First climbing shoes should be flat, neutral, and comfortable. Forget everything you've seen on YouTube about downturned shoes and "performance fit." That's for climbing 5.12 on steep rock. You're not there yet. You will be. But not today.
What to look for in a first shoe
Flat profile. No aggressive downturn. The shoe should sit flat on a table without rocking.
Moderate asymmetry. A slight point at the big toe is fine. A heavy sickle-shape is too much for beginners.
Unlined leather uppers. Leather stretches. That means a slightly tight shoe will break in to fit your foot. Synthetic shoes don't stretch, which is great for performance and bad for first-shoe forgiveness.
Velcro or lace. I lean toward lace for first shoes because you get more precise fit control.
Brands I stock
La Sportiva Tarantulace. My default recommendation. Flat, affordable, forgiving, durable.
Scarpa Origin. Very similar. Slightly wider toe box. Good for wider feet.
Five Ten Kirigami. Velcro, vegan, flat. Good if you hate laces.
Evolv Defy. Budget pick. Not bad for the price, breaks in fast.
Fitting
Toes should be flat or just barely knuckled. No empty space in front. No pain.
Heel should be snug without pinching. Step up on a small hold to test.
Try them after 20 minutes on your foot. Climbing shoes feel fine for 3 minutes and terrible for 30.
What NOT to do
Don't size way down because someone told you to. Shoes need to hurt a little to perform, not a lot. Too small and you'll hate climbing and stop coming.
Don't buy used shoes online. Climbing shoes mold to the previous owner's foot. They never feel right on yours.
Don't buy a performance shoe as your first shoe. You can't afford to hate climbing.
When you've outgrown the first shoe
When you're comfortable on 5.10, you start wanting more precision on the edges. That's when an aggressive shoe makes sense. Your next shoe can be pointy. Your first one shouldn't be.
