There’s a lot of climbing shoes out there. In this article, I break down what the shoes are for intermediate climbers.
The best shoe for intermediate climbers is the Scarpa Vapor V. These shoes offer good performance without an aggressive downturn, meaning they won’t hurt your feet as much as a more expert-level shoe would.
For an intermediate shoe, you want to look for something that has higher performance than beginner shoes do, but are not so downturned that they’re going to cause you lots of pain. The Scarpa Vapor V walks this line perfectly, giving you affordability, performance, and comfort better than any other shoe does. However, because everyone is different, I’ve included five other options in case the Vapor V isn’t for you, or if you’re looking for something a little more specific.
Best Shoe for Intermediate Climbers: The Scarpa Vapor V
Verdict: These shoes balance comfort, performance, and affordability better than any other shoe on the market.
The Good: Vapor V’s are a comfortable, all-around workhorse that can perform in every area of climbing without hurting your feet.
The Bad: The only downside of these shoes is their neon-yellow coloring
If you’re looking to graduate from your beginner shoes to something a little more advanced, the Scarpa Vapor V’s are the perfect stepping stone. These are the first aggressive shoes that I got, and I still wear them to do this day. I seriously love these shoes, and would recommend them to anyone looking to move into a more intermediate pair.
So, what’s so great about the Vapors? First of all, the thing that really sticks out is their performance. These shoes are incredible on small holds; in fact, they work better than several more aggressive, performance-based shoes I’ve tried, like the Scarpa Instinct.
More than that, though, they’re versatile. I’ve worn these shoes on every type of terrain: horizontally-overhung boulders, scary, blank slab routes, technical sport climbs, and even thin cracks. They’ve served me well in every scenario.
The thing that really makes them stick out, though, is how comfortable they are. Now, when I first graduated from my beginner shoes to the Vapors, I had a 1-2 week period where they absolutely killed my feet, because I just wasn’t used to the smaller sizing and downturned shape.
After that initial period, though, the shoes grew more comfortable, and now I can easily go 3-4 hours (a full bouldering session) without needing to take them off. They’re not quite at the level where I would want to wear them on long multi-pitches, but they’re close; if I sized up half a size, I would definitely be content wearing them for a full day.
On top of that, these shoes are relatively affordable and relatively easy to resole. This is great for the intermediate climber who wants to ramp up their training intensity without needing to break the bank. If you’re careful with your footwork and smart about getting them resoled, the Vapor V’s can last you a solid 2 years before they finally wear out – at which point, you’ll probably be looking to upgrade to something more aggressive.
Finally, and this is maybe the biggest point in favor of the Vapor’s, they’re super common. This means that almost any climbing store you go to will have the Vapor V’s in multiple sizes, so you’ll have the opportunity to try them on and see how they fit your feet. As an intermediate climber, this is massive. Ordering shoes blind is scary, especially when you don’t know as much about what your proper size is and what type of shoe might fit your feet.
In terms of downsides for the Vapor V, they’re few and far between. The main thing I would mention is, as a workhorse, these shoes don’t excel in any one area. They’re not the best bouldering shoe, or the best sport shoe that you can buy; however, as an intermediate climber, you shouldn’t be looking for that yet. Your feet just aren’t ready to be crammed into an ultra-impressive pair of climbing shoes.
Additionally, as much as I love them, I hate the colouring of the Vapor V. The neon just doesn’t do it for me. Climbing isn’t about looks, though, and this is a small price to pay for the overall performance that you get out of the Scarpa Vapor V.
Runner-Up: the La Sportiva Miura VS
Verdict: If you’re looking for something a little less aggressive, or the Vapor’s just don’t fit your feet, the Miura VS is a good substitute.
The Good: As durable as anything on the market, this shoe is great on tiny holds and vertical routes, and it’s narrow toe box can make it more comfortable depending on your foot shape.
The Bad: These shoes are notorious for giving the wearer’s nasty blisters on the top of their big toe.
Climbing shoe manufacturers tend to copy one another to some degree, and the La Sportiva Miura is actually the original Vapor V (as it came out first).
In my opinion, the more comfortable Vapor V is the better shoe overall, but the Miura is a time-tested staple that has been chugging along for years now. In particular, this shoe is known for having a stiff undersole, which helps with edging and overhung routes.
Due to this, the Miura is great for both bouldering and sport climbing, as it performs equally well at either discipline. This makes it great for intermediate climbers; with one shoe that can do it all, there’s no need to splurge on multiple pairs.
Additionally, the Miura has built up a reputation for being absolutely indestructible. This shoe will last you for years, and the Vibram XS rubber it uses is easy to resole (which lowers the cost for you). It also means it can withstand being bashed around a little, which is great for intermediate climbers who haven’t quite perfected their footwork yet.
Now, with that being said, there are a couple of drawbacks to the Miura. First is the fact that the stiff sole means they’re not the most sensitive shoe. This can be especially challenging for intermediate climbers, who don’t have the instinctive balance that they need on bad footholds.
