Hi all,

I want to do more climbing this year, take a course and get some time in. Probably easy outdoor crags and bouldering the UK, and some hot weather stuff in Spain. Maybe the occasional indoor wall. I'm thinking of getting some climbing shoes for the first time - what would you recommend based on your experiences?

I'm 5' 11", medium build, a size 9 foot with one slightly larger then the other! Not really interested in cross function or hybrid approach shoes as have several already. Aiming to spend about £50 I guess. Lots of choice out there including lace-ups and newer velcro tabs.

Grateful for any advice to get me on the right track.

See the advice given here

just go with what fits if you want to put your size 9 feet in size 4 shoes then go ahead, my experience is get something you can be in for a few hours at a time if doing multi-pitch routes or big walling.

i think scarpa's are excellent as i have the need for a wide fitting climbing shoe.

i think they were called helix, and have lasted a good while.

good luck

It's impossible to recommend a specific shoe as the most important thing is how well they fit your feet. Go to a good shop with a wide range of shoes and staff who know what they're doing (eg Outside in Hathersage, Rock&Run in Ambleside, Ultimate Outdoors in Betws-y-Coed or Keswick), explain what you're after and try on lots and lots of pairs. For beginners shoes look for ones which fit fairy tightly and don't let your feet move around within them - but aren't so tight as to be painful.

Some people will tell you that you have to squeeze your feet into shoes two sizes smaller than normal if you want to climb well - this might help if you're climbing in the E-numbers, but for VDiffs I'm unconvinced that it makes any difference beyond leaving you hobbling around at the end of the day.