Top Ten Rock Climbing Shoes for Under $100

Not to worry interns, students, and dirtbags! You can still get a quality pair of climbing shoes without skipping out on meals of PB&J and Ramen. Maybe it’s your first pair and you don’t want to commit to a more expensive model. Either way, these best-selling shoes yet inexpensive shoes will help keep your feet on the wall and cash in your pocket.

 

 

Performance 

 

Evolv Bandit ($99) – These lace-ups perform on smears, cracks, and edges as well as any shoe on the market, regardless of price. Super-sticky TRAX XT-5 rubber maintains friction while the lined synthetic upper minimizes stretching so they fit well straight from the box to the end of the season.

 

Evolv Hera ($98) – Perfect for the women who love techy boulder problems and hard sport routes, these shoes not only include a wicking microfiber to keep your feet dry, Evolv donates a portion of all sales to the HERA Women’s Cancer Foundation. Feel-good shoes all around!

 

 

 

 Evolv Rockstar ($80) – These women’s lace-ups didn’t win the editor’s choice awards from both Climbing Magazine and Rock & Ice for nothing. Designed for all-around performance, these versatile shoes are perfect for your hardest boulder problems, sport climbs, and trad routes.

 

Five-Ten Anasazi Moccasym ($99) – The Moccs can do it all, depending on how you size them. They’ve been seen on high-grade sends on all rock types, yet are perfect for a first pair of comfy slippers. C4 rubber, arguably the stickiest around, will make you think you’re wearing fly paper.

 

 

Durability 

 

Five-Ten Spire ($95) – One of Five Ten’s best sellers for years, the Spire is conveniently priced and durable enough to last through the most bumbling beginner’s learning curve. They stretch about a half size, which makes them perfect for long days. Combined with C4 Stealth, they’re quite possibly the best first pair of shoes around.

 

 

Five-Ten Coyote ($80) – Durable and comfortable, the Coyote’s are a fine pair of shoes for an excellent price. With Stealth C4 soles and thick rubber, you won’t have to buy new shoes every three months.

 

 

La Sportiva Cliff ($90) – La Sportiva designed these shoes entirely with the beginner in mind. As a result the Cliff has become one of the most popular pair of beginner shoes in the world. The lacing goes all the way to the toe, allowing you to adjust them loose for long sessions and tight for sending, and the FriXion RS rubber is designed to be sticky yet super-durable.

 

 

Scarpa Thunder ($99) and Lady Thunder ($89) – Scarpa’s best-selling climbing shoe, the Thunders are a great shoe for all levels of skill on all types of climbs. To-the-toe lacing and a medium flex make them effective on any trad or sport climb, and the highly perforated upper allows your feet to breathe, keeping them cool and dry.