Boreal Indo
This indoor-oriented shoe manages to feel technical without being too aggressive, says Rob Greenwood. As a result it's fun and comfortable to climb in, but not to the detriment of performance. The price is worth shouting about, too!
In the past, beginner's climbing shoes might have been comfortable and supportive, but this invariably came at the expense of precision. However things are changing, especially indoors, where today's novice climbers are bouldering to a harder level than ever before. To meet the needs of this market, modern indoor beginner's shoes are designed to offer that bit more performance, and should be capable of taking you from entry level well into the mid grades. In fact many experienced climbers can be seen in them too.
© UKC Gear
And that's because, whatever your ability, the ideal bouldering beginner's shoe is easy and fun to climb in, designed to be both forgiving on the feet, and capable on the wall. Here we check out entry level models from six of the leading brands.
Fit
You may have heard that climbing shoes should be really tight. But don't go overboard, and don't automatically consider going down a size; start off with your street shoe size and see how it feels in the shop. Your toes need to be engaged at the front end, not fully flat; but unlike in a top-end performance shoe you don't want your feet fully knuckled over in an aggressive but crippling crimp. Try to find a shoe with no dead space, giving as close to a sock-like fit as you can.
Whatever we say in the following review, the best climbing shoe for you will be the one that best fits. We are all built differently, so try multiple pairs on for yourself. If it isn't comfy then it won't be fun - and fun really is the name of the game with beginner's shoes.
© UKC Gear
Our review brief:
An investment in your first pair of climbing shoes, comfortable enough for a beginner, but with sufficient performance to progress towards intermediate grades. Ideal for: indoor bouldering
Overall Summary
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Scarpa Price: £110 Comfy for beginners, but with enough performance to progress with you, the Origin VS absolutely excels for low to midrange indoor bouldering
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La Sportiva Price: £99 An easy shoe to like, balancing comfort, all-round bouldering performance, and affordability |
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Tenaya Price: £100 A great all-rounder that's a pleasure to climb in, and which offers more flexibility on fit than the other velcro models on test here, thanks to its lace-up design |
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Boreal Price: £75 With a price that's hard to ignore, this is a good all-rounder for those who climb both indoors and out, and capable enough for boulderers keen to progress |
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Black Diamond Price: £85 A comfort-oriented entry-level model that beginners should find friendly, but which lacks the performance needed to progress into harder bouldering |
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Unparallel Price: £115 Aggressive and high-performing for an entry-level shoe, but this does come at the expense of a beginner-friendly feel, so they won't suit everyone |
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Scarpa Origin VS £110
Reviewed by Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing 
Best in Test
Scarpa know what they're doing when it comes to climbing shoes, and they produce a lot of models - so much so that it was difficult to decide which to include. The Veloce Lace was one option; we absolutely loved it when we reviewed it last year, and it's still a firm favourite. However the recently released Origin VS meets our review brief perfectly. This shoe offers a contrasting set of features, with a flat, forgiving and neutral last that's designed to fit pretty much everyone, alongside super sticky rubber and some extras you might not expect from a beginner shoe, such as a toe patch, that are increasingly useful for people climbing indoors - even beginners.
In Use
The Origin VS has been designed primarily for newcomers to indoor bouldering; however, in spite of this we've been impressed by how well they perform. On easier problems you'll appreciate the comfort, while on harder problems you'll notice that they do just grip extremely well. Where some beginner shoes can feel quite clunky these feel like higher performance shoes than we had initially expected, only without the discomfort that usually comes with such performance. One of the things that's surprised us is how well this shoe has fared on harder problems, and with this in mind it should appeal to a broad range of (mostly indoor) climbers, not just novices.
With a sole in Scarpa's high friction S72 rubber, and a toe patch made from an even softer M50 compound that is designed to mould itself around the shape of the foot, this is a super-grippy shoe. The addition of a toe patch is great, since this future-proofs the shoe for the day you transcend being a beginner and become a little more performance oriented. In a clever move, a third rubber compound is used in the rand. This much harder-wearing rubber is a real blessing to beginners, who have a tendency to drag their feet up against the wall, since the rand aims to resist the wear that this would ordinarily cause.
Fit
The Origin VS features a flat, forgiving last with a similarly neutral toe profile, which is ideal for anyone starting out - or someone who's been at it for years and doesn't want something that's going to warp and cripple their feet throughout a long session.