Additionally, they can be pretty hard on your feet. There’s an entire club of Miura owners who have matching blisters on the top of their toes. If your feet aren’t used to stiffer shoes, there’s going to be a longer break-in period and you won’t be able to wear them for as long as you can the Vapor’s.
Best For Comfort: The Scarpa Arpia
Verdict: Designed specifically for the intermediate climber, this shoe helps to transition you from flat models to a more aggressive downturn.
The good: Affordable, comfortable, and impressive performance given its shape.
The Bad: These shoes still offer the worst performance on this list, and they lack the adjustability of other models.
The Scarpa Arpia is designed to have a slightly-downturned shape that helps you ease into the world of aggressive climbing shoes without having to deal with the weeks of pain that I had when I first put on my Vapors.
In this, Scarpa has created almost the perfect intermediate shoe in terms of comfort and performance. The Arpia’s are a great introduction into the types of shoes that you’ll wear as your climbing journey progresses, and they’re cheap enough to not break the bank or to not have to commit to them for a long period of time.
Additionally, these shoes are highly sensitive and offer good performance, especially on indoor routes. If you spend most of the time in the gym, and if you don’t want your feet to be sore, these are the perfect shoes for you.
The one drawback against them, though, is that they lack a level of performance that the other shoes on this list have. Even compared to the Vapor, which isn’t a cutting-edge shoes, the Arpia’s will leave you wanting a little, specifically on small footholds or longer routes. They also lack the generality of the Vapor V or the Miura; these shoes are a little soft to be worn on long outdoor routes or crack climbs.
This means that, within a few months, you might have outgrown your Arpia’s and be looking for something more aggressive. That takes away some of the advantages of their low-end price. If you’re okay with their short window, though, the Arpia’s might be the perfect shoe to ease you out of your flat-soled beginner pairs.
Best for Outdoor Climbing: The Tenaya Oasi
Verdict: One of the most underappreciated shoes on the market, the Tenaya Oasi is technical enough to stick on any foothold but comfortable enough to wear on long sport routes.
The good: These shoes manage to combine the performance of an advanced shoe with the comfort of a more intermediate-level pair.
The Bad: These high-performance shoes don’t fit everyone’s foot as well, and they don’t have the same workhorse reputation as the above pair.
Oftentimes, intermediate climbers are just starting to look towards the outdoors and specifically sport routes. While it’s an exciting step, this also presents new challenges: you need much better footwork to sport climb on need than you do for most indoor bouldering routes. Enter, the Tenaya Oasi.
Perhaps the most underappreciated shoe on the market today, the Tenaya Oasi is an unknown performance machine. Tenaya crafted a new heel design for this shoe, allowing it to toe the line between overhung caves and technical friction slab.
I’ve climbed a decent amount in these shoes, and I can speak first-hand to their comfort and versatility. Not many shoes can walk the same line between comfort and performance on small holds and overhangs, and Tenaya really struck gold with this pair. Even out of the box they’re incredibly comfortable, which is great for someone who’s feet aren’t used to more aggressive footwear.
Another great thing about this shoe is how adjustable they are, which is especially nice for an intermediate climber. As your feet first adjust to the new downturned shape, the unique single-strap system allows you to keep the shoes nice and loose. Later, as you get used to the shape, you’ll be able to cinch them tighter and turn your attention towards harder routes.
However, there are some things to be aware of with the Tenaya’s. They’re tailored towards thinner feet and, therefore, might not fit everyone. Additionally, they are somewhat specialized, and might not give you the same all-around performance that the Vapor or the Miura might.
The most important thing, though, is that these shoes simply aren’t as common. They’re harder to find in climbing stores, which means you won’t have as much of a chance to try them on. As I said above, as a newer climber, you might not know enough about what type of shoe you need to be able to blind-order them online. Sizing the Oasi’s can be a bit finicky, too.
So, while they’re a specialized, high performance shoe, the Oasi has just enough downsides to keep them off the top spot in this list.
Best for Indoor Bouldering: The La Sportiva Skwama
Verdict: A high performance shoe at a reasonable price, the La Sportiva Skwama is perfect for those who spend most of their time in the gym.
The good: Excellent performance and a reasonable price tag make these shoes the perfect introduction to aggressive footwear.
The Bad: The Skwama’s are a little more aggressive than most of the other shoes on this list, which means less all-around performance and more pain as you break them in.
Let’s be honest: most climbing nowadays goes on in the climbing gym, and the majority of people spend their time bouldering. Outdoor snobs will continue to complain, but this is obviously the direction that the sport is going.
If this is you, there’s no better shoe for you than the La Sportiva Skwama. One of the most sensitive shoes on the market, the Skwama is another shoe that’s priced for the intermediate climber but will give you the performance of something higher end.
In terms of footwork, this is far and away the best shoe on this list. They have excellent edging performance, a suction-like feel, and are designed for steep, overhanging routes. As someone who’s worn both pairs, I would say that the Skwama has slightly better overall performance than the Scarpa Vapor V does.
