Edging in climbing or bouldering is a fundamental footwork technique that involves using the edge of your climbing shoe on small holds. Climbers use different parts of the edge, typically the inside or outside, to make controlled and precise placements, which can improve balance, and control.
Make your contactsurface as large as possible. Depending on your situation, evaluate if you need to drop or elevate your heel. Its also dependant of your shoe type.
Types of Edging
1. Inside Edging:
• Involves pressing the inner edge of the shoe onto a hold.
• Provides strong, stable contact, especially useful on vertical walls.
• Allows the climber to keep hips closer to the wall for balance.
2. Outside Edging:
• Using the outer edge of the shoe to press against a foothold.
• Often used when the inside edge is inconvenient or the route requires an open stance.
• Requires ankle flexibility but is helpful on certain angles and holds.
3. Front-pointing (Toe Edging):
• Uses the very tip of the shoe to grip small footholds.
• Often applied on steep or overhung terrain where the foot points directly into the rock.
Technique Tips for Effective Edging
• Positioning: Place your toe precisely on the hold, aiming to make full contact with the edge for maximum friction. Sometimes it helps to place part of the toe on the wall.
• Focus on Footwork: Look at your foot placement as you edge, ensuring each movement is deliberate and precise.
• Practice Static Balance: Use controlled movements rather than jumping or dropping onto edges, which reduces the risk of slipping.
Suggested Videos
1. “Rock Climbing: Climbing Techniques” by Howcast – Brief video on edging and other basic climbing techniques.
2. “Intermediate climbing footwork technique: inside & outside edging, toes and heels” by Lattice training.
3. “Slab climbing 101” by Lattice training, starting at 4:20 for edging.
Gear Integration: Stiff vs. Soft Shoes
Your ability to edge effectively doesn’t just depend on your footwork technique—it is heavily influenced by the tool on your foot. Climbing shoes are generally categorized by their stiffness, and choosing the right tool for the job can be the difference between standing securely on a microscopic chip or slipping off entirely.
Why Stiffness Matters for Edging
When you stand on a tiny edge, your body weight concentrates onto a very small surface area.
- Stiff shoes feature a thick plastic or compressed fiber midsole. This acts as a rigid platform that supports your weight, allowing the shoe to do the heavy lifting so your foot muscles don’t fatigue.
- Soft shoes have minimal midsoles, relying entirely on the raw strength of your toes and feet to maintain structural rigidity against the rock.
Comparison: Stiff vs. Soft Mid-soles
| Shoe Attribute | Stiff Shoes (e.g., La Sportiva Miura, Scarpa Maestro) | Soft Shoes (e.g., Scarpa Drago, La Sportiva Theory) |
| Edging Performance | Excellent. The rigid edge stays flat under intense pressure, giving you maximum stability on micro-crimps. | Poor to Moderate. The shoe flexes and rolls over small edges, forcing your toes to work twice as hard to stay on. |
| Sensitivity & Feeling | Low. You cannot feel the texture of the rock or the subtle nuances of the hold through the thick sole. | High. You can feel exactly how your foot is interacting with the rock, giving you immediate tactile feedback. |
| Best Terrain | Vertical to slightly overhanging walls, technical slab, and outdoor granite or limestone. | Steep overhangs, large indoor volumes, modern competition style, and smearing. |
The Comp Climber Exception: Edging in Soft Shoes
While the general rule is “stiff shoes for small edges,” watching any top-tier IFSC World Cup or Olympic bouldering competition reveals a fascinating exception.
This comes down to raw physical conditioning and personal preference:
- The “Grip” Mechanic: Instead of passively relying on a stiff plastic platform to hold them up, elite boulderers use immense, highly trained toe and intrinsic foot strength to literally “grab” or curl over the edge with their toes.
- Tactile Feedback: Many top competitors prefer the absolute sensitivity of a soft shoe. They argue that feeling the exact texture and angle of a micro-edge allows them to adjust their body weight more precisely than they could while wearing a stiff, numb shoe.
For everyday climbers, however, relying entirely on soft shoes for vertical edging usually leads to rapid foot fatigue and early slipping.
The Beginner’s Edging Trap:
Many intermediate climbers upgrade to highly downturned, ultra-soft shoes because they see advanced competition climbers wearing them. However, if you are actively trying to improve your edging technique and haven’t yet built up elite foot strength, a stiffer, flatter, or moderately down-turned shoe will give you the mechanical support needed to build confidence on small feet.
How Fitting Affects Your Edge
No matter how stiff your shoe is, it won’t edge well if it doesn’t fit properly. If there is dead space or air pockets around your toes, your foot will slide inside the shoe when you step on an edge. This causes the outer rubber to roll off the hold.
For optimal edging, your toes should be slightly curled and completely filling the front box of the shoe, ensuring that every ounce of downward force is transferred directly from your big toe into the edge of the rubber.
Exercises to practice your footwork
Silent Climbing: Aim to climb without making any sound—each move and every step on the wall should be silent. As you place each foot, do it slowly and precisely, ensuring it lands exactly where you want it. Focus on controlled, intentional movements.
This exercise helps you develop awareness of your footwork, enhancing your precision and control with each placement.