Best Beginner Bouldering Shoes for Indoor Climbing 2023

Have you recently started bouldering indoors and it got you looking for your first pair of climbing shoes? This 2023 Buyers Guide will help you find the best beginner bouldering shoes specifically for indoor bouldering gyms!

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7 Best indoor bouldering shoes for beginners

The new Tarantula Boulder is La Sportiva’s first beginner shoe tailored specifically towards Indoor Bouldering.

This shoe looks and feels like the beloved Tarantula but with added features that make it better for bouldering. The rubber on the midsole is reduced to make this shoe much softer. Furthermore, a split sole was added which adds to the flexibility of the shoe and keeps its downturn. Lastly, a toe patch was incorporated for toe hooking and the heel cup was redesigned to be better for heel hooking.

All around, La Sportiva did a phenomenal job at remaking this infamous climbing shoe and preparing it for the new wave of beginner indoor boulderers. It’s still affordable (albeit slightly more expensive than the original) but definitely worth the #1 position in this list.

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The Scarpa Veloce is beginner shoe designed with indoor bouldering in mind. Unlike the redesigned Tarantula Boulder, this shoe was designed from the ground up. Scarpa went all-in to ensure they made the best possible beginner shoe for indoor bouldering enthusiasts.

And they definitely succeeded. The Scarpa Veloce is a phenomenal bouldering shoe with every feature you need to get started. It’s super soft (softer than the Tarantula Boulder) making it excel at modern boulder problems. It’s midsole is super small, covering just the big toe for that edging performance.

My only gripe with the Scarpa Veloce, and the only reason it’s not in the #1 position, is because it’s expensive for a beginner shoe. And part of that is because Scarpa made this product for beginners, but added so much good technology that it’s just a great indoor boulder shoe for intermediate and even professional climbers.

For example, this boulder shoe is frequently seen on the feet of Norwegian climbing sensation Magnus Mitdbø. If you can afford it, it’s a great buy for a beginner shoe, or its successor.

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The Mad Rock Rover is Mad Rock’s answer to a cheap, boulder-specific climbing shoe. Aside from having a very unique look, it performs really well for its price point. For the US readers here, the Mad Rock Rover is worth considering as you’ll be able to pick it up very cheaply.

The Rover features a split sole design and slight asymmetry making the shoe flexible. However, the outsole and midsole of this shoe are quite a bit stiffer than other models on this list.

For its price point and features, the Mad Rock Rover deserves the #3 position on this list.

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I know, I know, we just hyped up the Tarantula Boulder, there’s no way you’re getting the original right? But still, it’s worth considering. Especially if you are looking for a budget pick. While the Tarantula Boulder is quite pricey still, the original Tarantula can often be picked up on sale for really good value.

I’ve seen Tarantulas go for as little as $60! They are definitely worth considering. I used a pair of Tarantulas when I started bouldering and they did not disappoint. Sure they aren’t as soft and they aren’t exactly designed for indoor bouldering but many others on this list aren’t either. The thing is, there just aren’t that many climbing shoes designed with indoor bouldering in mind, especially beginner shoes.

If you can cop a pair of cheap Tarantulas for nearly half the price of Tarantula Boulders to start out, why not? They will last you up to a whole year before you can look at something else.

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The Scarpa Vapor V is a widely popular and beloved climbing shoe that you’ll frequently see around the indoor boulder gym. While geared more towards intermediates, this boulder shoe is very comfortable and frequently worn by beginner climbers who want that little bit more and are willing to pay for it.

Having been around for a while, the Scarpa Vapor V is a proven product that is used by all levels of boulderers. This boulder shoe features a moderate downturn, split sole for flexibility, and a small toe patch.

Men vs Women’s model

The difference between the Men’s and Women’s models for Scarpa is that they use a different last. The women’s model has a more narrow volume last than the men’s version which is better for lower-volume feet. Furthermore, the women’s version features the softer XS Grip 2 rubber as opposed to the XS Edge used on the men’s version.

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The La Sportiva Kubo is similar to the La Sportiva Tarantula but with more technology behind it. It’s, therefore, more expensive, but you also get a better product. While I would consider this mostly an intermediate climbing shoe and ideally something you would get following the Tarantula Boulder, La Sportiva does categorize the Kubo as a beginner shoe as it’s still very comfortable!

I’ve seen plenty of beginners wear this shoe around the boulder gym so it definitely deserves a place on this list.

This could be a good bouldering shoe for beginners who want to take indoor bouldering seriously. If you find yourself obsessed with this sport, the Kubo might be a good beginner option for you.

Featurewise, this is a soft boulder shoe with no lining in the upper, making it very comfortable. It has a split sole design, slight downturn, LaSpo’s P3 randing system that keeps the downturn in place over time, and a 4mm Vibram outsole.

Men vs Women’s model

The Kubo is available in Men’s and Women’s models. Don’t let gender misguide you though, with La Sportiva it’s about the weight of the climber. The women’s models always have softer rubber.

👉 Why gender doesn’t matter in climbing shoes

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For the Europeans, the Simon Rock+ is a great option for a super-budget climbing shoe. You see these all over European gyms. Americans can get them as well but they are more expensive here, so they would be better off spending that money on a better shoe like the Tarantula (Boulder).

The Simond Rock+ doesn’t have many features that scream ‘ideal for indoor bouldering’ but they are affordable and honestly I’ve seen so many beginners wear these that it would be a shame not to add them to the list as a worthy option.

These come with a 3mm Vibram XS Grip outsole, no split sole, and no toe patch. You can try them out at your local Decathlon.

If you are looking for a beginner shoe that isn’t super soft and comes in at a budget price point, the Simond Rock+ is a good pick.

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Why so few brands on this list?

Yes, this list is dominated by primarily La Sportiva and Scarpa. But that’s because these brands are actively working towards making indoor-specific boulder shoes. Something that other brands are not doing.

I’d love to add more brands to this list, but the reality is that most brands don’t have beginner’s shoes tailored toward indoor bouldering. Brands such as Evolv, Butora, Five Ten, Black Diamond, and Boreal these all make beginner shoes but they fall under the ‘all-around-climbing’ category making them not ideal for indoor bouldering.

Furthermore, none of them make a beginner climbing shoe that is under $100. Since this list contains only the best boulder shoes for beginners, it wouldn’t be fair to add mediocre options for the sake of brand diversity.