Skwama Climbing Shoe (Women's)

The La Sportiva Skwama is a much-loved all-around climbing shoe, here in a women's-specific fit shaped for a typically lower-volume foot. It's the kind of pair a climber can wear for almost anything, which makes it a smart, versatile gift.

It's a soft, sensitive shoe, meaning the climber can really feel the rock or holds through the sole, which helps with smearing (pressing the shoe flat against the wall for grip where there's no clear foothold). It's a great match for an intermediate or experienced climber who wants one go-to shoe rather than several specialty pairs.

The Skwama works on plastic gym holds, on outdoor sport climbing (longer roped routes), and on steep, overhanging terrain, with a grippy heel for heel hooks (latching the heel onto a hold on overhangs). At around $199, it's a flexible rock climbing gift that gives her confidence on the wall and that she'll use week after week.