How to Choose Rock Climbing Shoes

Aggressively downturned and highly asymmetric, the men's Scarpa Drago climbing shoes represent the pinnacle of rock shoe construction and are meticulously crafted to perform at the highest level.
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Imported.
View all Scarpa Men's Climbing ShoesBest Use | Rock Climbing |
---|---|
Climbing Shoe Type | Aggressive |
Last | Slip-lasted |
Upper | Synthetic microsuede |
Outsole | 3.5 mm Vibram XS Grip 2 rubber |
Footwear Closure | Strap |
Can Be Resoled | Yes |
Gender | Men's |
Weight (Pair) | 14 ounces |
6.5 | 7 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 38 EU | 38.5 EU | 39 EU | 39.5 EU | 40 EU | 40.5 EU | 41 EU | 41.5 EU | 42 EU | 42.5 EU | 43 EU | 43.5 EU | 44 EU | 44.5 EU | 45 EU | 45.5 EU | 46 EU | 46.5 EU | 47 EU | 48 EU | 49 EU | 50 EU | |
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U.S. Men's | 6.5 | 7 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 5.5+ | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 7.5+ | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 9.5+ | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 11.5+ | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 | 14.5 | 15 |
UK | 5.5 | 6 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 11 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
EU | 39 | 39.5 | 41 | 41.5 | 42 | 42.5 | 43.5 | 44 | 44.5 | 46 | 47 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Mondo | 24.5 | 25 | 26 | 26.5 | 27 | 27.5 | 28 | 28.5 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 24 | 24.5 | 25 | 25.5 | 26 | 26.5 | 27 | 27.5 | 28 | 28.5 | 29 | 29.5 | 30 | 30.5 | 31 | 32 | 32.5 | 33 |
Rock Shoes: Scarpa recommends you downsize 1/2 to 2 full sizes from street shoe size, though downsizing depends on shoe model, intended use and personal preference.
Mountaineering: Scarpa recommends you upsize 1/2 size or more depending on desired fit. Scarpa plastic mountaineering boots are based on the UK sizing scale.
Ski Boots: All Scarpa ski bootsare measured in Mondo sizing.Highlighted (or not) sizes share the same shell size; the liners are lasted for each 1/2 size. Some skiers may want to downsize up to 1 full Mondo size, depending upon personal preference.
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Been wearing these shoes since summer of 2020 and absolutely love them. The grip they provide has increased my trust in my feet, and I've noticed my footwork improve significantly. You can just feel everything through them, and after the very short break-in period, they were comfortable to wear for hours on end. They're perfect for volumes, indoor climbing holds and smearing. A few weeks ago I wore them outside climbing at Red River Gorge, and they performed excellently! I just wore through the toe after 1.5 years of consistent use, climbing ~3 times a week. For how soft the shoe is, I'm actually impressed they lasted that long. In terms of sizing, I find they're consistent with other Scarpa climbing shoes. I wear a 42.5 in both my Drago's and my Instinct VS.
If you're considering buying these shoes, and they fit your foot, buy them! After the break in period these shoes are incredibly comfortable for a more aggressive shoe. The toe patch is incredibly sticky for toe hooks even while roof climbing. These shoes are super sensitive, so the edging isn't as good as something more stiff, but I haven't had any real issues climbing on small edges in them. These shoes smear incredibly well on volumes as well. I would suggest trying them on before purchasing, i had to downsize a size from my instinct VS.
These shoes are easily the best shoes I’ve owned for both indoor and outdoor bouldering/sport climbing. The only reason I’m giving these a 4 star rating is because of the shoe straps. Maybe I’m just overly psyched and pull the straps to hard but my previous two pairs of dragos the straps have ripped off. Even my current pair (which I’ve had for about 3 weeks are starting to tear. Would still recommend to anyone looking for a well rounded shoe.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND Very soft shoe(softer then theory's) and very very presice. Light weight, comfortable and easy to break in. The definition of a rubber sock. YOU MUST HAVE DECENT FOOT WORK TO USE THIS SHOE. If you are not precise with your feet in this shoe it will last 2 months. Also, if you plan on stepping on small holds with these shoes you need strong feet. (Fits me perfectly and I have a wide toe box and a shallow heel) I consistently climb V9
Despite leaving a 4-star review, I highly recommend these Dragos, especially for indoor climbers. I knocked a star because the craftsmanship is different between the left and right foot. Specifically, the way the rubber is wrapped around the heel of the left foot causes more tension (and is in a different location) than the right resulting in additional pressure to the toe. After 20 or so wears, the left is mostly broken in, but it's a shame because the right foot felt great after just a couple wears.
One of, if not the best pair of climbing shoes I've owned. I climb on a competitive team and currently already own two pairs and am going to buy the third soon. For me, they were a perfect fit right out of the box and maintained their structure until I felt I needed a new pair. The soft rubber is sensitive enough that it allows me to feel anything and everything on the wall as if I was climbing barefoot. On longer routes I find that my foot will occasionally cramp due to the obviously intentional lack of stiffness in the shoe, however this in no way takes away from the quality of the shoe. One of my biggest turn offs of shoes is when they feel so uncomfortable that I feel I need to take them off between every climb. This is NOT the case with the Drago's and I can wear them for extended periods of time without discomfort. I highly recommend these shoes for competitive climbers and even those who are casual climbers that want to up their game!
These feel like you’re wearing sticky socks (in a good way). They’re my go-to for indoor sport climbing and bouldering. Haven’t had a chance to try them outdoors yet. The downside is they aren’t terribly durable with how soft and thin the rubber is. Mine required a resole after only 6 weeks of climbing 3-4 times a week — and I’m not particularly heavy at 140 lbs.
Hands down the best climbing shoe. Dragos are the gold standard for climbing and boy do they live up to it. They are incredibly soft so the feel through your feet is unmatched. You will be able to feel anything and everything on footholds. They are pretty aggressively downturned, especially right out of the box, but they will be surprisingly comfortable. I was a little hesitant at first moving towards a shoe as aggressive as this, purely for the fear of them being unbearable in terms of comfort, but this was the complete opposite of what I have experienced. This might be due to how soft the rubber is, but the first time I put them on it was an exact fit for the rule of thumb for uncomfortable but not painful. I typically wear a 10 in my street shoes and I went with a 43 in these. They broke in fairly quickly (about 2 or 3 sessions at 2 hours each) and it gave me just enough stretch in the material to be comfortable and able to wear them all day while still having all the benefits of the high performance downturn. I hardly ever have to pop them off between climbs that's how comfortable they are after they get broken in. The rubber on these is also very sticky. It is the best shoe I have tried for smearing and for sticking to small jibs and other footholds. The rubber on the toe and heel is also fantastic for toe hooks and heel hooks. I found that I have less of a tendency to slip on these kinds of moves with these shoes. I would completely recommend these to anyone looking for an aggressive shoe. It is worth the money for the performance and comfort that you get out of them. I will definitely be ordering more pairs in the future.
This shoe is great for climbers seeking to jump from intermediate to advanced climbing. I downsized almost 3 sizes and was able to send in them from the first day. The rubber is pretty soft though, so I would recommend minimizing time in the gym with them. Great shoes though, and worth every penny.
Scarpa has got the goods. Is you’ve got these and the Instinct VS you’re unstoppable. These are so so soft and feel like they stick to anything. My most recent project required some pretty marginal feet in a steep roof. I chose the Dragos for my redpoint.