The 10 Best Climbing Shoes of 2021, Tested by an Expert

Unless you’re Charles Albert, there’s no piece of gear more important to a climber than climbing shoes. Even free soloists like the world-famous Alex Honnold, notorious for using no protective gear at all, will bring rock shoes (and sometimes chalk) up the wall with them. At the bare minimum, every climber needs at least one pair of the best climbing shoes in their arsenal if they want to perform well on their project. That said, just as with any other type of workout shoe, performance isn’t the only factor to consider. When shopping for climbing shoes, you also have to take into account comfort, durability, versatility and price of the shoes, among other factors. “For newer climbers buying their first pair of shoes, I’d recommend a shoe that’s reasonably priced and comfortable,” says professional climber and trad crusher Molly Mitchell, one of only a handful of women in the world to have sent 5.14 trad. “It doesn’t have to be too aggressive, although maybe you’ll take them off between routes just for saving them,” she adds. For starters, let’s break down the different types of climbing, because each requires a different focus. Then, we’ll dive into some of the techniques and subsequent

Follow Footwear News on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

from Footwear NewsFootwear News https://ift.tt/3jKygPD