25 Rock Climbing Shoes Coming in 2016

Find photos and details of all the rock climbing shoes coming out in 2016 from Boreal, Butora, Climb X, Evolv, Five Ten, La Sportiva, Red Chili, Scarpa, and Tenaya as seen at the 2015 Outdoor Retailer trade show. 

Want more than shoes? Check out our post detailing all the 2016 climbing goods.

Boreal Mutant

Spring 2016, $139

Type of shoe: performance slipper/velcro shoe

Designed for: versatility and comfort for intermediate and high-end climbers that boulder and climb hard overhanging sport routes

Notable points

• the toe-cap is a very thin layer of the same crazy-sticky Zenith rubber that is used on the sole and rand and is also textured for more friction while hooking and scumming
• the minimal thickness of the toe-cap allows the toe box to stretch slightly providing more comfort than a thick rubber over the forefoot
• includes a Lateral Torsion System (aka active rand) to improve power while heel hooking
• better for medium to wide feet with its wide last and generous height of the toe box

Butora Acro (blue, low volume version)

Oct 2015, $154 

Type of shoe: a narrow, downcambered, asymmetric velcro shoe

Designed for: high end bouldering and sport climbing

Notable points

• ABS 3D injection midsole, so the shoe will keep the downturned shape of the toe
• 3 deniers of stitching: heavy duty on the outside of the shoe for durability, finer denier inside for comfort
• fully lined German-leather footbed
• toe is almost fully wrapped in rubber for toe hooks and is perforated so it moves and stretches and can mold to your foot over time
• 4 pieces of polyurethane go across the forefoot to maintain the integrity widthwise
• multiple angles of velcro adjustment provide for a more customized fit

Climb X Rave

2016, $69

Type of shoe: entry-level velcro shoe 

Designed for: a beginner climber

Notable points

• one piece, stiff last to provide lots of foot support
• stiffer shoe overall to help new climbers balance on edges
• padded heel cuff for comfort
• hemp sole to reduce smell

Climb X  Raptor

2016, $79

Type of shoe: double velcro shoe

Designed for: intermediate climber

Notable points

• 2 piece last means it’ll have a softer platform that is still flat
• molded heel cup for a tight fit and sticky heel hooking
• rubberized straps for durability and friction
• leatherized upper to mold to your foot
• padded heel cuff for comfort
• X-factor rubber

Climb X Rock-It

2016, $99

Type of shoe: aggressive velcro shoe

Designed for: advanced climbers

Notable points

• 3 piece last design allows it to be soft in the midfoot for increased sensitivity
• aggressive rand pulls the shoe into a downturned shape
• molded heel cup
• rubberized straps
• downturned toe

Evolv Agro

$160

Type of shoe: aggressive, asymmetric downturned velcro shoe

Designed for: advanced climbing pushing the limit on steep sport climbs and boulders

Notable points

• top of the shoe is Trax rubber for toe-hooking
• Evolv’s softest shoe, for maximum sensitivity–it’s so soft you can totally crumple this shoe into a ball
• the aggressive downturned shape excels when you put your toe on a hold and pull

Evolv Shaman

$155

Type of shoe: downturned velcro shoe

Designed for: intermediate-advanced climbers

Notable points

• a lot of flex in the middle of the shoe allows for foot sensitivity
• the toe is still stiff for optimal edging
• toe box has an added slope for more comfort
• more trax rubber coverage on the toe for toe-hooking and aggressive climbing

Note: Evolv is bringing out a lot of new shoes in 2016, and we didn’t have time to see them all. You can see a round-up of new Evolv shoes at Steph Davis’s blog, including a picture of the Kira and Kronos. Currently we’re not sure where to get more information about the new $99 entry-level Raptor (men’s) and Raven (women’s) shoe.

Five Ten Stonemaster

$85

Type of shoe: velcro closure with a stiff sole

Designed for: beginner, intermediate, or expert climbers wanting all day comfort

Notable points

• full unlined leather upper, so it could stretch up to a size
• stiff midsole for all-day support while edging
• double-thick rand for durability
• technical C4 rubber with holes that add flex and pliability

Five Ten Quantum

$185

Type of shoe: slightly downturned lace-up shoe

Designed for: all day hard multi-pitch climbing

Notable points

• Designed with requirements from Alex and Thomas Huber: they wanted something they could climb all day in but didn’t compromise performance
• a new last, wider across the ball of the foot for more comfort and natural fit of wider feet
• lined synthetic upper
• Stealth C4 rubber
• barrel lacing allows for faster lacing (standard eyelets at the bottom of the shoe that always stay locked)
• stiff midsole gives support technical edging

La Sportiva Skwama

Summer 2016, $140

Type of shoe: high-end modern slipper with single velcro closure

Designed for: advanced climbers who encounter lots of body tension moves and toe/heel hooks

Notable points

• velcro strap is a solid piece of material so you get no stretch and a secure heel
• super soft, minimal midsole allows for max sensitively
• big rubber toe-pad
• S-heel connecting the heelcup into the p3 band adds torsional rigidity keeping the heel cup locked into your foot
• split outsole (it looks like a goat hoof!) allowing the shoe to flex more naturally around your foot while climbing

