Reviews by User: tonyz (2)

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.

Watch out for the '80s pleats - it has been a while since I've rocked pleated pants. I didn't notice it until the pants showed up. They don't seem to be as sturdy a material as my TNF convertible pants, and only time will tell how they hold up. Other than the weight of the material, the pants are lightweight, very comfortable, shed water/dry quick, and they look pretty good, too. They come with a Teflon coating or something, too, so they repel stains and to make sure that your eggs and bacon won't stick to them. My normal pants are 33/32, and the M/Reg pants fit perfectly. I'll be rocking these pants until my metabolism slows down. The built-in panties are a bit much if you like to wear your own underwear, but it is nice to be able to tell all the chicks that you don't wear underwear when you are camping. Makes you seem more rugged. Chicks dig rugged.