BEST FOR: HIGH BALLS

The Mad Rock Mad Pad offers an extra thick 5 inches of foam without breaking the bank. The foam of the Mad Pad is definitely on the stiffer side, which is great when you’re falling from up high, but can be a little harsh for short falls. It does tend to soften up over time though. A velcro strap on the back of the hinge keeps the pad together in your landing zone.

A unique feature of the Mad Pad is that it can easily convert into a chair, thanks to a few straps, so you can chill out while watching your friends send.

BEST FOR: TRAVERSES

The Metolius Recon is a massive pad for covering a wide area, yet it’s easy to transport thanks to the tri fold hinge design. A small exterior pocket and a larger interior pocket give you space to stash your essentials, which is useful since the trifold design makes it more difficult to contain a pack.

The hinges velcro together when open to provide a flat surface, although this can be difficult to position on rock or uneven ground. Though the Recon covers a large surface area, its foam is not the thickest for cushioning highball landings.

BEST FOR: VALUE

The Metolius Session II is one of the cheapest pads out there, but it doesn’t skimp on features. A cool flap closure system keeps your gear in place when you stuff it in the pad for the trip to the boulder field, and then it flips around to cover the shoulder straps during your session. The two drag handles make it easy to reposition the pad quickly, and the carpeted logo is designed to be the perfect place to wipe off your shoes. The foam in the Session II is fairly soft, which is comfortable for shorter falls, but not necessarily the ideal choice for highballs.

BEST FOR: ALL-AROUND

The Petzl Alto is a comfy pad with a lot of awesome features. The unique zipper flap closure completely covers the pad to keep everything you stuff inside from falling out (though it can make it tough to carry larger items). It also flips around to zip up and cover the shoulder straps once you’re ready to use the pad. An adjustable bandolier strap makes it quick to relocate the pad from boulder to boulder.

The taco style pad works better to cover up jagged and uneven landings, so you can feel more confident working the crux of your problem. And when you’re done for the day, the Alto has included straps that convert the pad to a cushy chair.

BEST FOR: LARGE LANDING AREA

The Black Diamond Mondo is a huge crash pad in every way. With over 12 square feet of surface area, you’ll definitely be covered when you drop into the landing zone, and 5 inches of padding will protect you from whatever is underneath. Of course, the large size also means the Mondo is heavier than most pads, but we’re sure you won’t mind the added weight when you’re falling off a highball.

A grab handle on each of the four corners make it simple for spotters to move the pad under a climber, and a rubber coated bottom keeps it in place once you have it where you need it.

BEST ALL PURPOSE 

Downturned, soft, and stiff, but not to the extreme, the Five Ten Hiangle is a well-balanced all-around climbing shoe. When it comes to sticking to the rock or plastic, the Stealth C4 Rubber does go to the extreme, offering maximum stickiness to help you “stick” your problems. 

Steep and overhanging, tiny edges, or cracks, this shoe will perform well on it all. Featuring a single velcro strap closure with stretch elastic tongue, this shoe almost feel like a slipper. And with a slightly larger toe box to curl your toes into, you can keep these shoes on longer rather than taking them off between every single problem. This shoe will stretch, so size accordingly.

BEST FOR THOSE ON A BUDGET

For only $90 you can pick up a comfortable performance bouldering shoe with a moderately downturned shape.

The Mad Rock Flash is touted as the brand’s best selling climbing shoe for beginner and intermediate experience levels. Like the Hiangles we reviewed in our top overall pick, the Flashes are slipper style shoes with two velcro closures that allow you to make the fit as snug as you please. What makes the Mad Rock Flash stand out from the rest of the pack is that it’s the first climbing shoe on the market to sport a Gel Shock heel, which actually gives you a degree of impact protection if you happen to come off the rock.

What I like most about these bouldering shoes is how easily they slip on and off.

BEST FOR TOE AND HEEL HOOKING

This shoe’s been around the block and has been beloved by many climbers for a long time. In 2018, the shoe got a makeover, but it was only cosmetic; a relief to its many fans. Aggressive and downturned, this shoe has been compared to a hawk’s talon. Because of these features, it has a lot of versatility, but it really excels in toe and heel hooking on steep terrain. The pointy toe offers amazing precision on edges and also easily fits into those pockets you might encounter on the wall. Certainly not the most comfortable shoe out there, but that’s a price worth paying for high performance. The single velcro strap makes these shoes pretty easy to take on and off between climbs.

