How to decide if aggressive shoes are for me?
Climbing shoes are weird. Three main categories of climbing shoe styles are neutral, moderate, and aggressive. Neutral shoes are the most basic, comfortable, and affordable, while aggressive shoes are downturned at the toe, snug, pricey, and designed for performance over comfort. Moderates fall in the middle. If you want more information on each shoe, check out other articles and videos breaking down the specs of different climbing shoes. But, for the time being, we are going to focus on aggressive climbing.
For any climber with a solid six months to a year under their belt and sending the more challenging climbs, there comes the time when your current pair of climbing shoes are showing some wear. Or, sometimes, your climbing shoes slip off all the small holds. Either way, the talk of the town is whether or not to get aggressive climbing shoes. All the strong climbers in the gym and the pros at the IFSC World Cups are sporting the La Sportiva Solutions, Butoras Acros, Evolv Phantoms, the Butora Acro Comps, Scarpa Instincts, or Five Ten Hiangle. But are these high-performance, high-cost shoes necessary to enhance your rock climbing? We’ve attempted to answer that question by breaking down the ins and outs of an aggressive climbing shoe and giving our final opinion.
Are Aggressive Climbing Shoes Necessary?
What are aggressive shoes?
Aggressive climbing shoes are the most technically advanced group of climbing shoes. The common feature is a downturned (pointed) toe-box and a form-fitting design to hug tight to the climber’s foot. If a non-climber were to look at a pair of these shoes, they might baffle at how one could fit their foot into one. They aren’t too far off. The design of an aggressive climbing shoe tailors to high-level performance, forgoing comfort. It takes a while to get used to the feel, and they may never feel comfortable to wear for more than 30 to 40 minutes at a time.
Why might a climber want aggressive shoes?
There are valid reasons a climber might want an aggressive shoe. (Otherwise, what sane person would force their foot into an uncomfortably tight shoe?) Some advantages of aggressive are that they can help increase the precision and pressure climbers have on small footholds, increase precision on overhung climbs, and make edging on small holds easier (using the inside edge of the shoe instead of the toe box). Remember, everyone’s feet are shaped differently. Regardless, there’s a reason many climbers opt for an aggressive shoe after they progress past the beginner stages of climbing. Aggressive shoes not only offer precision but are optimal on various types of terrain: they are scoop-shaped for heel-hooking, have great rubber coverage for toe-hooking, can be soft for comp style climbing or stiff for inverted or traditional slab climbing, and overall provide an unmatched about of sensitivity. Good climbers pull with their toes while they climb!
Drawbacks of Aggressive Shoes
The most significant drawback is the price point. Due to the high-level design and performance abilities, a pair's price point can creep up to $200. Additionally, when sized properly (very tight!), many climbers must constantly take them off and on between climbs for comfort. While they're great for overhangs, sometimes they can be finicky for slab climbing. Vertical and slab climbing often requires a stiff toe box for tiny foot holds to carry the bulk of your weight. Meanwhile, modern competition style slab climbing contains lots of smearing on volumes, which requires a soft, flexible shoe. So sometimes, you may wish you had another pair of shoes to choose from and a more versatile shoe may be the better option for you.
Our Concluding Thoughts
Aggressive climbing shoes are not overrated. They have advantages for specific terrain, climbs, and climbing goals. However, aggressive climbing shoes are not a necessity for many climbers. Plenty of moderate or neutral shoe models will work well for the climbing population. You can pass on them if you want to minimize costs or want a more well-rounded shoe. Just know that many climbers find that as they progress, they eventually want a shoe they can get more out of aggressive shoes.
We suggest you assess your climbing needs and goals, weigh that against the cost, and go from there! Let us know below if you have ever bought aggressive climbing shoes and what your thoughts are. We'd love to hear from you and continue the conversation in the comments below!
