The Best Climbing Shoe Of 2026, According To Reviews

If you were to ask a few prolific climbers, at random, what the best climbing shoe is, you might be in that conversation for a while. To save you a few hours, the summary would be: The one that fits your budget, feet, and the type of climbing you enjoy. However, for the average climber, reviews point to the Scarpa Arpia V as a reliable all-arounder. It's considered a moderate shoe type (as opposed to natural or aggressive) that balances comfort and precision, which is ideal for intermediate climbers and gym climbers wearing them for the entire gym session. Both the women's and men's models receive high marks from customers at retail sites like REI and the brand's own website.

A review by Steven Potter at Climbing.com reports the Arpia V balances precise edging, out-of-the-box comfort, and enough smearing ability to work across multiple kinds of rock. Potter found it to be "an excellent intermediate shoe, comfortable enough for gym laps and long days at the crag, but performant enough to feel solid edging and front-pointing on most climbs in the 5-30 degree overhanging range."

As a climber myself, I personally like that the Arpia V has velcro straps instead of laces, making them convenient to don or remove between projects. REI reviewer ATD liked the support and friction performance in the Arpia V, "This shoe['s] full sole does a lot for support...I really benefit from the combination of stiffness and grip here that's super hard to find." Bear in mind that confident footing doesn't just come from a good shoe, often it's your climbing technique. Trey's review on REI affirms their performance and durability: "They're aggressive enough for overhang and great on slab as well. My first pair last me around a year of climbing one to two times per week so I'd so they're fairly durable too."

The main challenge with a moderate shoe is that it's a Jack/Jane-of-all-trades, but master of none. If you're progressing in the sport and your shoes get a lot of use, you may outgrow this pair fairly quickly due to wear and tear, and you may notice you're losing your footing and falling during more precise moves. Falling is par for the course in climbing, of course: The key is to make sure you know how to fall correctly. 

Not quite a beginner-friendly shoe, Arpia V's has a slight downturn and asymmetrical shape. It's a level up from the pair you might rent at the gym, but still sacrifices some precision compared with more aggressive designs. REI reviews do note that durability can start fading after heavy use. Liv1234 uses them for bouldering and said, "After 7 months the toes on my pair are damaged and in need of a resole but still usable, and the velcro definitely has seen better days, but I have fixed it mostly with [duct] tape."

The feedback for Arpia V's sizing is mixed. Shelby gave them 5 stars at REI and noted they, "have feet that are more on the narrow side with long toes. My right foot is "Greek" (longer middle toe than big toe) and my left is "Roman" (first two toes the same length), and these shoes have been a dream. I'm a street 9 (40), but got 40.5." But Eth1290 went in the opposite direction, "I downsized one size, and they fit perfect from the beginning, but not everyone's foot is the same, so I would try them on if you can, break-in wasn't bad — it took two to three sessions."

This article is based on Climbing.com's review of the Scarpa Arpia V, along with Reddit r/climbingshoes discussion boards, and REI reviews. We looked for consistent themes in user feedback, which were overwhelmingly that this pair is a solid all-arounder, owing to its versatile design rather than hyper-specialization. We prioritized the reviews that focused on intermediate climbers who might enjoy both indoor and outdoor climbing, as well as bouldering and sport climbing. We reviewed performance, comfort, break-in, sizing, fit, and durability. If climbing in all shapes and forms is your passion, we suggest a shoe specialized for your style: bouldering, trad, sport, indoor, outdoor, face, or whatever your passion.