Beginner rock climbing shoes actually may perform better than more expensive models on the types of terrain that beginners are likely to climb. Pro-level shoes are aggressively downturned and highly asymmetric to focus power on a small spot at the end of your big toe. When you're standing on larger holds, that focus doesn't really help and is more likely to simply cause pain. It can be incredibly demotivating to own shoes that cause pain whenever you put them on or stand on a small hold. Flat shoes with a slight asymmetry allow beginners to tap their instinctive climbing abilities and climb naturally, without pain, as their footwork evolves.