Kids' Climbing Shoes Buying Guide
The Escapades buying guide
How to choose kids' climbing shoes
Kids don't need painfully tight climbing shoes. They need a secure, comfortable fit, dependable rubber and a shoe they can put on without turning every climbing session into a battle. Here's how the children's shoes in our range compare — and which one we'd choose for different young climbers.
Quick picks
Kids' climbing shoe comparison
These ratings are relative buying-guide scores within this small range. They're designed to make the differences easy to compare rather than represent laboratory performance scores.
| Shoe | Comfort | Growing-foot friendly | Grip / performance | Breathability | Easy on / off | Value | Our verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boreal Ninja Jr Vent | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Best overall |
| EB Kids Neo 3.0 | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Best value |
| EB Kids Neo | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | Simple & proven |
Compare our kids' climbing shoes
Boreal Ninja Jr Vent
Best for growth, breathability and longer-term use
If you want a kids' climbing shoe that can genuinely adapt as feet grow, this is the standout.
- Adjustable fit spanning two EU sizes per pair
- Breathable knitted synthetic upper
- Padded CHS heel for comfort
- Wide entry and easy Velcro fastening
- Zenith Quattro rubber for indoor and outdoor climbing
- Paired sizes from EU 27–28 through to EU 37–38
Best for: regular junior climbers, fast-growing feet, climbing clubs and parents wanting more life from a pair.
Guide price: £45.00
Find Boreal Ninja Jr Vent →
EB Kids Neo 3.0
Best first “proper” climbing shoe for comfort, grip and price
A proper climbing shoe rather than a scaled-down trainer — but without the painful performance fit children simply don't need.
- 4mm Spider Rubber sole
- Low asymmetry for a natural, comfortable position
- Minimal downturn for beginner-friendly climbing
- Breathable vegan microfibre upper
- Anti-bacterial lining
- Simple Velcro closure
Best for: first climbing shoes, indoor sessions, beginner courses and young climbers beginning to focus on footwork.
Escapades price: £35.00
Shop EB Kids Neo 3.0 →
EB Kids Neo
A comfortable, straightforward junior shoe with excellent core features
The original Neo uses the same child-friendly philosophy: comfort first, with enough real climbing performance to help young climbers progress.
- 4mm Spider Rubber sole
- Dynamic microfibre upper
- Vegan and anti-bacterial construction
- Low asymmetry and minimal downturn
- Easy Velcro closure
- Very comfortable shape
Best for: beginners and recreational junior climbers where the correct size is available.
Escapades price: £35.00
Shop EB Kids Neo →Which one should you choose?
Choose the Boreal Ninja Jr Vent if...
Your child climbs regularly, their feet are growing quickly, or you want to avoid replacing climbing shoes quite as often. The adjustable heel allows each pair to span two consecutive EU sizes, which is the biggest practical advantage of any shoe in this comparison.
Choose the EB Kids Neo 3.0 if...
You want a comfortable, genuinely capable first climbing shoe at a very sensible price. For £35, the Spider Rubber sole, breathable microfibre upper and child-friendly shape make it particularly easy to recommend for regular indoor climbing.
Choose the original EB Kids Neo if...
It fits your child's foot well and the size you need is available. Its core specification remains excellent, but with the Neo 3.0 available at the same price, we'd generally choose the newer model first.
How should kids' climbing shoes fit?
This is where we'd treat children's shoes differently from adult performance climbing shoes.
Our fit rule: a slightly less “perfect” performance fit that a child is happy to wear is far more useful than a technically tighter shoe they want to take off after five minutes.
For the Boreal Ninja Jr Vent, choose the paired size that contains the child's usual EU shoe size. For example, an EU 31 would normally go into the EU 31–32 pair. For the EB Neo models, we'd normally start around the child's everyday EU size and prioritise a snug, comfortable fit rather than downsizing.
Do kids really need climbing shoes?
Not always. For an occasional taster session, hire shoes are perfectly sensible. But once a child starts climbing regularly, their own pair can make a noticeable difference.
Proper climbing rubber gives them more confidence on footholds, a closer-fitting shoe makes precise foot placement easier, and having a familiar pair removes one variable from every session. The aim isn't to turn children's footwear into performance equipment — it's to give them something comfortable that helps them learn good movement.
Our final ranking
| Rank | Shoe | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Boreal Ninja Jr Vent | Best Overall. The dual-size adjustment, breathability and broad EU 27–38 coverage make it the most practical choice for growing climbers. |
| #2 | EB Kids Neo 3.0 | Best Value. A very capable £35 shoe with proper climbing rubber and an exceptionally comfortable, beginner-friendly shape. |
| #3 | EB Kids Neo | Simple & Proven. Still a good junior climbing shoe, but the newer Neo 3.0 is our preferred EB option where both are available. |
Still not sure?
Send us their size — we'll help narrow it down.
Send us your child's usual trainer size, their foot length if you have it, and a little about how often they climb. We'll be happy to help narrow down the best model and size.
At The Escapades, we'd rather help you get the right shoe first time than sell you a shoe that's unnecessarily tight.
