sports girl bouldering in nature

The 9 Best Bouldering Shoes (2024 Buying Guide)

Eric Neyer

By

Published on November 30, 2022

Updated on December 5, 2023

Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that involves short, difficult routes, climbed without a rope. Climbers boulder outdoors, on natural boulders and cliffs, and inside on artificial walls at climbing gyms.

Bouldering routes, also known as problems, are often steeply overhanging with powerful moves. But boulder problems can also involve slab climbing on thin holds and smears that require core strength, balance, and delicate footwork.

That means no one shoe’s best for bouldering in all conditions. Beginner climbers don’t need a bouldering shoe with the latest extreme design. In fact, high-performance shoes give little advantage, if any, on problems of easy to moderate difficulty.

In this roundup, we’ll pick out the best bouldering shoes for several different uses and climber types.

close-up of a rock climber climbing a boulder

Our Method for Choosing the Top Bouldering Shoes

We started our shoe evaluation with climbing shoes marketed by manufacturers as best suited for bouldering. In addition, we considered shoe models that are popular with boulderers at local outdoor areas and gyms. Some shoes widely used for bouldering aren’t explicitly designed or billed as bouldering shoes. Our final shoe rankings are based on personal testing and experience, along with opinions from other expert reviews.

Our Selection of the Best Bouldering Shoes for 2024

Comparison Table

Shoe ModelDownturnBest forVeganBest Offer
La Sportiva Theory
Theory La Sportiva
HighCompetitionCheck price
Tenaya Tanta
Tanta Tenaya
LowBudgetCheck price
Evolv Ashima
Ashima Evolv
ModerateKidsCheck price
Scarpa Instinct VS Women’s
Instinct VS Women's Scarpa
ModerateWomenCheck price
La Sportiva Solution Comp
Solution Comp La Sportiva
ModerateOutdoor Bouldering PerformanceCheck price
Tenaya Oasi
Oasi Tenaya
ModerateBeginnersCheck price
Butora Acro
Acro Butora
ModerateGym BoulderingCheck price
La Sportiva Skwama
Skwama La Sportiva
ModerateWide FeetCheck price
La Sportiva Futura
Futura La Sportiva
ModerateNarrow FeetCheck price

1. La Sportiva Theory: Best for Competition and Indoor Climbing Performance

La Sportiva Theory: great soft shoes for performance

Important Specs

Resoleable: Yes
Vegan: No
Sole rubber: Vibram XS Grip 2
Shape/Fit: Extreme downturn, high asymmetry
Women’s or Low-volume version: Yes

The La Sportiva Theory is a purpose-made climbing shoe for hard indoor bouldering and competition climbing. With a single velcro strap and slipper-like comfort, it’s incredibly sensitive but offers surprising edging ability thanks to La Sportiva’s P3 tensioned rand system and No-Edge sole technology.

The Theory’s soft and flexible nature, XS Grip 2 rubber, and variable thickness sole let it hook, smear, and scum any hold or volume at any angle. These features are made to accommodate modern competition bouldering problems. These problems require a lot of smearing on the wall and volumes since there are very few positive edges available.

This shoe’s lower volume heel and velcro closure make for highly secure heel hooks, and the flexible midsole and 90% rubber coverage on top ensure that toe hooks are equally solid.

The downturned sole and sensitivity in the toe box make the Theory a dream on the radically overhanging terrain often encountered while gym climbing. Your toes will feel like another set of fingers with their ability to positively grasp small chips and wrap around jugs.

That said, the Theory isn’t ideal for longer routes or anything less than vertical. It’s still an excellent choice for super technical, steep sport routes. Just know that it may not last long with its lightweight construction and thinner rubber.

If you want to be at the top of the climbing gym food chain or seek Olympic rock climbing glory, you might want to look closer at La Sportiva’s Theory.

Alternative Pick: Scarpa Drago

The Scarpa Drago is a similar single-strap, soft, and sticky climbing shoe that incorporates the latest Scarpa technology. Buy it here.

