Five Ten Hiangle

Our Top Pick

If you really want to know what it feels like to wear the best intermediate bouldering shoes, you might want to go for the Hiangle from Five Ten. Five Ten Hiangle has got everything it needs to fill your cup.

It’s been made with 100% pure split-grain leather, for which, if you’re confused about its durability, you can just wave off the worries. The water-resistant attribute, on the other hand, makes sure your shoes don’t lose their quality at all, even if your feet touch the water.

pros

  • 100% pure split-grain leather makes it durable
  • The water-resistant feature saves it from water-related damage
  • The rubber sole allows you to have higher traction
  • C4 rubber outsole enhances its durability
  • Offers satisfying air-circulation to your feet
  • Stretches a bit to adapt to the shape of your feet

cons

  • If it gets wet, the shoe becomes a bit smelly
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Thanks to the rubber sole it comes with, you’re getting higher traction no matter what type of surface you’re dealing with. when you’re up for the climb, you don’t get to experience those accidental slips at all.  

Besides, unlike the typical ones, you get to have the perfect air circulation to your feet, so they don’t sweat up anytime soon.  The outsole, on the other hand, is made of high-quality C4 rubber to take durability to its peak.

As you wear it, there’s no way you’re going to feel that your feet are not getting the space they need. The shoes are spacious, and most importantly, they stretch according to the shape of your feet.

Scarpa Men's Vapor V

Best For Crack Climbing

At number 2 in the top intermediate climbing shoe reviews, I’ve got the Vapor V climbing shoe from Scarpa. This one is one of a kind for its great aesthetics and features with budget-friendly attributes. 

Unlike anything else in the marketplace, Scarpa Vapor V offers you the ease and comfort you need for crack climbing. Let it be granite cracks or desert sandstone; once you put on the Vapor V, you’ll see how it easily wiggles into your finger cracks. 

pros

  • Boasts a great aesthetic
  • Best for climbing on granite cracks or desert sandstone
  • Dual-Velcro straps save you from pain
  • Can be used for steeper climbs
  • Padded mesh tongues enhance comfort

cons

  • A bit aggressive
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Besides, the dual-Velcro straps, on the other hand, won’t cause you any pain in the cracks, which is an impressive plus.

As for sensitivity, this one is a bit better than what you can find in soft shoes like some models from Five Ten. It’s a bit on the aggressive side, but thanks to the downturned toe, you can have full control over it while going for the steeper climbs.

When you’re talking about comfort, the Vapor V from Scarpa intermediate climbing shoes has it all to make you feel comfortable.  As you put them on, the padded mesh tongues will offer you the comfort zone you deserve. 

Mad Rock Remora

Best For Transition

As the name says it, the Remora from Madrock lets you dominate the rock climbing while you take your experience to a whole new stage. Style, durability, functionality, you name it, this beast has everything to be on your preference list.  No wonder it’s one of the best intermediate rock climbing shoes.

It has a very moderate profile while it holds a little downturn. Even though you may find it a bit tricky to put it on first but once you get the hang of it, I think it’s going to be a good fit.

pros

  • Has got a moderate downturn
  • Reduces the chance of slipping
  • It does not stretch
  • Science Friction 3.0 rubber gives it a good edging
  • Has got soft outer rubber
  • The upper is very soft & it gives you the flexibility you need

cons

  • Customers have complained about its sizing chart.
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As you put it on and go for a climb, one thing, I can tell you there’s no chance for this one to slip off of your feet in any way if you picked the right size. 

This is because the Remora from Mad Rock, unlike the typical ones, does not stretch a bit even if you wear it for a long time. As a result, it remains perfectly adjusted to your feet 24/7. 

Surprisingly, it is edged in a very well manner, thanks to the Science Friction 3.0 rubber. The rock texture won’t have a problem digging in on all those thin cuts at all, and all the credit goes to the soft outer rubber. As for the smearing, you’ll be able to stick to the wall quite easily.