La Sportiva Otaki

Summer 2016, $175

Type of shoe: downturned velcro shoe

Designed for: powerful sport climbing & bouldering, where toe precision is needed

Notable points

• Men’s version comes with Vibram XS Edge rubber for maximum resistance to deformation on small edges for the heavier climber
• Women’s version (narrower than the men’s) comes with Vibram XS Grip rubber which maximizes stickiness and traction for lighter climbers who don’t need as stiff of a sole keep an edge
• P3 (permanent power platform) band in the heel (aka active rand) keeps a downturned shape for the shoes life
• S-heel designed to increase stability of the heel by connecting the cup into the p3 band
• downturned platform and stiff midsole allow you to go up a size to increase comfort without reducing the edging platform

La Sportiva Finale

Summer 2016, $100

Type of shoe: stiff soled lace-up

Designed for: new climbers who want comfort and performance while climbing all day

Notable points

• men’s last: more room in the forefoot and heel
• women’s last: lower volume in the forefoot and heel cup
• Italian built (notable because of the mere $100 price tag)
• Full Vibram outsole, 5 mm Vibram XS Edge rubber edge
• unlined leather upper to conform to a variety of feet
• still sole allows for all day comfort with the solid platform
• will replace one of La Sportiva’s top selling shoes, the Nago

Red Chili Atomic

Spring 2016, $150

Type of shoe: velcro slipper with aggressive downturn and minor asymmetry

Designed for: high-end bouldering and sport climbing in steep terrain

Notable points

• virtually no midsole = soft and pliable
• entire internal upper is seamless for more comfort
• the aggressive slingshot rand that is more forward than most other shoes; the goal is that it will keep the downturned shape forever and not distort the shoe by holding it too tight either
• leather windows in heel allow slight stretching for a custom fit

Red Chili Amp

Spring 2016, $129

Type of shoe: asymmetrical slipper with an extra-comfy elastic closure

Designed for: intermediate climbers who want comfort and performance

Notable points

• show curvature allows more security in the upper toebox
• rubber outer on the toe helps hooking and limits stretch where it’s not wanted
• toe area is low volume and the leather window allows room for stretch in the knuckle area where you need it
• leather footbed to reduce slippage

Scarpa Origin

$89

Type of shoe: comfortable velcro shoe

Designed for: new climbers who want a great feel

Notable points

• the largest design goal was to create a rich and luxurious feel at an affordable price
• padded tongue for extra comfort
• neutral last to ensure a pleasant fit
• stiff sole for increased support and edging

Scarpa Helix

$99

Type of shoe: stiff sole lace-up

Designed for: multi-pitch routes and all day climbing

Notable points

• Scarpa took the Helix and made everything better, and kept the same price
• longer lacing goes all the way to the toe
• replaced the leather tongue with a cushioned tongue for more comfort
• reduced the amount of bulky rubber in the heel and added a little cushion instead
• stiff midsole won’t fatigue your foot when climbing all-day
• added a Vibram XS edge sole
• female model (red) is narrower than the men’s version

Scarpa Vapor Lace

$159

Type of shoe: lace-up performance shoe

Designed for: long sport and trad routes that require technical edging

Notable points

• has a complicated upper that is made of a single piece that wraps around your feet, supported by a welded band for a snug fit
• stiffer last than the Vapor V, velcro version
• added rubber on the toe for hooking and limiting stretch

Scarpa Drago

July 2016 (earlier in Europe), $200 (the first shoe to hit the $200-mark in the U.S.)

Type of shoe: aggressively downturned velcro slipper

Designed for: the pinnacle of climbing

Notable points

• uses the same heel as the Instinct
• very difficult to construct the huge rubber coverage because it’s in one piece
• will excel in compression moves and toe-scumming
• originally planned as a limited release of only 1000 pairs, all were spoken-for during the European trade shoe; to meet market demands they will produce more that will come to North America in July 2016

So Ill

No details yet, just a sneak preview. Stay tuned for more when their Kickstarter project is released!

Tenaya Iati

$170

Type of shoe: downturned velcro shoe

Designed for: hard bouldering and sport climbing

Notable points

• combines best features of the Oasi and Tarifa in one shoe (more supportive than the Oasi)
• toe scum/hooking pad on the front
• down-cambered mid foot and downturned toe box
• Vibram XS Grip sole
• velcro is adjustable to accommodate high/low volume feet
• incorporates natural leather to increase comfort (but still backed by rubber to ensure minimal stretch overall)
• no break in period (the hallmark of Tenaya shoes)
• less than ¼ stretch, even if you downsize significantly
• all Tenaya shoes are distributed in the US by Trango (Trango.com)

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We found all the details of the climbing shoes coming out in 2016 from the brands who attended the U.S. Outdoor Retailer trade show. There are a few shoe brands, like Andrea Boldrini (see their new Apache 5 on Vimeo), EB (see their new Django on Vimeo), Ocun (see their new Oxi on Vimeo) who didn’t make it to the US show, so we couldn’t interview them. Maybe next year we’ll make it to the German show 🙂

Looking for more new gear (all the hardware)? Check out our post covering the entire range of climbing goods.