Rock Shoes

In the 1930's the first rubber-soled shoes designed specifically for climbing were made by Pierre Allain to allow him and his friends to climb harder routes at Fontainebleau and in the European Alps. These were essentially plimsolls but they began the development of the highly technical climbing shoes used today.

Modern climbing shoes allow climbers of any level to use footholds that would be nonexistent in trainers or boots. A good correctly fitting pair of rock shoes will noticeably improve anyone's grade.

Fitting a pair of rock shoes is quite hard because the sizing varies so much between manufacturer and even between models made by the same company. If you can get into a shop to try them on I'd recommend it. The type of fit you need from a rock shoe depends on the type of climbing you want to do. Beginners and intermediate level climbers will benefit from a fairly comfortable sock like fit where the shoe touches the end of your foot but does not squash your toes. More advanced climbers sometimes like to squash their feet into uncomfortably small shoes, this creates more power through the big toe and allows you to stand on even smaller holds. Unfortunately it hurts so you can't climb bigger routes and it can become quite uncomfortable after a weeks climbing.

Rock shoes can be categorized into three main types, beginners, intermediate and advanced.

Beginner's rock shoes are normally laced to allow the greatest range of fit. They tend to be quite foot shaped and have a fairly stiff supportive sole. They are great as a first pair of rock boots because they will be comfortable so you can wear them all day and the more climbing you can do the quicker you will improve.

Intermediate shoes are designed as either a slightly more performance based progression from your first pair or as a comfy all day rock shoe for any level climber. They tend to be slightly more flexible and shaped a little bit asymmetrically (pointy at the big toe).

Advanced rock shoes are designed for climbers climbing at a fairly hard grade. They tend to be quite asymmetric which allows the maximum amount of power to be put through the big toe. Some are also quite hooked which is advantages on overhanging ground as it allows you to pull in with your feet as well as push down.

Ultimately although the type of climbing you do will probably give you an idea of the type of boot you need a beginner would be better off in a pair of comfy advanced shoes than uncomfortable beginners shoes.