Aside from the ice climbers, mountaineers, and Charles Albert, every climber needs a pair of reliable climbing shoes.

If you’re overwhelmed by the variety of climbing shoes, our expert-vetted guide covers everything you need to know.

But in practise, many climbers have more than one pair of shoes to cater for particular climbing styles – ie stiff or sensitive soles. Contrary to popular belief, there are no known scientific studies ...

Modern climbers have the opposite problem. Go to any outdoor recreation store and prepare to be overwhelmed by shelves of cutting-edge climbing shoes and marketing gibberish. That’s how I felt ...