Climbing Shoes

The Tenaya Tarifa is a wunderwaffe (wonder weapon) used by the German Alex Megos as he rampaged through seemingly every 5.15 in the world.

The Vapor Vs, right out of the box, are the most comfortable climbing shoes I’ve ever worn. When they arrived I tugged them on and strolled through the Rock and Ice offices annoying the editors with phrases like, “Look, no deadspace!” But the real test was yet to come.

The Furias, as you would expect from Scarpa, are extremely well made. This is one of Scarpa’s top-end shoes, geared for performance on steep terrain. Indeed, I dig them for steep sport climbing, bouldering and even low-angle smearing. They’re sensitive, and that’s OK.

The Verde, an addition to Five Ten's famed Anasazi line, is a great edging shoe, perfect for vertical face climbing.

Red Chili's price-point is built for comfort and durability.

Though the Miura VS is most definitely "high performance," it actually is an all-around tool that would improve every climber's performance, no matter what discipline they are into.

Field Test Review of Scarpa Mago rock shoe.

Field test of the La Sportiva Solution rock shoe.

The new Shaman was designed by Chris Sharma, right down to the blue and orange colors, which were inspired by a basketball that his dog, Chaxi, loves to wrestle.

The classic Katana Velcro slipper has undergone a makeover with the addition of laces and the P3 rand to produce the Katana Lace, a high-quality, multi-purpose climbing shoe that, as I have found over a few months of testing, excels in all situations.

I logged lots of mileage in the Futuras in Joe's Valley, Rifle, Hueco and in the gym. To my surprise, I've come around.

America's least expensive shoe, the Drifter, is a no-nonsense, flat-soled slipper.