This isn't a shoe you need to buy too tight and it isn't designed to be worn with your toes knuckled right up against the end, so if you're trying them out and they seem uncomfortable then they're either the wrong size or a poor fit. This is a shoe that should feel comfortable. Size-wise it's worth going down a single UK size in order to get a good snug fit.
Once worn in they're the sort of shoe that you can wear for an entire session, and the single strap adjustment means that they're easy to take on and off, or crank up the pressure for those harder projects you might have.
View websiteLa Sportiva Tarantula Boulder £99
Reviewed by Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com 
Highly Recommended
An easy shoe to get on with, the Tarantula Boulder meets our 'beginner-plus' review remit head-on, combining a forgiving fit with enough precision and performance to take you from entry level comfortably into the mid grades. If, like me, you've bouldered like a beginner for decades, then this may be all the shoe you'll ever need. They'd also suit better climbers looking for something for long wall sessions and circuits. Indoors or out, when wearing the Tarantula Boulder I've found you think about your footwork, not your shoe - and that's exactly what you want.
In Use
We reviewed the Tarantula some years ago, a supportive shoe that's good for easier cragging and long mountain routes. The Tarantula Boulder shares a name and beginner-friendly remit, but that's where similarity ends. This is a far softer shoe designed specifically for bouldering, indoors and out, and with a more precise feel that perfectly suits this style of climbing.
© Dan Bailey
The half sole offers just the right level of forefoot support for security on smaller holds and edges, while the softer midfoot gives you the necessary sensitivity and smearing ability on slabs and volumes. La Sportiva's Frixion Black rubber is really grippy stuff - good as you progress indoors, although for outright beginners, who tend to foot-drag, this softer compound may wear comparatively fast. If that happens, the shoe is designed to be easily resoled. As you progress into the more gymnastic style of modern indoor bouldering, the Tarantula Boulder shouldn't hold you back, with a decent toe patch for toe hooking and a heel designed for secure heel hooks.
Fit
The Tarantula Boulder comes in both a men's and a women's/lower volume fit, and a wide range of sizes including shoes small enough for kids. With its neutral last it has a forgiving feel, which should work for a lot of foot shapes. Thanks to its softness, and the two beefy Velcro straps, you can get a sock-like fit across the whole of the foot, to really boost the feeling of precision, but it's a close fit that doesn't leave you crippled - win, win.
It's about mid range in terms of volume and errs towards the narrower end of the scale in width. Though there's quite a pointy toe profile, with a bias towards the middle toe, I find that even with my broader, squarer-toed feet I can happily wear the Tarantula Boulder for a session without having to take them off. However it's worth noting that these shoes do seem to come out long for the stated size, and to achieve a precise front end I downsized to 45 - two whole sizes below my standard street shoe 47. I'm almost flat-footed inside, but with just a bit of engagement at the toe, which for me is the perfect way to balance wearability and performance.
View websiteTenaya Tanta Laces £100
Reviewed by Tim Hill - UKClimbing 
Highly Recommended
Straight out of the box, the Tenaya Tanta Laces feel soft, supple and comfortable. The lightweight construction is easy on your feet but delivers all the precision and support you need for having fun at the wall. As the only lace-up shoe on test, they offer a great range of adjustment when it comes to fit and foot shape, which can't quite be matched by a velcro shoe, and this will be a positive selling point for users with awkward-to-fit feet. This is a great all-rounder that's equally capable on the full range of problems you'll find down at the wall.
In Use
The Tanta feels like a versatile entry-level shoe, but one with a moderate downturn and slight asymmetry to give it a slightly boosted performance. This is a shoe that you can learn all the essential skills needed to climb a 25 problem circuit at the climbing wall. They are sufficiently soft to smear on volumes and large holds, while also being able to hold enough of an edge to climb pocket problems or stand on small flat edges. A combination of soft midsole with laces means you can make lots of adjustments when it comes to fit and tension. This also means you can pull the lacing system tight if you need more support on those small screw-on edges!
The Tanta Lace features 4mm of Tenaya's recycled rubber compound. The rubber compound itself seems sticky and more than suitable for the climbing wall, and this thickness of it should help ensure a bit of longevity in a beginner's shoe that may take a bit of abuse in the early days. The toe patch is minimal but a nice addition to aid toe hooks in steep roofs.