Pros

  • Almost completely covered in sticky rubber for awesome toe and heel hooks
  • Soft in the middle but supportive in the toe for high-level smearing and edging
  • Unmatched prehensile ability in toes for latching holds on overhangs

Cons

  • Somewhat of a niche shoe with a specialized focus
  • Thin rubber, in some areas, reduces durability

Read our review of the LS Theory

2. Tenaya Tanta: Best Budget Bouldering Shoe

Tenaya Tanta: a relatively stiff shoe for beginners with two velcro straps

Important Specs

Resoleable: Yes
Vegan: Yes
Sole rubber: Tenaya proprietary
Shape/Fit: Low downturn, moderate asymmetry
Women’s or Low-volume version: No

If you’re serious about bouldering hard, your best bet for a budget shoe is to look for high-performance models on sale. Most climbing shoe manufacturers’ lower-priced and entry-level models are flat, relatively stiff shoes to make edging easier for beginning climbers. The lack of sensitivity and neutral shape of the last limits this type of shoe’s performance on steep problems.

The Tenaya Tanta is an exception to these norms, offering a slightly more aggressive design in a budget-friendly package. Right in the middle of Tenaya’s model line in terms of sensitivity versus support, the Tanta is stiff enough to edge fairly well but soft enough for smears and toe hooks on steeper terrain.

Tenaya recommends going down one shoe size from your US street shoe size for an aggressive fit in the Tantas, which is a good starting point if you want to use these shoes for bouldering.

Due to the moderate downturn on the Tanta, it hits its limit on technical problems that push past 45 degrees in steepness. Stay on vertical to mildly overhanging climbs, and the Tanta will outperform most any climbing shoe in its price range.

Alternative Pick: Ocun’s Oxi S

Oxi S by Czech brand Ocun is a little more pricey than the Tanta, but it packs in a whole lot more steep bouldering performance in an aggressive, slipper-like shoe that’s still under $150. Buy it here.

Pros

  • One of few affordable shoes with a moderately aggressive shape
  • Comfortable fit for a wide variety of foot shapes

Cons

  • This higher-volume shoe may not fit narrow feet well
  • Tenaya rubber is not as sticky as top brands

Read the Tenaya Tanta review

3. Evolv Ashima: Best Bouldering Shoe for Kids

Evolv Ashima: elite lace-up shoes for maximum power

Important Specs

Resoleable: Yes
Vegan: No
Sole rubber: Evolv Trax
Shape/Fit: Moderate downturn, moderate asymmetry
Women’s or Low-volume version: No

Named after the youngest person to ever climb a V15 boulder problem, Ashima Shiraishi, this Evolv model should be expected to excel on steep rock. It’s made for kids who are already experienced and ready to move to the next level.

Thanks to its aggressive shape compared to most climbing shoes made for youth, it’s not going to be as comfortable as the flat shoes most kids start with.

The Ashima is also soft and sensitive, with an unlined leather upper and no midsole. They are good for bouldering but require your foot to do a lot of work.

Another more advanced feature is the generous rubber toe patch on top of the upper. It makes this one of the few kid shoes with decent toe-hooking performance.

While the laces make it more difficult to get on and off, they do help this model fit more kids’ feet in relative comfort. Still, overall the Evolv Ashima is pretty low volume and better suited for narrow feet.

Alternative Pick: La Sportiva Maverink

The La Sportiva Maverink is a high-performance slipper for kids with an aggressive design and advanced tech features like the Zero Edge sole and P3 tensioned rand system. Buy it here.

Pros

  • Downturned sole steep bouldering and sport climbing
  • The sensitive, pointed toe is great for precise footwork on edges and pockets

Cons

  • Laces make shoes harder to put on and remove
  • Expensive compared to other youth shoe models

4. Scarpa Instinct VS Women’s: Best Women’s Bouldering Shoe

Scarpa Instinct VS Women's flat shoe

Important Specs

Resoleable: Yes
Vegan: No
Sole rubber: Vibram XS Grip 2
Shape/Fit: Moderate downturn, moderate asymmetry
Men’s version: Yes

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.

These features lead to a better grip on marginal holds and more secure heel hooks. This shoe is also a great edging shoe, partly thanks to the full 1.0 mm midsole lending support.

