How we score gear, and where the data comes from
Our performance scores are calculated from product specifications - for shoes: downturn, rubber type and thickness, midsole, closure, and more - using algorithms we've developed and refined with input from experienced climbers. They're designed to give you a useful starting point, not the final word.
Every foot is different, every rock is different, and every climber has preferences that no formula can capture. Treat these as directional - a way to narrow down your options before you try them on.
Brand-neutral - no affiliations, no sponsorships. Same formulas, same data.
How each category is scored
How we score shoes
Our performance scores are calculated from shoe specifications - downturn, rubber type & thickness, midsole, closure, and more - using algorithms we've developed and refined with input from experienced climbers. They're designed to give you a useful starting point, not the final word. Every foot is different, every rock is different, and every climber has preferences that no formula can capture. Treat these as directional - a way to narrow down your options before you try them on.
How we score ropes
Our performance scores are calculated from rope specifications - diameter, weight, UIAA falls, sheath percentage, elongation, and more - using algorithms we've developed and refined with input from experienced climbers. They're designed to give you a useful starting point, not the final word. Handling feel, durability, and personal preference all play a role that no formula can fully capture. Treat these scores as directional - a way to narrow down your options.
How we score crashpads
Our performance scores are calculated from pad specifications - area, thickness, foam layers, weight, and carry system - using algorithms we've developed and refined with input from experienced climbers. They're designed to give you a useful starting point, not the final word. Landing zones, terrain, and personal preference all play a role that no formula can capture. Treat these scores as directional - a way to narrow down your options before you try them in the field.
How we score belay devices
Our performance scores are calculated from device specifications - weight, braking mechanism, rope compatibility, and more - using algorithms we've developed and refined with input from experienced climbers. They're designed to give you a useful starting point, not the final word. Personal belay style, rope preferences, and intended use all matter in ways no formula can capture. Treat these scores as directional - a way to narrow down your options.
Performance attributes
Edging
How well a shoe stands on small footholds. Driven by shape (downturn + asymmetry) combined with construction stiffness and hard rubber. A flat shoe won't score high here no matter how stiff it is - shape acts as a gatekeeper.
Smearing
How well rubber conforms to flat or rounded rock. Soft, flexible shoes score highest because the rubber molds to the surface. Even aggressive shoes can smear well if the rubber is soft enough.
Sensitivity
How much rock feedback reaches your foot. Thin rubber and minimal midsole are the main drivers. Hard rubber dampens feedback even when thin, so soft + thin scores highest.
Comfort
How wearable the shoe is for longer sessions. Flat shape, flexible construction, good cushioning, and closure all contribute. Aggressive shoes score lower here by design.
Support
Structural rigidity and stability. Stiff construction, hard rubber, thick sole, full midsole, and lace closure all add support. Often the opposite of sensitivity.
Pockets
Performance on small pockets and holes in the rock. Aggressive downturn, strong asymmetry, pointed toe, and stiffness help concentrate force on tiny features.
Hooks
Ability to hook holds with heel and toe. Heel rubber coverage, toe patch quality, and downturn are the main factors. Softer shoes provide better feedback for precise placement.
Spec attributes
Downturn / Asymmetry / Weight
These are closer to raw specs, with small secondary factors blended in for nuance - for example, a stiffer shoe with the same stated downturn will feel slightly more aggressive in practice.
Where the data comes from
Specs
Specs come from the manufacturers' own published data: their spec tables and product pages. Where a maker leaves a field blank we use the shop listing, and where nobody publishes a value the field stays empty rather than guessed. Judged specs such as downturn, asymmetry and width are mapped onto one scale for every brand, so a moderate downturn means the same thing on every shoe. Shoe weights are always the weight of the pair. Each model has one entry, carrying its newest generation.
Prices
Prices and sizes are what each shop lists online, updated daily, and every offer links to the shop's own page for that product. A discount on the deals page is measured against the price we recorded before the drop, never against a shop's own strike-through price.
Foot scans and fit reports
The foot scanner takes seven measurements from two phone photos and scores every current shoe in the catalogue against them, with the same rules for every scan and no manual review. Climbers who scan can also rate the fit of shoes they own. Those reports feed the sizing guide and the fit notes on shoe pages, and each climber is counted once even when they scan more than once.
Using our data
Everything on this site is free to read. You may quote or cite our figures - a fit-report count, a downsize figure, a price - if you name climbing-gear.com and link to the page the figure comes from.
What needs our written permission: copying the fit-report, scan or price data in bulk, republishing it as a dataset or feed, or using it commercially. Brands and shops interested in the fit data are welcome to get in touch through the feedback form. These terms are the license our data pages reference in their structured data.
How often it updates
- Prices: every day.
- Specs: when a maker publishes a new generation or a correction reaches us, the existing entry is updated in place. There is never a second entry for an old version of the same model.
- Scan-based figures in articles and on shoe pages move as new scans come in.
How we make money
Some shop links are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the shop pays us a small commission; the price you pay is the same. As an Amazon Associate, climbing-gear.com earns from qualifying purchases.
Commissions never influence scores, rankings or which shops appear. Offers are ordered by what you pay, never by what we earn, and a shop that pays no commission is listed exactly like one that does. There are no sponsored placements and no ads.
Think a score looks off? We'd love to hear your take - especially from climbers who've actually worn the shoes. Suggest an improvement