Arguably one of the most important innovations in the history of our sport are climbing shoes. I’ve always said that my favorite gear to review are climbing shoes because it’s the only piece of equipment that actually makes a difference in your performance.

This is a great, interesting deep dive into the shoe’s history and its progression to today’s modern version by Albert Ok, a rather charismatic and whacky YouTuber with an interesting perspective on the sport.

More Climbing History on Evening Sends

For more on climbing shoes, be sure to check out Your Climbing Shoes are Too Tight and our picks for the Best Shoes for Sport Climbing.

And if you’re interested in history of climbing, shoes or otherwise, be sure to check out some other pieces on Evening Sends, including: Sport Climbing in the Verdon and this video series of Seb Bouin revisiting classics of climbing history such as Seb Bouin Pays Dues in the Verdon and Seb Bouin Pays Homage to the Buoux.

And for more Pay Your Dues stories–a mini series that explores tough test pieces from decades ago that still hold up and demand respect even today–check out Pay Your Dues Colorado Bouldering and Pay Your Dues Desert Towers.