Fortunately, these days climbers can choose from more brands and models of shoes than ever before. That also presents a dilemma: what to buy when there’s such a broad array of seemingly diverse and specialized climbing shoes on the market?

Thankfully, indoor gyms have lowered the bar for newcomers to the sport of bouldering. You can go inside and push your limits in relative safety without worrying about pads, spotters, or impaling yourself on a tree branch when you fall. In many cases, I was glad for the extra protection of the stiff rubber. When heel hooking smaller holds, the ball could sometimes be harder to use than softer heel shapes. On sharp heel hooks, I was glad for the protection.That’s the ultimate use for Five Ten’s new NIAD VCS, the updated version of the discontinued Anasazi line of shoes, which includes lace and slipper style shoes. The Anasazi models may be the most popular family of climbing shoes ever sold, so we’ll see if the NIAD line holds the same appeal over the next decade. As climbers, we know that there is a cornucopia of shoes to choose from. There are so many shoes to choose from it can get very overwhelming. And to make it worse, or better given the choices available, the shoes vary widely catering to every possible need and preference. They are made in different shapes, stiffness, material, fits, and methods of closure. Enough choices to make anyone dizzy! This sea of options means that there is a shoe out there for every foot type, no matter how unique. It’s just a matter of casting out and seeing what you catch. Eventually, you’ll find the ones that are just right. In this post, we’ll detail the best intermediate climbing shoes for you.

It all works. The Shamans felt tight without creating pain or pressure points. The heel is well designed, and there’s enough toe-top rubber for most toe hooks. At first glance, the Scarpa Vapor V doesn’t scream intermediate climbing shoe. With its slight downturn and relatively rounded toe box, the shoe appears to be a small step up from flat-soled, comfort-driven designs for beginner climbers. However, as many experienced climbers will attest, the Vapor V while is suitable for beginner climbers who want something a bit more advanced, these shoes perform well for both intermediate and advanced climbers. This shoe can handle any boulder, steep lead climb, or gym route that you can throw at it with style. The combination of stiffness and downturn means it’s not a great performer on foot jams or super techy smearing, though. This makes them particularly well suited for newer climbers who might not yet be used to the snugness of traditional climbing shoes.

Summary

Bouldering shoes don’t need to be all-day comfortable, but I don’t believe they need to be so unbearable that you’re ripping them off every 30 seconds. Leather climbing shoes are the traditional choice as they are more smell-resistant and are easier to care for. However, they tend to stretch and soften over time (up to about 1 full US size). Some leather shoes are even lined with a synthetic fabric, which reduces stretching to about 1/2 of a US size. Velcro: Velcro closures alleviate some of the tediousness of having to lace up your shoes before each climb. While they still allow you to adjust the fit of your shoes, they don’t provide the same precision fit that you’d expect from lace up alternatives.

Not to say climbers with wider feet shouldn’t try the Iati. The improved double velcro strap system gives a lot more flexibility in sizing than some closure systems. The women’s model of the Scarpa Instinct VS differs from the men’s version in two ways that make it better for bouldering. One, the sole is composed of Vibram’s XS Grip 2 instead of XS Grip Edge. Two, the women’s last is narrower and lower volume in the heel. Most of us don’t climb V9 or 5.13, but we still want climbing shoes that make moderate grades easier and help us climb with more grace and less effort. The La Sportiva Otaki does just that, on terrain from overhung to vertical that comprises the vast majority of most climbers’ diet. The Butora Acro climbing shoes are constructed with an aggressive, down-turned, climbing-specific last which encourages your toes to a hooked position. This style and fit establishes the Acro as a performance orientated shoe for steeper sport climbing and bouldering, excelling at toe hooks, heel hooks, and everything between. This relatively flat, lace-up climbing shoe may never climb 5.13 or V7 gracefully. Fortunately for bargain hunters, most climbers will never achieve those lofty heights either! That’s why, aside from beginners, this shoe also has a cult following among more experienced climbers skeptical of the “tighter is better” philosophy.The NIAD VCS isn’t great at anything, but it’s good at everything. And if you can get the sizing right, you can wear the shoes all day and still climb at a relatively high level on any terrain. You also get high-performing soft rubber with Five Ten Stealth C4.