The rest of the shoe, and the thin 3.5 mm outsole, contribute to the Instinct VS’s decent sensitivity. The tight heel, single velcro power strap, and extensive rubber on top of the toe box make the shoe feel solid on any kind of fancy technical footwork, from hooks to toe scums to bicycle moves.

One thing many testers liked about the Instinct VS compared to other high-performance climbing shoes is its less aggressive architecture. It’s not quite as extremely curved as many elite shoes, either downward or inward.

Alternative Pick: Butora Gomi

The Butora Gomi (narrow fit) is a soft, downturned slipper-like shoe with a single strap and precise toe box fully encased in rubber. Buy it here.

Pros

  • Excellent edging, pocket climbing, toe, and heel hooking
  • Good combination of support and sensitivity for steep climbing

Cons

  • Downturn and full-length midsole limit technical smearing capabilities

Read the Scarpa Instinct VS review

5. La Sportiva Solution Comp: Best Outdoor Bouldering Performance

Solution Comp La Sportiva shoes

Important Specs

Resoleable: Yes
Vegan: No
Sole rubber: Vibram XS Grip 2
Shape/Fit: Moderate downturn, high asymmetry
Women’s or Low-volume version: No

A softer version of the long-time favorite Solution, La Sportiva’s Solution Comp is intended to be an even more specialized weapon for steep sport climbing and bouldering.

The newer Theory is softer, but the Solution Comp edges better due to a partial 0.9 mm midsole that supports just the toe box area.

Compared to the original Solution, the Comp’s upgrades are perfectly designed for bouldering performance. A thinner midsole, lower volume heel, and larger rubber toe patch have all led to greater sensitivity and more security on technical footwork.

The La Sportiva Solution Comp has a single strap closure that attaches at four points on the upper, so you can dial in a custom fit. A pointed toe helps the Comp stick into small pockets and onto the smallest of edges.

We recommend these for outdoor bouldering because they’re more sturdy and durable than the Theory but still suited for your burliest steep projects.

Alternative Pick: Scarpa Booster

For a slightly more rigid and supportive shoe that still delivers on overhanging terrain, try the Scarpa Booster. This two-strap velcro design is also vegan in construction. Buy it here.

Pros

  • Soft rubber and sensitive heel get top marks for heel hooking
  • The sole downturn is particularly suited to gripping holds on steep routes

Cons

  • Extra room at the top of the toe box can feel awkward
  • Not much support for lower-angle and slab climbing

6. Tenaya Oasi: Best Bouldering Shoes for Beginners

Tenaya Oasi best shoes for beginners

Important Specs

Resoleable: Yes
Vegan: Yes
Sole rubber: Vibram XS Grip
Shape/Fit: Moderate downturn, high asymmetry
Women’s or Low-volume version: No

A “beginner” bouldering shoe might be viewed as a contradiction in terms. When bouldering started outdoors, there were no bouldering gyms, and most of the routes were definitely not designed for beginners.

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.

That means there are more beginners trying out bouldering, and they can improve more quickly. If you’re focused and hitting the gym regularly, you may want to go ahead and start with a relatively high-performing shoe like the Tenaya Oasi.

With a moderately aggressive design, the Tenaya Oasi will take beginners well into the intermediate climber category and perhaps beyond. But, the feature that makes this our best bouldering shoe for beginners is the widely praised comfort level of the Oasi.

This shoe might win the prize for the most comfortable, most aggressive shoes on the market. If you are determined to get good at bouldering quickly, the Oasi could help you get there.

Alternative Pick: La Sportiva’s Finale

La Sportiva’s Finale has a mildly downturned sole and enough stiffness to be a decent bouldering shoe on moderate terrain, but when the going gets steeper, you’ll be left wanting more. Buy it here.

Pros

  • High level of overall performance, can be used as an all-around climbing shoe
  • Comfortable for a relatively aggressive shoe

Cons

  • Expensive for beginners, and the thin sole may wear quickly

7. Butora Acro: Best Climbing Shoe for Gym Bouldering

Butora Acro: model for best performance

Important Specs

Resoleable: Yes
Vegan: Yes
Sole rubber: Butora NEO Fuse
Shape/Fit: Moderate downturn, high asymmetry
Women’s or Low-volume version: Yes

Another climbing shoe that is essentially a bouldering slipper with a single velcro closure system, the Butora Acro is a popular shoe for bouldering and sport climbing indoors and out.

