Choosing the Right Climbing Shoes for your Kid
Today, we will discuss choosing the best pair of rock climbing shoes for your little one. Kid rock climbers, like adult rock climbers, have different needs for shoes. Some kids are new to climbing and need a cheap starter pair that they can really abuse until they learn technique. Other kids have been climbing for a longer period and need shoes that are specific to their climbing style. Some kids have been climbing for a while and are frequenting competitions and outdoor crags.
There are a variety of different factors that can influence which pair of rock shoes are going to be the best purchase. We want you to make an educated decision because -- let's face it -- climbing gear is expensive!
Getting a Climbing Shoe that Suits your Child's Needs
The most important thing your kid's shoe needs to do is fit properly. I can't stress this enough. If the shoes are too big they will severely impede performance and can create blisters where the material shifts around. If the shoes are too small they will be difficult to put on and painful to climb in. You need to find shoes that fit your kid. This can be challenging because kid's feet grow every year! You will have to upgrade your kid's shoe probably once per year; this is fine, because they will likely wear through them at that speed anyway!
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| Mad Rock Mad Monkey Kids Climbing Shoe |
One particular shoe that I am fond of (and is an incredibly good deal right now) is the Mad Rock Mad Monkey Kids Climbing Shoe
($29.88 at that Amazon link). You will notice that a velcro strap goes around the heel. Opening this velcro strap and the elastic band beneath it allow you to put the kid's toes in first, then pull the heel of the shoe down and under the kid's heel. It's a breeze to put on. This particular deal comes with a free DVD. At $30, this is one (if not the) of the cheapest climbing shoes on the market; it's nearly half the price of other shoes. This is a great choice for a beginner, because the price is so low that your kid can absolutely destroy these shoes and you're not out a whole lot. One thing to consider is that these shoes have a synthetic (rather than leather) upper, which makes them less stretchy. This is a consideration if your kid is experiencing growth spurts. Still, the elastic around the heel should allow the shoe to stretch moderately as your child grows. This is our choice for a
Another thing to consider is that each company uses different lasts to construct their shoes. Lasts are basically the "model foot" that the shoe is designed and constructed around. Since humans have naturally different shaped feet, it make sense that lasts are slightly different. Each company has their own style of shoe design that is more-or-less uniform throughout their product catalog. The company FiveTen
shoes have very pronounced heel boxes in my experience. Their shoes use a rubber called Stealth C4 which has great performance and is relatively long-lasting, too.
The FiveTen Mini Mocc Climbing Shoe is a great choice for a slightly more experienced kiddo. These slip-on shoes use the aforementioned Stealth C4 rubber which will let their feet hang onto those impossibly-tiny footholds at the competitions. The leather will, once broken-in, take the shape of their foot. A big elastic on the top of the foot with a velcro closure allows you to put them on easily and adjust the shoe for a perfect fit. The FiveTen Mini Mocc starts at $33.90 on Amazon. This is our choice for a "high-performance gym shoe".
Another shoe worth mentioning is the La Sportiva Stickit
. In my experience, La Sportiva makes the longest-lasting climbing shoe. They are absolutely durable to the end. I have a pair of adult-sized La Sportiva TC Pros and they are older than dirt and still hold a corner. If you are looking for longevity, these shoes are the way to go. The lacing is flexible and allows for a variety of different foot shapes. One cool feature of these shoes is the elastic material around the heel and upper. It's almost like a water shoe! The elastic is stretchy down through the bottom of the heel, allowing the kid's feet to grow a little bit and still fit. This feature, when combined with the overall longevity of La Sportiva's materials and construction, makes the La Sportiva Stickit our choice for "longest-lasting kids climbing shoe". The La Sportiva Stickit is $49.95 on Amazon and worth every penny.
So there you have it, folks! Three solid shoes for three different purposes:
(starts at $33.00 on Amazon)
($49.95 on Amazon)
($29.88 at that Amazon link). You will notice that a velcro strap goes around the heel. Opening this velcro strap and the elastic band beneath it allow you to put the kid's toes in first, then pull the heel of the shoe down and under the kid's heel. It's a breeze to put on. This particular deal comes with a free DVD. At $30, this is one (if not the) of the cheapest climbing shoes on the market; it's nearly half the price of other shoes. This is a great choice for a beginner, because the price is so low that your kid can absolutely destroy these shoes and you're not out a whole lot. One thing to consider is that these shoes have a synthetic (rather than leather) upper, which makes them less stretchy. This is a consideration if your kid is experiencing growth spurts. Still, the elastic around the heel should allow the shoe to stretch moderately as your child grows. This is our choice for a |
| 5.10 Mini Mocc Kids Climbing Shoe |
Another thing to consider is that each company uses different lasts to construct their shoes. Lasts are basically the "model foot" that the shoe is designed and constructed around. Since humans have naturally different shaped feet, it make sense that lasts are slightly different. Each company has their own style of shoe design that is more-or-less uniform throughout their product catalog. The company FiveTen
shoes have very pronounced heel boxes in my experience. Their shoes use a rubber called Stealth C4 which has great performance and is relatively long-lasting, too.The FiveTen Mini Mocc Climbing Shoe
is a great choice for a slightly more experienced kiddo. These slip-on shoes use the aforementioned Stealth C4 rubber which will let their feet hang onto those impossibly-tiny footholds at the competitions. The leather will, once broken-in, take the shape of their foot. A big elastic on the top of the foot with a velcro closure allows you to put them on easily and adjust the shoe for a perfect fit. The FiveTen Mini Mocc starts at $33.90 on Amazon. This is our choice for a "high-performance gym shoe". |
| La Sportiva Stickit Climbing Shoe |
. In my experience, La Sportiva makes the longest-lasting climbing shoe. They are absolutely durable to the end. I have a pair of adult-sized La Sportiva TC Pros and they are older than dirt and still hold a corner. If you are looking for longevity, these shoes are the way to go. The lacing is flexible and allows for a variety of different foot shapes. One cool feature of these shoes is the elastic material around the heel and upper. It's almost like a water shoe! The elastic is stretchy down through the bottom of the heel, allowing the kid's feet to grow a little bit and still fit. This feature, when combined with the overall longevity of La Sportiva's materials and construction, makes the La Sportiva Stickit our choice for "longest-lasting kids climbing shoe". The La Sportiva Stickit is $49.95 on Amazon and worth every penny.So there you have it, folks! Three solid shoes for three different purposes:
Best beginner kids climbing shoe and best value:
Mad Rock Mad Monkey Kids Climbing Shoe with FREE Climbing DVD ($30 Value) ($29.88 on Amazon)
Best high-performance kids climbing shoe:
FiveTen Mini Mocc Climbing Shoe (starts at $33.00 on Amazon)Longest-lasting kids climbing shoe:
La Sportiva Stickit Kids Climbing Shoes ($49.95 on Amazon)Be safe!
Ariel Castro
Rugged Innovations
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