Primary Gear

Board-lasted shoes, which are geared more toward beginner climbers, are flatter, more comfortable, and more capable of handling the moderate or all-around terrain you’ll encounter until you get more serious about and specialized in your climbing. Just remember, as a new climber, it’s more important to be comfortable than to have a shoe that’s suited for 5.12 routes. As your climbing ability improves, you’ll naturally want (and need) a more aggressive shoe.

Aggressively downturned shoes are for steep, difficult climbing. They’re great for pulling with ...