Outdoor Gear Lab
The Asolo Eiger XT Evo GV is our favorite mountaineering boot and takes home the Editors' Choice Award. Their impressively low weight is the first thing we noticed. They climb really well, whether you're on rock, ice, snow, or any combination of the above. Though the laces are simple, we wish there was a lace lock to attenuate the tension. We found this boot to be plenty warm for us, but climbers with cold feet or those headed out on the most frigid days may want something warmer...." go to full review
If you’re primarily climbing single pitch routes (the majority of climbers are), then we suggest you check out the Black Diamond Zone. It's very versatile and allows you to branch out into winter and alpine climbing. It's light in the pack and has features useful for multi-pitch. Don’t be dissuaded by its “sport climbing” marketing push — this harness can do a lot more.go to full review
This shoe is stiff enough to prevent your foot from fatiguing on the big days and takes to cracks better than many specialized shoes. From the volcanic tuff of Smith Rock to granite splitters of the Sierra, the La Sportive Katana Lace can handle any route you throw it on. If you're looking for a high-end bouldering shoe, it may fall a little short, but for everything else, this shoe can do the job. That's why it wins our Editors' Choice Award as the best overall climbing shoe.go to full review
There is nothing wrong with Edelrid Jayne, but it didn't stand out enough in any one particular way to win an award in our review. It is comfortable and fairly versatile though, and may just be the perfect fit for you!go to full review
The Five Ten Anasazi VCS was a top-of-the-line climbing shoe for decades. With the NIAD VCS, Five Ten chose to rename the shoe while continuing to offer a model with the same time-tested design. History has proven that this shoe is capable of hard climbing. However, we believe that many modern improvements have allowed other designs to catch up and surpass the NIAD VCS when it comes to top-end performance.go to full review
Despite all the new technologies flooding the climbing shoe world, sometimes you just want a simple, inexpensive shoe. The La Sportiva Tarantulace is exactly that. For less than half the price of a high-end shoe, you get a quality-made Italian shoe fitted with sticky rubber that would make the Stone Masters of a bygone era madly jealous. Sure, better shoes do exist, but for plenty of folks, the performance benefits of a top-scoring shoe won't be worth the added costs. The affordably priced..." go to full review
When it comes to rock climbing performance, footwear is arguably the single most important piece of gear. However, sticky rubber wears out quickly so climbing shoes are one of the highest recurring costs for regular climbers. The La Sportiva Finale presents a two-prong way to reduce those costs — it's available at an affordable retail price and the durability advantage of its thicker rubber means that you should wear through a pair less quickly. Although its performance cannot quite match..." go to full review
The Evolv Cruzer Psyche is an excellent lightweight shoe to clip to your harness for easy access multi-pitch routes or as a stylish alternative to your normal cragging shoe. As the least expensive shoe in this review, we believe this is a great beginner approach shoe or addition to your quiver if you're looking for a basic, comfy slipper with sticky rubber.go to full review
The Technician is part of Black Diamond's first approach shoe line-up, and they're not a bad start. The main issue we have is its stiffness. It's pretty uncomfortable to walk uphill in these shoes, which is what we're usually doing in our approach shoes. After that, they have above-average climbing ability, making them a decent crag shoe but not our first choice for big alpine missions.go to full review
The Boulder X's scores in climbing ability and weight are low compared to its competitors, but we find that most climbers don't spend nearly as much time approaching on technical terrain as they do on manicured trails. For the average climber, the La Sportiva Boulder X is a decent choice that will keep your feet comfortable and support, all for a great price. There are shoes at similar prices that have better overall scores though, so if you might be venturing into varied types of terrain,..." go to full review