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Description

A minimalist slipper for steep boulder projects and sport routes.

Slip into the La Sportiva Cobra Climbing Shoe when you want a top-notch blend of edging performance and supreme sensitivity. These shoes turn dime edges into sidewalks and give you the precision feel needed to finally send your long-standing project. La Sportiva used an unlined, slip-lasted design to give the Cobra a feel that’s one step from bare feet.
  • Unlined leather upper will stretch about one full size
  • Aggressive down-turned shape for steep routes and bouldering problems
  • Vibram XS Grip2 for serious edging performance, smearing performance, and durability
  • 0.8mm LaspoFlex at the midsole uses a super-lightweight, super-thin synthetic laminate for torsional rigidity and a sensitive feel
  • Slip-on design makes this shoe an excellent choice for bouldering

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La Sportiva Cobra Vibram XS Grip2 Climbing Shoe

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Here's what others have to say...

5 5

benp519134

Member since 

Bought these for bouldering but they have made it into my sport climbing bag too. Great once you develop more foot strength allowing your toes to really pull and push... rubber is thin so dont drag your feet or youll blow though them.

3 5

Matt

Member since 
  • Gender: Male
  • Familiarity: I've used it several times

This is a decent shoe, but sizing might be tricky, depending on what you're after. Better for face and bouldering. Heel cup is good, so you can heel hook if you size them tightly enough. I would not recommend them for crack climbing (like, for desert splitters). I looked at these as an alternative to 5.10 Moccasyms. Cobras have a more pointed toe box, so that it is highly unlikely your toes will lie flat. I don't have Morton's toe; regardless, 2nd and 3rd toes will not lie flat, even in larger/looser sizes.

Sizing: I wear a street size US 9 mens shoe. I have a size 40 lace Katana, which are sized for agressive face climbing and bouldering. Toes are curled over, so I can't stick them in a crack (or, it's excruciating to use them for crack). I have a size 41 TC Pro, which is sized for all-day comfort and crack climbing (toes are flat). A size 41 Cobra puts my toes in the same position as the size 40 Katanas.

5 5

liap301180

Member since 
  • Gender: Male
  • Familiarity: I've used it several times

Had these shoes since christmas. They took awhile to break in, but are incredibly solid shoes. I wear a 9.5 / 10 in a street shoe. Went with a 39.0 in these, and they are reaaaally tight, but after around 10 bouldering sessions they came around and don't hurt anymore. I think next time I would definitely size up to 40.0, but maybe i'm just a wuss.

anyone ever size these for crack? I have...

robert warden

Member since 
Posted on

anyone ever size these for crack? I have had mocs but the fit has always been suspect. also I don't dig the red feet

robert warden

Member since 
Responded on

got some input they are killer for thin crack

Matt

Member since 
Responded on

good for thin cracks where you don't expect to get your full foot/toes in. Your toes will probably not lie flat enough for hand-sized or larger cracks, and it will be really painful on your toes. YMMV, as far as the pain thing is concerned.

robert warden

Member since 
Responded on

in my other crack shoes even if my toes are half curled, as long as the shoe give them room to lie flat I can jam all day. I was really curious if they have something rigid like P3 (but not listed) to give them a down turn. things like that can mess with your sizing of crack shoes

I was curious what size would these be...

Anthony

Member since 
Posted on

I was curious what size would these be best in for crack climbing?

Currently I wear 39 in solutions for bouldering and 39.5 in miuras for sport.

Any suggestions??

Emerson Takahashi

Member since 
Groups:
Responded on

I wear roughly an 8.5 shoe, and wear these in a 38.5. The fit is aggressive and I'm not sure if I could handle shoving my toe into a crack. You might need to go with a half size up from your muiras to get a comfy fit. They will stretch a bunch though, so also keep that in mind

5 5

Shelton

Member since 

I've had a few pair of these and they are still one on my favorite shoes. I use them for warm-ups, gym endurance training, and most of my bouldering up to a certain level and type of climbing. For overhanging caves you probably want the Solution or Pythons.

