Best bang for buck climbing shoes

 I just recently got into climbing and have been going to my local bouldering gym for a while now and have gotten good enough to start on real boulders, the problem is that I’ve been only been using rentals and I need a pair now. Is there any shoe recommendations that aren’t too expensive.

Unparallel upmocc. Cheap, good rubber, good toe patch, etc. i would get something with a strap though if you find something that fits. The tight fit and toe patch rubber will really open up your movement possibilities. Even just non-rental rubber will blow your mind. What types of boulders do you like? Slopey, crimpy, big smear feet, tiny edging feet, slab, overhang, vert? Will help people recommend a shoe. 

The ones that fit your feet well. Any others will be a waste. Don't worry about getting an overly technical shoe. Any shoe will help a whole lot, as long as it fits your foot. A climbing shoe is one thing that should not be purchased online without trying it on first. 5.10 and La Sportiva are two of the biggest brands. Many people, myself included, have feet that only fit in one of those two brands. A shoe is almost certainly the most important piece of climbing gear, even if you branch out of bouldering and into roped climbing. Any chalk bag, any harness, any carabiners, any belay device...but shoes that fit your feet are extremely important.

I recommend used. I do not believe that new shoes are going to make a difference to you. I promise that people 30 years ago were doing hard boulder problems with stiff shoes more comfortable than TC pros. I find shoes like that, like new, on ebay for under $50 all the time.

When they're a bit loose, I wear socks. Then my feet are warm all day.

I'm writing this response but I don't expect you to take my advice. This is how I get shoes that are not expensive.

I personally started with a pair of La Sportiva Tarantulas. Not sure how hard you’re climbing but for me I had no need of anything more for awhile lol. I’ll second the advice to avoid anything too aggressive. My current go-to are La sportiva finales.

Good luck!

Before the crusties all drown you with “stiff boots” i will say soft and sticky is way more fun in a gym and will get you up a lot outside too. And they’re usually more comfy out of the box

Go to a store that sells climbing shoes. REI will do, but if you can find an actual climbing store — even better Try all shoes they have in your size. Buy the cheapest shoe that fits well.

There is just no shortcut to trying them on. You can find a $40 pair if something g on clearance online, and it would be $40 wasted, if they don’t fit. 

Where do you climb, "Noah"?

Buy a used pair of high-performance shoes. I'd see what your gym sells, try them on to find your correct size (there's often a huge difference in size between a blown-out pair of rental shoes and slightly used performance shoes, and a huger difference between brands [eg. la sportiva 39 = evolv 41.5]), and then check the forums / FB marketplace for a decent pair in your size. 

I'd parrot the others here who recommend soft, grippy shoes for gym climbing. I always cringe when I see someone in TC Pros bouldering in the gym -- stiff rubber has almost no advantage in the gym besides being a little more durable, and even then poor footwork will eat a pair of shoes up quickly. Soft, grippy, and fit your foot well. I'd stay away, at least at first, from uber tight shoes. You want your toes to be slightly crimped in the toebox standing up in them, and that's normally tight enough. Save the Chinese foot binding for later. You want something that's slightly uncomfortable at first, but will be comfortable after its broken in. Super tight shoes don't help in the gym as much as people want to think they do. For the gym, go velcro if you have the option.

You can't go wrong with a pair of LS solutions, and I really, really like the skwamas. Evolv's shaman is also very good, as is the zenist. I don't wear scarpa, but my friends who do love the instinct vsr. See what your gym, or a retail store near you that sells climbing shoes, has and then go from there. 

Acopa Gama is probably the best bang for buck performance shoe on the market and they do split sizing. It's a small company but I really like their shoes. They have great customer service and will help you find a shoe that's right for you.

I agree with going to a store like REI or your local gym and trying on a bunch of shoes. Ask the gym employees, they can help you out better in-person than we can online. 

In case you're a bot, you can get shoes from the local shoe store that makes shoes for shoe people.