As for comfort, this pair of climbing shoes for intermediate climbers takes you to a zone you’ll have your convenience confirmed. The sole, along with the upper, is soft as a marshmallow. And as you put it a couple of times on your feet, you’ll be able to have the ultimate flexibility you need while going for a climb. 

La Sportiva Kataki Women's

Best For Women

So you’ve gone through all the best men’s intermediate climbing shoes, but why should boys have all the fun, right? Well, if you’re a woman who’s into climbing, you can go for the Kataki by La Sportiva.

First off, as you take a look at it, you’ll know for sure that this one is one of a kind. The premium aesthetics will make you go wow, and the color combination it comes with simply makes it an X.

pros

  • Comes with premium aesthetics
  • Fits perfectly to the heel
  • Stops your feet from slipping or sliding
  • It comes with more sensitivity and flexibility
  • S-Heel construction eliminates heel deformation
  • 3/5 sole gives you easy re-soling

cons

  • Another expensive shoe for women
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It’s a bit on the downturned side. This is more like an upgrade to the Katana Lace (only if you’ve used it). The shoe fits perfectly to the heel, and there’s no chance for this one to get stretched even if you wear it for months. 

To make yourself feel comfortable, you can stretch its tongue towards yourself, and before you lace it up, you can smoothen it. It doesn’t matter if you’re making a climb on a hot summer day, there’s no way your feet will slop or slide around. 

On the other hand, the toes are not only supportive but also allows you to experience the precision you deserve. To give you the sensitivity you’ve always been craving for, it comes with a very soft midsole. Besides, this also allows your feet to stay flexible on steeper routes.

Heel deformation is probably women’s greatest fear when it comes to footwear. Well, guess what? The Kataki from La Sportiva Intermediate climbing shoes comes with the innovative S-Heel construction, which eliminates all types of deformation surrounding your heel within a snap. 

Besides, you get to experience easy re-soling, thanks to the 3/5 sole it comes with. It may not be in the cheap intermediate climbing shoes list, but it certainly is something you want to spend your money on.

La Sportiva Katana Lace

Most Durable

You see, while I was talking about the Kataki from La Sportiva above, I did talk about the Katana Lace. If you’re wondering what it is, you might want to see what it has got to offer you.

The Katana is made of pure synthetic, which makes it one of a kind when it comes to durability. Do you want to climb to the mountains? Well, go for it, there’s no way you can have this one damaged anytime soon.

When it comes to the edging, this one comes with the P3 midsole that joins hands with the Vibram XS Edge, which obviously makes it an edging beast. Yes, this one also has a downturned toe, but it also comes with a semi-asymmetric fit. 

pros

  • It has excellent durability to withstand a beating
  • P3 midsole and Vibram XS edge
  • Perfect for steeper terrains
  • Adapts to the shape of your feet perfectly
  • You'll have enough rigidity

cons

  • Wearing it for long can create slight discomfort.
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It is designed in such a way that you’ll be able to tackle all the steeper terrains just like that while putting more power underneath the big toe you use.

Even though it lacks the thin ankle padding but the Katana has got a more aggressive design, making it suitable for you to go for crack climbing. On top of that, the Katana Lace will keep on holding your feet while you feel the tight comfort.

It is surprisingly quite sensitive and as you wear it for a long time. As you climb the rocks, it will give you enough rigidity so that while you’re standing flat, you don’t feel that you’re on your very own metatarsals.

Evolv Supra

Best For Comfort

The Supra from Evolv is one spot-on thing when it comes to rock-climbing. If I didn’t talk about this one, the best intermediate rock climbing shoe reviews would remain incomplete. It’s a moderately downturned climbing shoe with slight asymmetry that comes across its midsole. 

This midsole, on the other hand, teamed up with the toe tox to make sure you get the precise footwork when you reach the edges. That being said, you should know that the Supra from Evolv is not that aggressive. 

