Climbing

This shoe’s co-designer is Peter Croft, a legend in just about every climbing category, so testers had high hopes for it. And they weren’t disappointed, calling it stellar for long crack climbs. As a well designed high-top with a flat last, it feels good on your foot all day and offers more support when edging. Lined, leather uppers offer increased foot and ankle protection—a welcome break from Evolv’s usual lined synthetic uppers. A wide forefoot ensures that even high-volume feet won’t be..." go to full review

“I’m in love,” said our longtime shoe tester of the Tenaya Ra ($140; trango.com). “I’ve worn them on everything from slab to dead-vertical to slightly overhanging to roofs, and they perform perfectly everywhere.” Whether you’re running a few dozen endurance laps or trying to redpoint your hardest boulder problem in the gym, you’ll find high-performance edging, hooking, and smearing.go to full review

Having climbed up to 5.13a on Spurt-A-Tron in Rifle, Colorado, these shoes have proved their worth on everything from overhanging, glassy limestone to sharp, vertical sandstone. With rigid 4 Points Grip rubber throughout the shoe and an inflexible forefoot, the Hybrids were some of the best edging shoes in our review. Unfortunately, that means they didn’t excel at smearing: “It’s smearing with your entire foot—ok when there’s a big platform, but not great for nuanced smears,” said one tester..." go to full review

Testers found they excelled on difficult vertical routes, like on seven pitches of miniscule sandstone edges on the dead-vertical Prince of Darkness (5.10c), Red Rock, Nevada. Testers have had them for eight months, and each one has gotten consistent performance on every single pitch, from right out of the box to thousands of vertical feet later. “My favorite aspect of these shoes is their predictability,” said one long-term tester. “I put them on and know exactly what I’m getting every time..." go to full review

Party in the back, business in the front. A stiff, padded heel protects your foot and keeps it happy for hundreds of vertical feet, while a sensitive forefoot and pointed toe boost precision for pockets and edging.go to full review

Don the Stonelands for anything and everything from long cracks to moderate bouldering up to V6 or V7. “The combination of comfortable fit with performance toe position and stiffness make the Stonelands a near-perfect all-around shoe.”go to full review

With a flat-lasted sole, suede leather uppers, and padded mesh lining for the heel cup and tongue, this shoe is super comfortable for full days of climbing. And the unlined toe box, tensioned rand, and 4mm Vibram XS Edge sole rubber create sensitivity and power on pockets and edges. After wearing them on moderate routes around Colorado, from Lumpy Ridge granite to Shelf Road limestone, one tester raved, “Without a doubt one of the most comfortable rock shoes I’ve worn all year, if not ever...." go to full review

Comfort is king for shoes on alpine rock routes, especially if the climbing involves multiple standing belays, jamming wet cracks, or even some unroped scrambling. The new Hybrid (not to be confused with Millet’s old Hybrid shoe) is designed for comfort without sacrificing performance, with a padded tongue and collar and a cushioned heel that offers extra protection (it looks like the heel of a sneaker from the outside) on gravelly belay ledges or walk-offs in your climbing shoes. These have..." go to full review

Designed as an entry-level shoe, the Code found a home on long routes and crack climbs (hand-sized or wider). Our seasoned testers were skeptical of this new, unfamiliar brand and its proprietary Enigma rubber, but on the Durrance Route (5.7+) on Devils Tower, Wyoming, the Code pleasantly surprised one climber. “I’ve never worn a climbing shoe—even my ultra-comfy, flat-lasted favorites—for an entire day without pain, but the Code kept me going even after seven hours of climbing, walking on..." go to full review

Every climber needs a go-to gym shoe that doubles as an outside pair when hopping on every pitch in sight; the Rogue VCS fills that void and then some. “I wore this shoe for a few pitches in Boulder Canyon that turned into a late-night gym session after we got rained out,” one tester said. “I never thought twice about needing another shoe.” With a redesigned slingshot heel, the Rogue now fits most foot types. Before, medium- and low-volume feet swam and twisted in heel-hooks; now, testers..." go to full review