La Sportiva Katana Climbing Shoe

I'm new to climbing but i know enough to figure out these shoes are awesome. great rubber, good fit

I bought my first pair of Katanas about a year ago. They held up pretty well - I used them a ton - I probably had about 75 solid days climbing in them. When I realized that they were just about dead, I bought another pair. They are comfortable as hell, edge fantastically, and can smear with the best of 'em. I climb mostly on sandstone, so this is about all I get to climb on - dime edges and sloper smearing. The reason these get 4 stars instead of 5 is that the heels seem to be loose in every pair I've tried on. Everyone I know who has these shoes (they're pretty popular at my gym) says the same thing - the heel is a bit on the big side. It's fine for most climbing, but when you're heel is a foot above your head and you're trying to clip, you really don't want to feel it starting to slip. In all fairness (the reason for 4 instead of 3 stars), I've never had a heel come out, but I have had it move enough to really make me think about it every time I put my heel up. You can look at the picture and see what I'm talking about. The leather patch in the back just looks loose. I normally wear a 45, but sized down to a 44 for these shoes. A 5.10 44.5 won't fit me, but a La Sportiva 44 fits perfect. Go figure. Bottom line: These shoes will work for 98% of you to climb something way above your ability.

These shoes have worked great for me for the short time that I have had them. After a few days of hard climbing they break in perfectly, just enough to keep their tight fit, but soften up enough to climb in comfortably all day. I'm not going to put and sizing info up here because YOU SHOULD NOT BUY A CLIMBING SHOE FOR THE FIRST TIME ONLINE!!!!!!! Don't be lazy, find the perfect fit, then buy them online. The katana represents the next step up in all around shoes, perfect for switching back and forth between bouldering and wall climbing. The rubber is great as everybody says, but honestly, rubber isn't that different from high end shoe to high end shoe. Mostly this shoe is great for me because of it's perfect blend of flexibility and stiffness, and a great narrower fit. Despite how much I have enjoyed this shoe thus far, I'm pretty cautious because of all the bad reviews on durability that I've heard so far. Mine have been holding up terrifically, but on those days when I'm feeling sloppy and impatient or especially for jagged outdoor, I bring out my sturdy old lace ups (not only because of durability, but I don't always need everything the katana has to offer). When you opt for a less durable shoe, it CAN mean that you get a better feel and softer fit, if you want that. Obviously this is not a beginner shoe to be clunking around on rock and dragging your feet, and it shouldn't be the first shoe you buy (you will destroy them in no time at all). If you're just starting out, go for a different, more sturdy lace up. Not only will getting your footwork down in a more solid shoe help your climbing, but those shoes will stay with you for awhile and will by no means become obsolete when you do decide to move up to something like the katana.

my first route with katana shoes and big fall on the ground!reason my shoes slipped from foothold.fall over 20 ft luckilly no injury only sore ancles :o)

The Katana´s is VERY good, it grips well, it is really nice... but when it´s new. The edge of mine has opened and it goes away easily

You normally wear a size 47 and are buying 43's ? This review is a perfect example of some noob posting absolute false info. I own this shoe and size up from a 44-44.5 to a 45. I've climbed on it two years now in Colorado. What is a 47 size 13 ? 43 is like size 9 ? I'd love to see someone pull that off with this shoe.

I've gone through 2 pairs of these shoes (resoled my first one's twice) No shoe fits like the katana! Thanks to the leather construction the shoe will stretch slightly over time resulting in a custom fit for your feet. I usually size 3 to 4 sizes smaller than my regular shoe size. (I wear a 47 normally and my katanas are 43 1/2's; although my next pair will be 43's.) The sole is a little softer than the muiras resulting in better smearing performance. If you are sick of shoes slipping around on your foot/heel this is the one for you. Well worth it!