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First climbing shoes advice :)
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Hello there! I've started bouldering this summer and I'd like to buy my first pair of shoes since I want to make a long term relationship with this sport My friend, who is an intermediate now, recommended me Scarpa's Prime as my first pair of shoes. Unfortunatly I cannot find them in my size anywhere in my country so I've been looking for some other brands and I found La Sportiva's Tarantulas. What is your opinion on them, are they good/better than Scarpas? Plus, are Tarantulas or Tarantulaces better? I have to say that I actually already convinced myself to them, I love their color hahah:) My street size is 39/39.5, running shoes size is 40.5. Should I buy 38.5/38 size of Tarantulas? Are they breaking much? Or maybe these are not that good pair of shoes for the first year or so? Also, is there a significant difference between womens and mens shoes? I'd like to know in case there is no women's one in my size. I'm planning to boulder 2/3x a week. Hope You'd help me! Thanks! |
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DO NOT buy La Sportiva Tarantulas or Tarantulaces. You will either hate them very quickly or realize that they are holding you back in your bouldering. Don't buy shoes based on color. Whats important is that they fit correctly. Your first pair of climbing shoes should be snug all the way around your feet but not to the point of it being painful. I would recommend finding a shop with a large selection of climbing shoes and trying several pairs on. The largest difference between mens and women's shoes is that women's shoes are generally a bit lower volume. Which means the toe box is smaller and the heel will be more snug. |
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Whoa, nothing wrong with any shoe from la sportiva...if they fit you. That said, your first pair is gonna be a crap shoot. Hard to size right due to varying expectations of performance v. Comfort v your foot. Try as many as you can and go with the best fit in a flat lasted entry shoe that you think will be comfortable...but rest assured your first pair won't be your last and it may take time to dial in. Sorry! It's a struggle for everyone to get the right shoe and dial in the size. |
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A bad craftsman blames his tools. Don't buy LS solutions for your first pair, that's like using a Ferrari to get groceries (no offense). The difference between trantulas and tarantulaces is the laces. I'm a lace guy. I think it gives a better fit, but they're a pain to tie and untie constantly in the gym. I'd buy tarantulas (Velcro) if you're gonna be in the gym. They won't hold you back until they wear out. My advice: find a store that carries a lot of climbing shoes. Try on the cheapest pair(s) of each brand. It can feel like choosing a wand in Harry Potter sometimes, so make notes of which models and sizes fit best. I usually say spend about $100 USD, then buy the $200 pair later when the cheap ones wear out and you know more about the style of climbing you prefer. |
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+1 to Garrett's advice to avoid the LS Tarantulas/Tarantulaces. The only good thing about them is that you can occasionally find them for super cheap; like $40 a pair. At that price, they're maybe worth it, but stay far away if you're paying full retail. The Tarantulas have nothing to recommend them. They're a flat shoe that's also super soft and flexy, which is a combination that just doesn't make sense to me, especially for beginner climbers. Soft shoes are great, as long as they've got a nice asymmetry/downturn to them to help generate power in your toes and you have good enough footwork to make use of them. And flat shoes are great, as long as they've got some nice structure to them (especially helpful for beginners who lack strength in their toes and/or for long, multi-pitch routes where they can really save you from some serious foot fatigue). There's even some use for flat shoes that are also floppy, as long as they're slippers with a low-profile toe that can be great for crack climbing (the 5.10 Mocs, for example). But I just can't see any reason for a flat, floppy, laced/velcro shoe. You get the worst of all three worlds. If you're a beginner climber thinking about buying Tarantulas/Tarantulaces, do yourself a favor and consider something like the Scarpa Helix instead (or any other board-lasted or super stiff flat shoe). They're basically the same price, are still flat and pretty symmetrical, so they should be relatively comfortable, but much stiffer, which will be a huge help as you develop toe strength and improve your footwork. Nothing against La Sportiva (I love their other shoes and have climbed almost exclusively in them for many years), but the Tarantulas are just a shoe that makes no sense. |
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Reiterating what Chris said, my first shoes (that I settled into after trying and returning several other models/sizes) were Scarpa Helix, and I still occasionally use them. Very comfy, and have been great for me on slab and gym. |
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Buy something affordable that fits your foot. I realize that this is ambiguous advice, but the only way to judge is just to try on a bunch of different shoes and find what feels better for you and your foot. I know lots of people that like Tarantulaces, but there are obvious others in this thread that don’t. Ignore random advice on specific shoes from people on the internet and get what works for you. Also: don’t downsize them too much. There’s no point when you are a beginner. Your toes should be touching the front of the shoes or ever so slightly curled, but new beginner shoes should NOT be painful to wear out of the box. Don’t fall into that trap. I’ve been climbing for a long time and I basically wear most of my shoes a half size down from my street shoe size, which varies by model. Maybe 1 size down if I’m going for an uber aggressive fit... but I rarely do that anymore. |
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Hi, These guys find out the Tarantulas ok.
And about sizing. Dont go with "smaller is better" hype. Its not. https://eveningsends.com/climbing-shoes-tight/ |