Stiffer and more supportive than the Butora Acro Comp, the regular Acro comes in two versions for wider and narrower feet. A large rubber patch covers most of the top of the forefoot to aid in hooking and scumming.

The Acro is supportive enough to work as an all-around gym climbing shoe and take on longer routes on overhung to less than vertical routes. It edges extremely well in those conditions and has enough downturn to pull your lower body into the wall as the angle gets steeper.

Butora Acros have a reputation for being comfortable, with a not-too-aggressive architecture and a soft feel. That means you can leave them on in the gym longer with less pain. But, the triple fork velcro closure still makes them conveniently easy to remove.

Solid construction and workmanship should make the Acro a durable, long-lasting choice as well.

Alternative Pick: Scarpa Furia Air

If you want the lightest, most breathable performance shoe available to wear indoors, check out the Scarpa Furia Air. Buy it here.

Pros

  • Comes in wide and narrow versions to fit a wide variety of foot shapes
  • Slightly lower price than other top-tier models of climbing shoes

Cons

  • The aggressively tensioned heel may cause discomfort

Read the Butora Acro Comp review

8. La Sportiva Skwama: Best Bouldering Shoes for Wide Feet

La Sportiva Skwama aggressive shoes

Important Specs

Resoleable: Yes
Vegan: No
Sole rubber: Vibram XS Grip 2
Shape/Fit: Moderate downturn, moderate asymmetry
Women’s or Low-volume version: Yes (plus vegan models)

The unlined La Sportiva Skwama is a medium-high volume shoe with a moderately downturned sole of highly sticky XS Grip 2 rubber.

While it’s in the middle of the spectrum on La Sportiva’s performance ratings, the Skwama is a favorite for climbers with wide feet.

Ribbed, molded toe patch and heel cup offer a secure grip for heel and toe hooks. However, since the Skwama isn’t as aggressive as some of the shoes on our list, you can expand its use to a wider variety of climbing styles, even trad, and multi-pitch.

The toe of the Skwama is wide and not too tall, so you can jam it into thin, technical cracks, whether bouldering or climbing a longer route. In fact, this shoe is pretty good at everything except sustained edging on vertical terrain, where its lack of support will start wearing on your calf muscles and feet.

Alternative Pick: Evolv Oracle

The Evolv Oracle is a high-end, aggressively designed lace-up shoe with a wider-than-average toe box, and the laces make it easier to accommodate a wider range of feet. Buy it here.

Pros

  • Wide forefoot and higher volume fit wider feet better than most
  • More versatile shoe; it can even manage some crack climbing

Cons

  • Requires tight fit and a longer break in time for a proper performance fit

Read the La Sportiva Skwama review

9. La Sportiva Futura: Best Bouldering Shoe for Narrow Feet

La Sportiva Futura, a model with great shoe performance

Important Specs

Resoleable: Yes
Vegan: No
Sole rubber: Vibram XS Grip 2
Shape/Fit: Moderate downturn, moderate asymmetry
Women’s or Low-volume version: Yes

Somewhat similar in construction to the La Sportiva Solution, the Futura is distinguished by the company’s No Edge sole. It also has a 1.1 mm partial midsole under the toe box to provide additional support for edging maneuvers.

However, the remainder of the shoe is soft and sensitive, like most bouldering shoes, with an ultra-thin 3 mm outsole of XS Grip 2 rubber. That means these shoes will wear pretty quickly on rough textured rock, so beware.

Climbing in the Futura feels as close to being barefoot as any shoe we’ve tried. The thin rubber lets you grasp any protruding hold with your toes like you would grab with your hand. The rigidity under your toes is just enough to provide amazing support, with the tensioned rand and No Edge sole adding to the feeling that you can stand securely on the smallest of footholds.

While the rubber on the outsole is thin, the fact that there’s no edge to wear out allows the Futura to last longer than you might think. Save it for your hardest sends, and it’ll last longer than you’d expect.