For a performance fit you want 4 Sizes down from street!

There is a lot of questionable climbing shoe sizing advice on Backcountry so be careful what you use as a guide. The following suggestions (best for lower volume feet) are pretty accurate IMO and matches the words of others who seem to speak with wisdom...

3.5 or 4 down from street (Miura VS)
4.0 down from street (Cobra)
4.5 down from street (Solution)
5.0 down from street (Futura)

For example, with a 10.5 street shoe you want about a 39.5. Yes its going to hurt for awhile but otherwise they will be sloppy after breaking in.

4 5

Simon Hatfield

Member since 

Great shoe, a lot like the Miura lace, they're versatile, high performance and sleek.

The main difference with this shoe is that its unlined leather upper and thin (3.5mm) sole make it more flexible and sensitive, but less precise than the Miura. This is great for overhangs and gym climbing, but makes them suffer on edges, especially as they break in. The vast amount of elastic needed in this shoe to keep them snug on the feet is also less comfortable than a lacing system, because you can't eliminate pressure points.

On the upside, they are not too expensive, and go on and off really easily. I sized them they same as my Miura's and the fit just a hair tighter.

4 5

Arthur van der Pluym

Member since 

bought these a few weeks back and i have to say i love them, for beginners and more advanced climbers. If you are considering to buy them take in to account that you must buy them 3 euro sizes smaller than you normally would, I usually have a size 46 with la sportiva but 43 was the size for me for these shoes

but there are 2 downsides
- it takes a long time to break them in but after that they have a amazing fit nice and snug without constricting
- they stain your feet orange, was kinda funny in the beginning but now its bugging me a little, makes me wonder about the quality of the shoe

Butt... i still recommend them to anybody who wants to get new climbing shoes :D

Love them
4 5

has5376945

Member since 

i love these shoes! they grip great and mold to your foot perfectly. but it does take a while to break them in, i bought them 2.5 euro sizes below my normal climbing shoe size and it was definitely painful the first couple of climbs but was totally worth it. they are now awesome!

5 5

gtgonzalez

Member since 

These shoes are great. I love them they are great for bouldering and sport climbing. These shoes do stretch A LOT. Most people say that you should go one size down, but since it is a slipper I went smaller because they will have the tendency to slide on your foot on the occasional heal hook. I normally wear a 43.5 but I went to a 41 and have had no problem on heal hooks. I have a very narrow foot, and they fit great. I have kinda hairy feet, so when I put on the shoe it will tug on the hair making it some what uncomfortable so I just have to shave my feet periodically. This is very well worth the money. La sportiva will resole your shoes for you.

4 5

Umut

Member since 

Very soft comfortable shoe for gym and competitions. They strech a lot so i sized 4 euro size downs. Breaks in easily after two boulder sessions in gym. The best part is the midsole is so thin that it is so precise. It fits like a glove and lets you use your feet as precisely as your hand.
Because of very litte support from mid-sole it may be a little harsh on calves during long sport routes with lots of edging.
Also it stretches a lot and loses its shape after some long time and it may pop on some agressive heel hooks.

Soft, precise performance shoe..
5 5

Jesse Trovillion

Member since 

Let's start with sizing:

I wear a 42 in Miuras and got these in a 41.5 -> perfect (once broken in).


The break-in:

Owowow! NOT for the faint of heart. It took probably 10 hours total on-foot time for these puppies to get broken in. I still can't wear them for more than a couple of pitches at a time. At least they don't try to break my toes when I fall off a boulder problem (I'm looking at you, 5.10 Quantum).
Before the break-in I could only wear them for a problem or 2, or a painful pitch before the numbness set in. They pressed really hard on the inner part of my big toe knuckle (where the extra rubber is). Now they're awesome, they've relaxed just enough and become like a second skin. They also barely turn my feet orange anymore.