As a result, you can not only use it for your climbing days, but you can take it to places like the gym as well.  When you wear it, the shoe adapts to the shape of your feet pretty easily.

pros

  • Great edging and precise footwork
  • Fits your heel perfectly
  • It doesn't stretch after frequent use
  • Has got mind-blowing sustainability
  • It has used the TRAX XE rubber

cons

  • The heel-hooking could be improved.
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No, it’s not one of those typical ones that stretch up too quickly, and you end up losing your shoes or slipping off, not at all. Instead, if you buy the correct size, you’ll have the comfort you need.

If you focus on the sole a bit, you’ll see that the manufacturers have used the TRAX XE rubber, which obviously is the newest rubber-compounds Evolv has to offer. For edging, this sole is hands down, one of a kind with mind-boggling sustainability. 

On the other hand, the rubber that comes with a toe cap is a molded one. This is not the typical shaved down one you’ll find pretty often. As a result, the shoes last longer than ever.

As far as performance is concerned, the shoe is shaped in such a way so that it has all the support towards the front that you’ll find with the edge inside. For which, when you work with your front toes, you work with precision. 

Signs That Determine Good Intermediate Climbing Shoes

So, you’re going to buy the best climbing shoes for intermediate climbers, eh? Cool. However, before judging if they are going to fill your cup, you should know what features you should look for inside them. 

It’s time to dig deeper into the things you should consider before buying a climbing shoe.

FIT

You don’t want your shoe to slip off your heel, do you? Sometimes people tend to buy a bigger shoe, but that can cause a bummer as the heel slips out or rise up while you move. 

This is why, make sure no matter which one you go for, you have the perfect shoe size.  Make sure it’s so tight so that as you wear it, your toes curl down. As you climb on the rock, this will maximize your grip. 

If you want to perform well in cracks, you can go for the one that is more on the comfy zone.  This will allow you to wear it all day as you go for multi-pitch climbs. 

You can go for an aggressive shoe if you want to go for steeper terrain.

Shape

The profile or the shape of your shoe is pretty essential.  You can go for downturned toe if you want to go for overhanging climbs or let’s say a harder boulder-problems. 

You also need to keep an eye on the asymmetry of your shoe. 

Stretch

New shoes often stretch over time. If you go for leather shoes, they’ll stretch at some point a bit faster. In case you want a less stretchable shoe, you can go for the synthetic ones.

Rubber

It’s probably one of the most important features of your shoe. If the rubber of your show sticks pretty well, you have to know that it’s softer, but at the same time, it is less durable than others.

The hard rubbers last pretty longer than the soft ones. However, if you want to go for good friction for smearing, the soft rubber should fill your cup.  If you’re someone who deals with multi-pitch trad climbs, you should go for a shoe that has harder rubbers.

Also, make sure the shoe you’re buying can be re-soled anytime you want. As a result, you won’t have to go for a new pair of shoes once in a while, and this will save you money and time.

FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers

Well, if you’re a pro, I wouldn’t say it’s more of a mandatory thing, but then again, it’s of course, recommended to wear climbing shoes. 

If you don’t use climbing shoes, you may face a hard time climbing up.  Besides, your street shoes won’t have your back as they’re not specially made for climbing.

Usually, climbers don’t go for socks while climbing. This is because socks can make your feet slippery, and your shoes may not have their perfect fit. But then again, it totally depends on you whether you want to go for socks or not.

It depends on your shoes, to be honest. If your shoes have got uppers that maintain a good shape, you can go for it multiple times.

If you think you’ve already known how to climb the rocks or the mountains, you can go for an intermediate climbing shoe rather than going for the ones that beginners use.

Yes, however, you might want to talk to the seller about the duration.

Wrapping Up!

Well, that was everything about the best intermediate climbing shoes. There are plenty of shoes in the market right now, but getting the best one can give you a bummer. To make sure you don’t get your hands on the wrong one, I talked about the hottest shoes over here.

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