Especially for the gym climber, they’ll be the best bang-for-your-buck performance you can get. The one-strap closure makes them easy to take on and off, the sensitive sole is excellent for slab or comp routes, and the downturned toe helps you latch on to smaller holds.
However, the Skwama still has a couple of drawbacks. The increased performance they enjoy over the Vapors comes with a tradeoff: a more downturned sole, which means these shoes are less comfortable, especially if your feet aren’t used to this shape.
This means that the shoe will have a longer break-in period, and they won’t be as good for longer routes or varied climbing. Because of this, I gave the Vapor V the edge, but the La Sportiva Skwama is an excellent choice for anyone looking to send more difficult routes.
Best for Trad: The La Sportiva Katana
Verdict: If you decide that you want to buck the trend, embrace the dark arts, and become a trad climber, the La Sportiva Katana will keep you safe on your journey.
The good: Brilliant crack performance with all-around applicability, the Katana can dial in for performance or dial down for all-day performance.
The Bad: Expensive, laced, and somewhat specialized, the Katana’s have limited applicability for those who don’t want to spend their time crack climbing.
Sometimes, life pulls you in a different direction. For every dozen people who flock to indoor climbing gyms, there’s at least one outlier who wants to risk life and limb on outdoor rock.
I’m being dramatic, obviously, but trad climbing is a legitimate area of the sport that lots of people turn towards. While some of the other shoes mentioned on this list will serve you well (like the Vapor V’s and the Skwama’s), none of them come with the specialized crack performance that the Katana’s give you.
With a narrow toe box, lace closure, and a relatively flat sole, the Katana’s are a crack climbing machine that are perfect for thin, technical lines. What’s more, their incredible edging and relatively solid overall performance mean that they’ll serve you well as an intermediate climbing shoe for sport routes and multi-pitch climbing alike.
Where the Katana fails, though, is if you’re someone who wants a ‘do it all’ shoe. If trad climbing is where your heart lies and you’ll be spending at least 50% of your time on cracks, these shoes are meant for you; if that’s not you, though, there are better options out there.
First of all, these shoes are laced, which means taking them on and off in a gym can become a pain. Secondly, they’re not as aggressive as some of the other pairs on this list, which makes them less ideal for technical boulders or overhung climbing.
Where the real disadvantage of the Katana lies, though, is in its solid sole. This is great on long routes or cracks, as it gives you a solid platform to stand on. In the gym or on sensitive terrain, though, the shoes lack the flexibility that they need to be able to keep up with the likes of the Vapor V or the Miura.
What to Look For When Buying a Shoe
The remainder of this article will delve into what to look for when buying a new pair of shoes. As an intermediate climber, this was something I always found confusing, so hopefully I can shed some light on it.
Comfort
The most important thing in any pair of shoes is comfort. Comfort has two concerns:
- Shape
- Sizing
- Fit
Shape is how downturned the shoe is. The flatter a shoe, the more natural your foot feels in it, and the more comfortable it will seem. However, downturned toes often lead to good performance.
As an intermediate climber, your foot will likely not be used to super-aggressive downturned shoes. Like I said, my first pair of Vapors were sore for a few weeks until my feet adjusted to them. Because of this, if your foot hurts after wearing the shoe for a while, don’t be worried; this is perfectly normal.
Sizing is how much you downsize from your street shoe. Here, I would urge caution. Many people (myself included) have a habit of buying shoes too small and suffering for months with cramped toes and hangnails. You want the shoe to be tight, but you don’t want to feel like your toes are going to break.
Finally, there’s the general fit of the shoe. Everyone has different feet, and some shoes will just not be comfortable even if they’re sized correctly. A lot of websites provide good information on what shoe is better for what foot profile, and don’t be afraid to ask the staff at your local shoe store for some help.
Edging
Edging is a measure of how well your shoe can stand on small ledges. Edging will usually be important for vertical routes and tiny footholds.
The stiffer a shoe is, the better it can usually edge. On this list, for example, the Katana will be great at edging because it has a solid rubber sole that acts almost like a blade you can perch on tiny edges to stand on. A softer shoe has a harder time holding its edge.
Sensitivity
Sensitivity is how well you can feel the rock beneath your shoe. This is good for tiny nubs and really bad, rounded footholds, as well as for smearing.
As a general rule, the softer a shoe is, the better sensitivity it will have. Sensitivity allows you to get a better sense of the exact shape of the foothold you’re going for, which can help you distribute your weight to better stand on it. Something like the Skwama or the Vapor V will have excellent sensitivity.
Steep Terrain
Steep terrain is a measure of how well your shoe can ‘hook’ holds when the wall is overhung. This is the reason that many climbing shoes nowadays have a downturned shape. On overhung walls, this downturned shape allows you to hook your toe over the hold, wedging it in place.
The issue is, the more downturned a shoe is, the less comfortable it’s likely to be. This is the reason that many of the shoes on this list aren’t considered high-performance shoes.