Best Intermediate Climbing Shoes (Top 6 Picks & Buying Tips)

1. Best Intermediate Climbing Shoe for Women

For women, our recommendation is the SCARPA Women’s Origin Rock Climbing Shoes. With low volume and a women-specific fit, they’re a great intermediate shoe. These shoes have the tagline ‘Start Comfy, Stay Comfy.’

With hook and loop closure, passive rand and flat lasted construction, they’re designed with comfort in mind first and foremost. And what more could you want from a climbing shoe! Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons:

Pros

• A flat-last and only slight asymmetry
• Comfort first but with the stick needed for a solid climbing technique
• Narrower last and lower-volume heel cup than unisex or men’s shoes
• Vision Rubber – a thick outsole that is highly durable for learning the nuances of good footwork
• Pressure absorbing heel structure spreads the force of the tension, reducing any tension on the Achilles’

Cons

• A little bit more expensive than some other choices
• They can stretch a bit, even after minimal use, so be sure to buy a snug fit to begin with

2. Best Budget-Friendly Intermediate Climbing Shoe

Our budget-friendly choice is the So iLL Street LV Half & Half Climbing Shoe.

This shoe features a rubber sole, ultra-lightweight and thin midsole, a padded tongue, downturned toe and large buckle closures.

Let’s look at the pros and cons so you can make up your mind:

Pros

• Designed to accommodate narrower feet
• An ultrathin midsole for a more sensitive and softer fit
• A lightweight aggressive climbing shoe
• Thin padded tongue
• “Dipped” seafoam green and black unique design
• ‘Sticky’ rubber outsole
• A good stepping stone to more aggressive climbing shoes

Cons

• Measures small. Choose a size and a half up from your regular size
• A ‘messy’ finish to the shoe

3. Best Premium Intermediate Climbing Shoe

If you’ve got the dough to spare, the La Sportiva Miura Climbing Shoe is worth its price tag!

With a rubber sole, slingshot rand and speedy lace-up closure, this shoe sits a cut above the rest when it comes to intermediate climbers.

Let’s take a closer look at this stunner of a shoe:

Pros

• Slingshot rang that is connected to a power hinge underneath the shoe, keeping you on edges with ease
• 8-panel directional lining for channeling stretch
• Ideal for bouldering, overhand sport routes, technical face climbing and gym climbing
• Intermediate-High performance shoe
• Pointed, large downturn with high asymmetry
• Medium-firm heel tension
• Low volume
• Narrow width

Cons

• Can come up a little too small
• Some find it bends a bit too much between the toe box and heel

4. Best Versatile All-Rounder Intermediate Climbing Shoe

For a good all-rounder intermediate climbing shoe, you can’t go wrong with the CLIMBX Red Point Shoe.

Made from a combination of fabric and leather with an organic hemp footbed and rubber sole, this climbing shoe is excellent when it comes to versatility. It isn’t limited to one style of climbing (like other shoes may be) and is great for all angles, rocks and styles of climb.

But what about its pros and cons?

Pros

• Good technical climbing shoe
• Will help you climb to the next level
• Stiffer midsole toe box than other shoes, making it easier to stay on the edge of small cracks
• Great camber arch to help climb on overhanging, steep boulders and higher-grade sport routes
• Soft, comfortable material
• Great stickiness to the rubber that isn’t affected by temperature

Cons

• Make sure to downsize half to a full size from your normal shoes
• Not great for narrow feet

5. Best Intermediate Climbing Shoe for Aggressive Performance

When it comes to aggressive climbing, you need to have the right shoes, so they stand up to the task at hand.

We believe that the Ocun Bullit Climbing Shoe is a great choice for this purpose.  

With super sticky rubber with a pre-tensioned arch, these shoes are slipper fit and are a comfortable yet powerful choice for an aggressive performance.

Let’s look a bit more at these great shoes:

Pros

• Sticky CAT μ1.5 rubber
• Slipper fit
• Pretensioned arch
• Vegan construction – microfiber upper with Velcro strap to stop rotation
• Pretensioned heel strap
• 3D molded rubber toe area
• Slightly down-turned, concave and asymmetrical shape
• Anatomically modelled to fit stressed toes
• Excels in overhanging routes
• 1-year warranty

Cons

• The Amazon fit guide is a bit misleading

6. Best Intermediate Climbing Shoe for Specialized Terrain

There are different climbing shoes out there for different types of climbing.

The ones we’ve gone for here are the SCARPA Men’s Vapor V Rock Climbing Shoes specifically designed with sport climbing and bouldering in mind. The Vapor V bends well in steep terrain with just the comfort and sensitivity that you need when the angles ease off.

The reduced volume in the tongue also keeps it supple and a suede base conforms excellently to the foot for comfort that lasts the whole day long. Let’s read more about it!

Pros

• Slightly asymmetric with a moderate downturn for optimal performance in steep terrain
• Vibram XS Edge Rubber which is stiff enough to stand on thin ledges
• Softer M70 rubber in the heel to handle all kinds of boulders and headwalls
• Flexan Dynamic Midsole to offset the softer upper

Cons

• Need breaking in
• Hard to do heel hooks without it slipping off