Fit
This is a medium-fit shoe when it comes to width and volume, with some extra flexibility due to the lacing system. The toe box is slim, meaning your feet can be relativity flat in the shoe giving a comfortable but snug fit. The heel is snug and soft, which is great for heel hooking on big holds and aretes.
For a comfortable but precise fit, I went down one UK size from my street shoe size; as ever, you'll only know what works for you by trying them on in a shop.
The lacing system works well and offers that extra bit of 'custom fit' but isn't as quick to pull on and off as a velcro shoe, something that may be mildly annoying if you like to pop your feet out between problems (Tenaya do offer a Velcro version, named simply the Tanta). Under the lacing system is a nicely padded stretch fabric tongue providing an extra layer of comfort.
View websiteBoreal Alpha £75
Reviewed by Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing
Good Value
There's no denying that the price tag of the Boreal Alpha is a major factor in its appeal, because £75 represents an absolute bargain in today's market, and if you're just starting out in bouldering it may well make sense to spend a bit less. Yet there's far more to it than a price that's hard to argue with, and the Alpha feels anything but cheap. What you get is a well made-shoe that's very able to develop alongside your own climbing ability. Built on the same last as the best selling Joker, it combines a forgiving fit with sufficient performance not to hold you back as you progress.
The Alpha feels like more of an all-rounder than some of the other shoes on test here, and if you mix and match indoor and outdoor climbing this may make it doubly good value for money - in a previous review we used it mainly for trad and sport climbing!
In Use
While they're flat lasted for comfort, they're also impressively asymmetrical for a beginner shoe, boosting their precision. Of course it's worth noting that the advent of modern climbing walls, and the way they set, has turned the concept of what beginners climb on its head. As a result, beginners progress faster than ever and the last thing you want when you're buying a shoe is for you to improve at a faster rate than the shoe allows. The Alpha is definitely capable of taking you on that journey from beginner to intermediate.
With a medium-soft sole there's enough support in the forefoot for decent edging performance, but still enough softness to get a good amount of rubber in contact on slabbier angles. Boreal's rubber compounds have been reworked in recent years and we've been really impressed by what we've seen. The Alpha features Zenith Quattro 2, which is their most durable compound. This is ideal for when you're starting out, as it's likely that you'll be dragging your feet more than an experienced climber would. You also get between 4-4.5mm of rubber, depending on the size of the shoe, which is above average. We really rate the rubber compound, and the fact that there's plenty of rubber on it, because this thickness will add to the lifespan of the shoe whilst you're developing skills and honing your footwork. But all this isn't to say that it isn't grippy either - because it is.
Fit
There are two versions of the Alpha - the men's (high volume) and women's (low volume).
They sit somewhere in the middle in terms of width, and whether you have a narrow or a wide foot it's well worth giving them a go - although maybe not if you sit at the extreme of either end of the spectrum; we know of wider-footed users, for instance, who find this last a bit constricting, since it has quite a pointed toe profile. Adjustment comes in the form of two straps, which have a good, solid feel. For a comfortable-yet-precise fit for indoor bouldering don't go mad on downsizing - you'll probably be looking to go down a single UK shoe size from your standard.
The heel also features a padded cup at its base, which is an extra luxury you don't find on many other climbing shoes. If you're after further luxury then it is worth considering the Joker, which features a lining.
View websiteBlack Diamond Momentum £85
Reviewed by Xa White - UKC and UKH 
With a stretchy and breathable upper, the Momentum is a shoe that bouldering novices will feel very much at home in. Whilst its basic construction doesn't readily nurture progression towards intermediate grades, its comfort-first approach will help first-time climbers feel at ease.
In Use
Black Diamond describe the Momentum as 'the perfect entry-level climbing shoe for all day comfort', and it's comfort, rather than performance, where this shoe excels.
That's not to say that the Momentum doesn't perform well at a beginner level. Relatively stiff toe rubber offers support for untrained toes, and feels secure on small holds, whilst the flexible mid-sole allows the forefoot to flex. The rubber - which you get a mighty 4.3mm of - offers plenty of durability, and is sticky enough for early forays into smearing and standing on volumes.
However, whilst the Momentum will be a dependable companion in the early days of your climbing journey, it's unlikely to allow you progress from beginner to intermediate as smoothly as some of the other shoes in this group test. As soon as slightly more advanced footwork comes into the picture, the Momentum's comfort-first approach becomes its downfall.
