Butora Gomi Climbing Shoes Review

The Butora Gomi surprised me. I grabbed this shoe hoping for something comfy enough to wear more than five minutes, yet sensitive enough for those freaky cave problems and polished limestone caves. It stepped up big time, performing on everything from squishy volume smears to micro-edges outside.

It molds to your foot thanks to the soft upper and split-sole, and outperforms its price tag. But you’ll need to pay attention to sizing—the Gomi runs big—and it’s not the shoe for hardcore edging fanatics. Ultimately, if you want an aggressive shoe that hugs your foot and sends on steep ground, with forgiveness for us wide-footed climbers, the Gomi belongs on your shortlist.

Let’s get real: my climbing shoe journey has been a mess of wrong sizes, cramped toes, and painful walk-offs. That’s exactly why I started ClimbingShoesFit. I got obsessed—maybe even too obsessed—with finding shoes that actually fit, especially with slightly wide, high-volume feet. I’ve spent years swapping models, borrowing from friends, and reading every random forum post.

My mission is to test shoes the way real climbers use them and help you skip straight to the good fits.

I grabbed the Butora Gomi after a friend (total sandstone crusher) swore it finally gave his duck-feet the snug, aggressive fit he could actually wear for a whole session. With spring gym season coming up and a trip to try steep tufa routes outside, I wanted to see if I’d finally found a shoe that ticks my boxes: comfy, precise, wide-friendly, and not a total pain fest. Here’s how my Gomi experience went, wild edges, slippery smears, and all.

Let’s take a look at what makes this climbing shoe unique.

No shoe is perfect, and the Gomi’s edges are where you’ll notice its soft, sensitive side. My first test was forcing myself onto the smallest footholds I could find at the climbing gym—those desperate, brick-hard footholds on the 30-degree wall that make you question your life choices.

The Gomi handles small holds better than a pure slipper, but you’ll never get the rigid confidence of a La Sportiva Miura or Katana – (Read my Katana review here). Outside on our local granite, I found the front toe flexed enough to grab the hold but needed some real core tension to avoid rolling off. Inside, it’s better—especially when my footwork was fresh, the sticky Neo Fuse rubber made up for that loss of stiffness.

If I was projecting a technical, vertical face, I’d want more support. But for my usual boulder problems (think steep, power-based gyms and overhanging limestone outside), the Gomi is just supportive enough. Don’t expect it to turn you into an edging wizard, but you won’t curse it, either.

Now, smearing? This shoe made me a believer.

The best test was a comp-style slab with huge, rounded fiberglass holds—a zone I’ve always struggled with. Where my last shoes would slip, the Gomi seemed to blend into the wall, almost like climbing barefoot. That soft sole and thin midsole grabs onto the surface and lets your toes splay a bit onto the volume, which makes a huge difference.

On outdoor sandstone, the magic stuck. Compared to stiffer shoes that bounced off slopers, the Gomi let me trust my feet on that glassy stuff. The only tradeoff: if there’s any sand or dust on the holds, clean your soles between attempts—they’re so soft and sensitive that even a little grime can make you skate.

Here’s my real talk on comfort: I sweated over the Gomi sizing for way too long. The first session, they felt almost… okay? Couldn’t believe how soft they were, especially for an aggressive shoe. Usually I’m dying to rip my shoes off after every attempt. Here, I could keep them on while resting on the mats or even walking around the gym.

After three or four sessions, something weird happened—my toes stopped hurting completely. The leather plus mesh upper softened up, the foam tongue made pressure almost disappear, and even though my toes were curled, they weren’t screaming. I’d compare the break-in to putting on one of those soft sport slippers, but with an actual performance shape.

But, heads up: go too big and you’ll lose precision in toe hooks and edging. Too small, and they still have a break-in, even if it’s less brutal than most downturned shoes. The sweet spot exists, but it took me two tries to find it (see Sizing, below). Check out my methods to break in climbing shoes fast.

If you love feeling the textures and bumps under your feet, the Gomi freaking delivers.

This is one of the most sensitive aggressive shoes I’ve tried. You know how gym footholds always have those little mold lines or slightly worn spots? I could feel all those details, and it’s honestly addictive—like using your raw skin, but without the blood blisters.

Downside? On razor edges outside, I sometimes missed the support you get from stiffer designs. For me, it’s a great tradeoff indoors and on steeper rock, but slab specialists might want more buffer. I still think the combination of sensitivity and support is dialed in for bouldering.

Here’s where the Gomi puts on a show.

On a dyno in the cave at our gym (long left heel hook, desperate bump to the finish), the shoe locked in so well I actually slipped sideways—but my shoe didn’t budge. The molded, cup-style heel sits deeper than a lot of performance shoes, so it really grabs your foot and doesn’t roll off mid-hook.

Same story for toe hooks: the big, sticky toe patch reaches up toward the laces, and every time I committed to a wild bicycle (especially on those comp-style problems), the Gomi held—even on slick plastic or polished stone outdoors.

