality materials if you have more money to spend, namely La Sportiva Men’s TC Pro Shoes for Climbing.
However, if you are on a slightly tighter budget, you can also consider the La Sportiva Mythos Climbing Shoes as an affordable alternative.
Our other reviews you may find useful in your research:
- Best Climbing Shoes for Slab Climbing
- Best Climbing Shoes for Narrow feet
- Best Climbing Shoes For Kids
What You Should Know Before Buying Climbing Shoes for Crack Climbing
Most Important Features
The most important feature to look for in beginner climbing shoes is comfort. An uncomfortable shoe isn’t going to entice you to climb more! The second feature you should look for is the overall stiffness of the sole. By having a stiff sole, the muscles in your feet will be supported during your early stages of rock climbing. Once you are a more advanced climber, you may opt for a shoe with a slip lasted sole which provides sensitivity, as this will allow you to push your climbing grades.
Neutral, moderate and aggressive models
If you are a beginner, you don’t need to buy the expensive and tight fitting aggressive climbing shoes. A cheaper shoe that has a stiff sole will serve you better in the early stages of climbing.
If you are an intermediate climber, a moderate show with some flexibility will improve your ability to edge on small holds. If you are climbing in a gym, you can get away with a softer rubber, but for outdoors you want to look for something that is durable.
Hot tip: Make sure you only use your shoes when climbing. The more time you spend in them, the quicker they wear out. We recommend having some approach shoes if outdoors, or simply a pair of flip-flops if you are climbing at a magic beach like Krabi.
Questions and Answers About Climbing Shoes for Crack Climbing
What shoes do pro climbers wear?
Pro climbers generally wear what is termed “aggressive” shoes. These shoes typically have a ‘banana shaped’ curved sole, with a doward pointed toe box. This allows for maximum traction and power transfer from the foot to the wall. Advanced shoes typically have two pieces of rubber for increased flexibility, rather than one continuous sole. You’ll also find rubber on the top of the shoe, which provides traction when doing overhang toe hooks. Have a look at pro climber Adam Ondra talk about all the considerations he takes into account when choosing a climbing shoe.
Should you size down in climbing shoes?
In general you will need to size down for climbing shoes. For a beginner, this should be about .05 to a full size. If you are buying your first set of shoes, take note of the climbing shoes you have been renting at the climbing gym.
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