Black Diamond has an updated version of their Momentum climbing shoes. Coming from the La Sportiva Finales, I wasn’t sure who these were meant for when I first strapped them on.
However, my second training session with them made it crystal clear who these are meant for.
New climbers.
No Pain No Gain
Climbing and discomfort come hand-in-hand just like any other sport. And just like every other sport, pain can come from the gear. And the Black Diamond Momentum climbing shoes are no exception.
These shoes start off on a good note by avoiding the typically stiff and sharp curve in the arch of the sole. Something you can’t avoid with more expensive/extreme climbing shoes. Aka, these are way more comfortable to keep on and walk around in.
However, these are still climbing shoes, which means there’s a break in period. How fast or long the break in period is for you will depend on your feet, whether you wear socks or not, how often you go climbing, and how long your climbing sessions are.
For example, during my first hour long climbing session I didn’t wear socks and by the end of the session I had formed and burst blisters on the back of my heel. This was partly because of the shoes, but the biggest contributor was swinging into a wall back-first.
The backs of my heels broke my swing.
Obviously, it’s not fun having burst blisters anywhere, but this was rather tame compared to when I first started wearing my La Sportiva Finales. Because of how tight and rigid those are, I had multiple areas on my feet rubbed raw.
It’s all part of the game of rock climbing. The shoes are always a pain when first using them. And even after you get used to them, they’re never a pair of shoes that you dream of putting on the next time. (Those would be the NOBULL Drive Knit shoes.)
Velcro
I personally prefer climbing shoes with laces, simply because of what I’ve heard from climbing buddies: laced shoes last longer.
I thought this simply meant you could wear laced shoes for more years before needing an upgrade. Though this is true, they actually last longer in a different way.
They don’t loosen on you.
Admittedly, climbing shoes with velcro straps are way nicer to put on and take off. You can do it super-fast. They’re equally easy to adjust too.
But if you get annoyed when shoes loosen up while wearing them, then you’re sentencing yourself to infinite frustration by wearing any velcro shoes.
By the time I climb five or more routes, I notice a little give in the velcro. By the time I climb 10 or more, I’m reaching down to re-tighten them.
It’s not that the Black Diamond Momentum shoes are breaking or made of poor materials, that’s just how velcro is.
If you’re more of a technical climber though, and you need higher end shoes for more difficult climbing, then velcro could be perfect. Shoes made for strenuous routes are leaps and bounds less comfortable. So, if you’re not climbing, then your shoes aren’t on your feet.
Eliminating the velcro slack that eventually happens.
Why For Beginners?
I have a few family members that I would recommend the Momentum shoes to. One of my brothers, two sisters-in-law, a couple cousins, and a brother-in-law. All of them fall into one or two buckets.
One, they enjoy climbing every time they go, but they don’t routinely go.
Two, they’re just starting out with the sport, and they’re not sure how committed they are to it.
Both of these group’s love climbing. And if you add up the costs of renting gear for the last couple years, they’ve easily spent over $150 dollars on shoes. But they don’t want to over invest into something they might not do in a month or so.
Personally, I went to rock climbing gyms pretty sporadically for the first year or so. If I could go back in time when I first started climbing, then I would get these.
I would’ve been more comfortable every time I went.
So, unless you’re a new climber that’s super serious and committed to climbing multiple times a week for extended climbing sessions, then I wouldn’t recommend these. If you’re planning to do all of that though, then I can’t say enough good things about the La Sportiva Finales.
The Recap
These shoes are perfect for first time climbers. The velcro straps make it easy to get them on and off. You can fine tune the comfort with the different directions you can secure the straps. And the rubber isn’t overly hard so you can keep them on the whole time you’re at the gym.
And if you occasionally climb outside with friends or family, then these will more than get the job done.
They’re not as technical as other, more expensive shoes. These are simple, sturdy, and comfortable.
Everything a new climber needs.