Alternative Pick: La Sportiva Miura VS

The La Sportiva Miura VS is more of an all-around high-level climbing shoe than strictly a bouldering shoe, but it climbs edges, pockets, and steeps extremely well and is built on one of La Sportiva’s lowest volume lasts. Buy it here.

Pros

  • Super sensitive with precise edging
  • La Sportiva’s P3 system keeps downturn intact despite softness

Cons

  • Rand tension may cause Achilles pain in some climbers

Read the La Sportiva Futura review

How to Find the Perfect Bouldering Shoes?

climber putting on climbing shoes and adjusting laces for a snug fit

The best bouldering shoe for you will be a model that fits your foot shape and has features that let you excel on the type of terrain you climb on the most. If you’re just starting out rock climbing, you won’t necessarily climb better in the most advanced, expensive shoes available.

In fact, a flatter last will often be better for a beginner shoe. New climbers don’t usually spend a lot of time on steep boulders with tiny edges, where more radically downturned designs are much more effective.

Soft or Stiff, Which Is Better?

Rock climbing shoes range from stiff-as-a-board trad climbing shoes to slippers that you can bend in half with two fingers. Which is better for bouldering?

close up of shoes for bouldering climbing style

As usual, there’s no perfect bouldering shoe for stiffness. Shoes with rigid support underfoot let you stand on dime-thin edges on vertical terrain. But those same shoes will feel like wooden clogs if you’re trying to smear a slippery volume or toe hook a jug on a horizontal roof.

Some shoes try to strike a balance by using a thinner midsole or by making the edge stiffer than the middle of the sole (like the La Sportiva Theory with its variable thickness sole). This lets them gain some of the benefits of stiff shoes without the downsides of loss of sensitivity and flexibility.

Shape: Downturn and Asymmetry

artificial rock climbing indoors

Climbing shoes are often described by the amount of downturn in their sole, from flat to extremely curved. A downturned sole helps greatly when climbing overhanging terrain, as you can use your toes to pull your lower body toward the wall much more effectively. Severe downturns can hinder a shoe’s ability to flex and smear on slabby ground, though, so it’s not always an ideal feature.

Shoes also vary in how much they curve inward, toward the big toe side. That’s referred to as asymmetry. This focuses all of your downward force onto the big toe, which makes tiny holds feel more secure.

Other Important Criteria

zoom in view on a climbing shoe with vibram xs edge rubber

Comfort

Climbers who are serious about bouldering wear their shoes as tight as they possibly can. If your goal is to strictly use your shoes for bouldering, you can get away with a tighter fit than for shoes you use on longer routes too.

Since most boulder attempts take just a few minutes at most, you might also choose a more aggressively shaped shoe since you know you can take them off frequently. Flat shoes are certainly the most comfortable, but they’ll limit your performance and strain your core muscles on steep terrain.

Sporty little boy climbing artificial boulder on practical wall in gym

Durability

If you’re buying a high-performing shoe, especially for bouldering, you shouldn’t prioritize durability. Soft, sensitive shoes with thinner rubber will break down faster and wear out their soles faster than an all-around climbing shoe or a trad climbing shoe.

That being said, you still want your shoes to last as long as possible. So, if you have a pair of elite bouldering shoes, don’t wear them on routes where you don’t need the performance. Use more durable, comfortable shoes for warming up and long gym sessions, and save your most aggressive pair for sending the hard stuff.

lace ups bouldering shoes on artificial climbing hold

FAQs

What type of shoe is best for bouldering?

The best type of shoe for bouldering will depend on your climbing level and the kind of terrain you tend to climb on the most. The most common type of shoe used by hardcore boulderers these days leans toward the soft, sensitive side of the spectrum because they’re better at steep climbing.

Is there a difference between climbing and bouldering shoes?

There’s no real difference between climbing shoes and bouldering shoes. Shoes that are good for high-level bouldering are also good for sport climbing on steep, difficult terrain. At the same time, you could boulder in shoes designed for crack climbing, but the stiff, flat nature of those types of shoes will limit your bouldering performance.

Do you wear socks with bouldering shoes?

Some climbers wear socks when they boulder. However, at higher difficulty levels, it’s almost always better to maximize sensitivity and climb without socks.