Choosing climbing shoes when no standard applies.

No standard, so every claim is the maker's

The UIAA's 2018 single-pitch equipment list names climbing shoes alongside a helmet, harness, rope and belay device. Yet when the UIAA's standards page was read on 21 October 2026, none of its 29 numbered standards covered climbing shoes, and there is no matching EN standard. There is no test figure or label to explain, and nothing on this page should be read as a measured comparison.

That shapes how we treat shoes. We do not rank models, and we do not repeat stickiness, sensitivity or durability claims as fact. What we can do is explain the vocabulary makers use and show where the sources we could check disagree.

Shape terms are makers' vocabulary

Shoes are described by how downturned or asymmetric they are, but no standard defines those words, so one maker's "aggressive" is not measured against another's. Our research could not open any maker's technical page on shoes. What it found came from trade press seen only in search summaries:

• A Blister review, as summarised in search results, says La Sportiva names its lasts by aggressiveness, with "PD" standing for Power/Downturn and higher numbers, such as PD 75 and PD 85, meaning more asymmetry and downturn. We could not open the review, so this is unconfirmed.

Even where a maker uses a numbered scheme, it is that maker's own scheme, not a standard.

Does the downturn last? Sources disagree

• Maker claim, relayed by reviewers: La Sportiva's P3 platform is described as designed to keep a shoe's downturn over time. We could not confirm this on a La Sportiva page.
• Reviewer: a Blister reviewer, seen in a search summary, found one downturned shoe still downturned after heavy use.
• Retailer statement: a customer review on a retailer's listing for another downturned model said its downturn faded quickly.

These are a relayed maker claim and individual reports, not test results, and none is confirmed. They are enough to show that how a shoe holds its shape is not settled by the published record.

Rubber

Soles use named rubber compounds, such as Vibram's XS Edge and XS Grip2. Climbers compare them mainly on stickiness against how well the edge lasts. The comparisons our research found were user reports on a forum, not maker specifications, so we give no figures.

Our picks by category

What we could not find

Our research found no maker lifespan or care statement for climbing shoes, no laboratory comparison of rubber compounds, and no maker page describing how its shapes are measured. When those exist and can be checked, this guide will report them. Until then, the maker's own description is the only specification there is, and it is a claim rather than a test result. For the gear that does have standards, see the gear guides.