Toe hooks are a challenge, as the soft upper and absence of a toe-panel - whilst great for comfort - means that you have little to shield your toes from the hard edges of the holds. Whilst heel-hooks are possible if applying pressure directly through the back or base of the heel, the wide and slightly baggy cup has a bit of a tendency to slip off holds where more technical heel-hooks, using the sides of the foot, are required.
Fit
If the Momentum has one thing going for it, it's that this shoe is a gentle introduction to the world of climbing footwear. Many first-time climbers are put off the sport as a whole by the cramped and claustrophobic feeling that climbing shoes can inflict upon feet that aren't yet used to the demands of climbing, but the stretchy and breathable upper of the Momentum allows a precise fit for the tips of the toes whilst giving the toe knuckles space - and a soft microfibre lining - to flex up into. As such, downsizing in the Momentum isn't as painful as it might be in another shoe with a rubber toe-panel.
The Momentum is definitely at the wider and higher-volume end of the climbing shoe spectrum, and whilst the two opposing straps help to lock in the upper and mid-foot, if you have a medium or low width/volume foot then you might find that the front part of your foot has a bit too much space above and to the sides, even if it's a snug fit for the toes. Speaking of toes, the toe-box is relatively symmetrical, meaning that - for most - the toes will fit comfortably, but that the shoe doesn't offer the power and precision through the big toe that shoes with more asymmetry do. With a neutral, flat last, the Momentum offers a gentle entry-point for the first-time climber. I downsized from a UK 11.5 (EU 46 2/3) to a UK 10 (EU 44.5) for a tight, but not too tight, fit.
View websiteUnparallel Virtus £115
Reviewed by Tim Hill - UKClimbing
Unparallel has built a name for itself in the core UK outdoor climbing scene over recent years and the Virtus - which comes out in 2025 - has much of that heritage on show. It has a wide-opening velcro system that allows you to enter the shoe very easily, and the upper is almost velvety to the touch. But this beginner-friendly, comfortable upper is then attached to a more 'performance' spec sole unit, which makes this shoe very different from the others on test, both more capable and potentially more challenging for a novice to get on with. If you've already got through that initial learner phase, and feel that you're on a journey into intermediate climbing, then the Virtus may offer a modest step up in performance from the other shoes on review. It might not have their out-of-box softness, comfort and initial sensitivity, but if it fits your feet this is a shoe that will serve you well right up into the mid-grades.
In Use
When you first put the Virtus on they feel stiffer under your toes compared to most of the beginner shoes on the market. This is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you lose out on that initial comfort (which is make or break for most people learning to climb) but on the other hand, you gain stability in the shoe that will have its advantages once you're past that early novice stage.
This is a precise shoe which is great when you're learning to foot swap and stand on small edges but isn't overly forgiving when it comes to 'slapping your foot on'. And because the Virtus is stiff out of the box it doesn't initially perform as well on big smeary volumes and holds, though this does improve a lot once the shoe has broken in. It features Unparallel's RH rubber, which we really rate for its good combination of durability and stickiness. Unparallel say the shoe has 3.5mm thick rubber, but it looks and feels like a chunky 3.5mm, and that comparatively thick sole should give you a bit of extra life.
Fit
For a comfortable fit, I went for the same size as my UK street shoe, and wear them with my toes very slightly engaged, but not fully knuckled over. Getting the right size and checking if the Virtus fit your feet at all is probably more critical than with other beginner shoes, mainly because this shoe has so many performance shoe elements in its construction. Because of this, it's likely to be a little more aggressive on the toes and around your heel, so if it feels uncomfortable in any way this is probably not the shoe for you.
This shoe has a two-velcro strap closure system. The lower strap provides tension, locking your foot in place, while the top strap is there for a bit of extra support but is easy to open for getting your foot in and out of the shoe. It's impossible not to notice the slightly tensioned heel of the Virtus. This has been designed to push your foot forward into the shoe to aid in front-end performance. It's something we would normally see in more performance-oriented shoes as, in general, it's likely to feel uncomfortable for a beginner who is not yet used to climbing shoes. For this reason alone we didn't feel able to award the Virtus a Highly Recommended badge in this beginner-oriented review. However if you can get on with it then the extra tension would be a long term advantage as you progress into mid-grade climbing.
Comments
Would be interesting to see how the cheaper shoes from Simond/Decathlon (around 60€ here in France) would compare to those reviewed here