The performance:

I've climbed my hardest routes in these. The heel cup is amazingly secure for a slipper (I've never even had a hint of a problem with heel hooking), which also makes them kinda hard to take off (NBD). You need to have amazing foot strength to get them to "turn dime edges into sidewalks" as per the description, but they do edge well for such a soft shoe. But oh MAN do they smear! I truly believe this rubber (Vibram XS Grip2) is stickier than stealth, and the amazing sensitivity and flexibility of these shoes really help it come into its own on marginal smears. They lose their (slight) downturn pretty quickly, but you can just flex your feet and they'll flex with 'em (use your feet like hands).

All in all, these are everything I was looking for in a slipper (but if you're planning on doing mostly cracks, the moccasym is probably a better suited slipper than this toe-curler). I imagine these'll stay in my rotation as long as La Sportiva keeps making them.

Smear campaign
4 5

Emerson Takahashi

Member since 
Groups:

I normally would wear about a 40.5 in most other climbing shoe brands, but I sized down to 38 in the Cobras, and they fit pretty well for being new. I have wider feet than average, I also have Morton's toe (only slightly) and these fit very well for not even being broken in yet (I'll edit my review once I climb in these suckers more).
The features/designs that really stand out to me are that the rubber on the toe ends right at my knuckles, which allows my toes to be less cramped since they're only on the stretchy leather. The rubber on the toe extends up only covering my big toe, which will be useful for jamming. The heel rand is incredibly well designed as well- even for a slipper it cups your heel very tightly so every heel hook feels bomber.
My only issue, is that the fabric rubs on the bottom of my ankle bone. Maybe I have "low ankles" but I think the shoe could have been cut a little lower.
This is absolutely no reason to deter from buying this slipper. The rubber is amazing, the fit is great, even for the shoes not being incredibly down turned, they can stick on holds really well.

I can't wait to see how these do once they're broken in.
FYI, I was climbing in a pair of Red Chili Matadors prior to the Cobras.

*UPDATE*
As with any pair of slippers, if you're needing to get a super gnarly heel hook, find some different beta. These have slipped off my heel a few times, it's not too bad, but I wouldn't trust them for a completely secure heel hook. The fabric under my ankles is also continuing to bother me. I'm not sure why they had to make it so tall... also, I think my feet are a little wide for the shoes, I can barely stand wearing these for a full day of bouldering. On the positive, these things can edge on a dime and smear like no other.
initial rating: 8/10
broken in rating: 7/10 - minor things that I can expect from slippers, still AMAZING!

I wear a size 40 in the katanas. Should a...

alex

Member since 
Posted on

I wear a size 40 in the katanas. Should a 40 also work for the cobras?

Nathan B Henson

Member since 
Responded on

The shoes fit a half size down from US measurements. This is from what I noticed after buying there shoes. Which put me at 43 1/2 with a size 11

How do these compare to the 5.10 moccs?

chi4539201

Member since 
Posted on

How do these compare to the 5.10 moccs?

Ryan Roeber

Member since 
Responded on

As with most Sportiva stuff, the quality is awesome. Rubber is good and sticky, and the sizing is really consistent. I have no trouble getting any of my Sportivas to fit me, and I have a weird foot.

Randomintelligentguy

Member since 
Responded on

These are essentially the same as the moccs. I've clibmed with both but 5.10 shoes don't fit my foot as well as La Sportiva. Moccs and Cobras are the best shoes out there for trad, get whichever fits YOUR foot better.

I've also sent some pretty tough boulder problems with the cobras. If you have multiple shoes in your quiver, these will come out the most.

5 5

Federico Garcia

Member since 

just got these shoes a week a go and all ready love them, they fit perfect and they fill very comfortable, sadly i haven't try them on the rock, because it been raining a lot round here but i will soon. I try them on the gym all last week and they perform just great, these slippers will definitely do the job on any route or boulder problem and definitely wont come out, i normally use a # 9 but with these i went to a 7.5 size, the vibram is great its very sticky and soft enough to feel what are you stepping on, the only bad thing as mentioned before in other review is that these shoes will leave your feet with a little orange color jajaja!!!

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