BEST SHOE FOR EDGING

Designed with Miura’s Vibram XS rubber, edging performance is super sharp in these shoes. An aggressively downturned toe with the added assistance of a stiff midsole will be sure to hold you in any pocket you might come across in your climb. The hard rubber casing allows you to push down hard on the toe, which does cut down on sensitivity of the shoe. However, this then allows you to hook the downturned toe into pockets and pull yourself into the rock more easily. 

Commonly used as a trad climbing shoe, if you size them tighter, then they can be perfect for sending your hard boulder problems too. Even though this is a super stiff shoe, it does soften a bit over time, and patience while learning to handle and break them in is well worth it when you are performing like a pro!

BEST PRO CLIMBER SHOE

Designed by Chris Sharma himself, you can expect the Evolv Shaman to perform exceptionally on some of the toughest climbs. The comparable women’s version called the Evolv Shakra will have the ladies feet prepared for the hard stuff as well. 

Designed with what is referred to as a “love bump,” this shoe is downturned and will remain that way, pushing the big toe into action for maximum power and control. And paired with the “love bump,” the Shaman is also equipped with midsoles so you won’t experience the pain that typically comes along with a tight fitting shoe. 

While designed by one of the hardest climbers in the league, this shoe can also be appreciated by beginner climbers and performs well in the gym too. Plus, wearing this shoe could give you something to grow into and aspire to as well.

BEST TRANSITION SHOE

The Scarpa Vapor V is a bouldering shoe with medium stiffness, making it a good choice when you are starting to get into harder boulder problems, but aren’t quite ready for the super aggressive shoe required to send harder problems. These shoes have just enough downturn to make them the perfect pair to try out on some aggressive features. 

On less steep problems where you are relying more on edging rather than heel hooking, the wider toe box of the Vapor V will be right at home and even fit in any tiny cracks you might encounter. If you get them tight fitting, they will help you excel in bouldering, but if you get them bigger, you can wear them all day long if you want to mix it up with some other types of climbing.

BEST ON SMALL EDGES AND CRYSTALS

When you need to edge on some of the smallest features, the stiff and supportive fit of the Scarpa Instinct VS is what you want to be wearing. The bi-tension rand of this shoe pushes your toes frontward and puts the big toe where it needs to be – in the driver’s seat, so you can have all the precision to edge without all the pain. And with a large patch of rubber covering the top toes, you can also do some pretty impressive toe-hooking in these shoes. Because it’s constructed with 100% no-stretch Lorica uppers, the shoe won’t stretch out (so make sure you order the correct size the first time!), but it also means this shoe has great flexibility and durability without compromising its shape.

BEST SOFT SHOE

For such a high performing shoe, you couldn’t ask for a softer, more comfortable fit. While being soft and sensitive is good for slab climbing, the sticky rubber that coats this shoe makes it pretty awesome for some of those ridiculously fancy gym problems too. While the sensitivity may not be what you desire on cracks, it does allow you the feeling of where your toes are being placed in pockets, and because of the softness, you can get this shoe into some larger pockets as well. You can also feel confident in downsizing a half size in this shoe for a more aggressive fit without worrying about endless pain. Though on the expensive side, the Scarpo Dragos will hold up exceptionally well and be worth the investment for bouldering.

BEST FOR SMEARING

A lot of rubber went into the construction of the toe on this shoe. All that rubber paired with an aggressive and downturned shape means you can smear to your heart’s content in this shoe and you can be sure you will stick! With the Stealth rubber, you will be able to edge on even the tiniest holds. If it weren’t for the aggressiveness, you could almost wear this shoe slab climbing. With little stretching in the upper, you can bet you will get a tight and secure fit in this shoe. Unlike other Five Ten models, because of this feature, you will want to try a pair on prior to purchasing to make sure you are sizing it correctly. However, because of the tight fit, they can sometimes be difficult to get on and off.

BEST ON HARD TERRAIN

The Evolv Argo has been described as the “ultimate high end bouldering shoe.” This shoe has a tight fit, so make sure you get a pair that fits your foot well. That tightness and downturned shape will give you a lot of power on your climbs. The aggressive downturned will also pull you into pockets and, because of the sensitivity of this shoe, you will be able to feel the contact with the rock, keeping you in control. 

A snug but comfortable heel cup is a result of the tensioned heel rand that keeps your foot locked in place so you won’t have to worry about your heel slipping out of the shoe when performing heel hooks on overhanging moves. The Argo is also pretty generous with the rubber, including on the tops of the toes for all the necessary toe hooking.