I will say: if you size it too big, that secure feel goes away. Get this dialed in, though, and you’re golden.

My biggest surprise? How much confidence I gained on comp-style problems. I’m usually the guy slipping off volumes, not sticking those wild press moves.

First time I wore the Gomi outside, my buddies instantly noticed I was less hesitant on dicey feet. The shoes let me feel so much that I started trusting my feet instead of second guessing every placement.

What changed for me most was comfort: I could wear these shoes longer, actually rest at the base without peeling them off, and shoot for more back-to-back sends in a session. I still keep a stiff shoe for granite edges, but for anything steep or gym-based, the Gomi is my new go-to.

This is where the Gomi shines for the foot-shape obsessed (trust me, that’s me).

If you’ve suffered through shoes for narrow feet, rejoice: the Gomi comes in both Regular and Wide fits. I picked up the Wide in size EU 41.5 (I’m a 43 street), and it finally felt like a shoe that let my toes spread without blowing out the sides.

Here’s who’s happiest:

• Medium to wide footed climbers who actually want performance
• Moderate-length toes (Egyptian or Roman foot—see below)
• Anyone who hates that horrible pinky side squeeze

It might not suit:

• Super narrow feet (just too roomy)
• Flat toe boxes (it’s pointy and aggressive)
• Ultra high arches (not enough volume for everyone)

The Butora Gomi’s pointed, aggressively downturned shape works best for Egyptian and Roman foot types, where the big toe is the longest or nearly level with the second toe.

Climbers with a Greek foot type (second toe longest) can still find a good fit, but may feel a bit more pressure on that second toe during long sessions.

Square foot types will likely experience more dead space at the tip unless they size down aggressively, as the tapered toe box isn’t optimized for evenly aligned toes.

Best for medium to wide feet—the Gomi Wide fit actually leaves space for broad forefeet without crushing your toes or creating dead space. Regular fit works for most medium-width feet.

The Gomi is fully unisex, available in a huge size range, with separate regular and wide fits. Both men and women can find comfortable, performance options—just double-check the sizing chart, since Butora’s conversions can be odd.

This is the most important part—seriously, don’t mess this up.

My street shoe size is EU 43 (US men’s 10-ish), fairly wide foot.

I tried:

• Size 43 (way too roomy, totally useless for precision—dead space in the heel and forefoot)
• Size 42 (still too much slip, plus broke in too baggy after a month)
• Size 41.5 Wide fit—it finally hugged my feet but didn’t cut off blood flow

My tips:

• Size down 1.5 sizes from your street Euro size for a performance fit (2 full sizes if using for steep bouldering or your feet are narrow/low volume)
• If between Regular and Wide, choose Wide for true D-E width or above
• Be ready for some stretch, but not drastic—most happens after the first 5-6 sessions

In US sizing terms: I wear about US M 10 in street, and the US 8.5 Wide in the Gomi fits me perfect for hard climbing. Try before you buy if you can, and remember: don’t believe the “street shoe size” hype.

I beat shoes up. Like, really beat them up—slab falls, toe dragging, and some panicked outdoor scrambles. After about 5 months (roughly 2-3 sessions per week), the Gomi looks surprisingly fresh for such a soft shoe.

The Neo Fuse rubber does show a bit of wear at the tips (normal for such a sensitive model), but the rand and upper haven’t split. The Velcro is crazy strong and hasn’t gummed up or lost its bite.

I noticed the foam in the tongue compresses a bit after heavy use, but not enough to create hotspots or pain. Overall, I’ve been impressed—usually soft shoes break down way faster than this. Wash them down with mild soap every so often, and they’ll survive a full season no problem.

For the performance and comfort, the Gomi is a steal compared to shoes like the La Sportiva Solution Comp or Scarpa Drago. It’s not cheap, but you’re getting soft-shoe sensitivity with a durable build, and options for wide feet that most big names ignore.

If you’re a beginner looking to step up your game, or a seasoned boulderer tired of punishing shoes, the Gomi is honestly worth every penny. I wouldn’t buy it for my only all-around trad shoe, but for anything steep, overhanging, or plastic, the value is hard to beat. That said, make sure the fit works for you—otherwise that money goes right down the drain.

As with anything one size doesn’t fit all. Here are my recommendations.

I wouldn’t pick the Gomi if:

• You love technical, vertical edging (you’re better off with a Miura or Katana, or anything stiffer)
• You’ve got super narrow or flat feet—a more classic slipper fits better
• You want one shoe for everything, including super long trad climbs
• You climb mainly on sharp, hard, tiny outdoor holds

If any of these sound like you, check out the Gomi:

• You climb indoors a lot—especially bouldering
• You want soft sensitivity, not toe torture
• You have medium to wide feet and never find a comfy aggressive shoe
• You do lots of toe and heel hooking
• You send on overhanging problems more than vertical faces

No matter your level, if comfort is holding you back from trying hard, this is a top pick.