La Sportiva

Otaki Climbing Shoe

Great fitting shoes for wider feet

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Size Bought:

45

These shoes are great if you have a wider foot, I tried in a lot of climbing shoes and found these to work best for my foot shape. I even bought a 2nd pair so I can have a pair while one is being re-soled.

Great shoes - Solution Competitor

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Size Bought:

43.5

Came from using Solutions. With the extra strap, you can tighten down Otaki's more on your foot. Similar aggressive toe. Only reason it didn't get 5 stars is that I don't love the tongue on the shoe. Solutions are easier to slip on and fit more like a sock while with Otakis, there is a tongue that can get folded over.

Build Quality is Mediocre at Best

I just received the shoes in the mail and was psyched to open it and try it out. But, upon opening, to my surprise, the shoes looked dirty. Upon closer inspection, there is glue residue on the strap, toe looks like it was poorly glued on or even previously used. There are ends of the stitching sticking out everywhere. I’m sure the material shouldn’t be too bad for climbing but man am I disappointed with the build quality for not so cheap pair of climbing shoes. Hopefully it lasts at least a year of indoor climbing.

Great shoes, highly recommend

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Size Bought:

41

Height:

5' 8"

Weight:

160

I have been climbing for some time and I am very very hard on shoes. I gym climb 3-4 times a week and tend to press against walls when sport climbing to get rests in between holds so I wear the big toe a lot. I say this because I have had these shoes for over a year, and in that time I have actually had 4 pairs and resoled two of them already. So I have really put this product through the wringer. I go through shoes way faster than most and tend to resole early to not wear out the rand. Pros: if you are looking for an aggressive shoe with structure that is still comfortable, these should be a definite consideration. The semi split sole is great for some give in the shoe because is heel and toe box can flex independently. However, the thickness of the toe box rubber and the midsole provide you with a lot of support. The use of edge rubber is also a plus. All these things combined make it a good edging shoe because you have the structure beneath your foot to give you confidence. They are down turned but not very asymmetrical. This means that your foot is not jammed in a shoe that concentrates all your power aggressively towards your big toe. I also have sportiva solution shoes and if you compare the two lasts, they are totally different. The lack of asymmetry means that you are in a more relaxed position when on your toe. This is good for longer sessions on the wall, and definitely mean a more comfortable fit. You can definitely wear these for a long time. It also means that people with slightly wider toe box needs can wear them. Velcro is good. Traditionalists love laces, and they are great for the shoes that have them, but for ease of on off, the two straps are great and allow for a good deal of adjustment. They break in great. Stiff out of the box, but confirm well (but all good climbing shoes do this). The man made leather and full lining means these do not stretch that much, but like any shoe they do stretch a little. Snug initial fit is a good thing. Try them on and beat in mind that about a full to half a size down is likely required. Cons: be aware that the toe patch is basically non existent. These are more of a sport climbing shoe. If you are going to aggressively toe hook and boulders, may not be the best for long term use. The bits of rubber there are ok, and being fully lined they are comfortable to toe hook, but the shoe wasn’t made for that. All man made leather gets stinky after a while. It’s just a fact. Deal with it. Real leather tends to deal better with stink. Like all shoes, if you beat the heck out of them, they will soften up. I feel as if these become better for feel as they get softer. My resoled shoes are really soft by this point. Really nice for technical moves, but the edging performance has gone down. Again, this is a normal thing for downturned shoes. If you want an edging shoe that will always be stiff, then you want a flat last hard rubber shoe made for that. It isn’t that these puppies can’t edge, just that as they evolve, so does their edging performance Sizing: I wear street shoe size 42. I have bought these in 41.5 (ended up being a bit too big) two pairs of 41 (just right for all day use) and a pair in 40.5 (Best for hardest sends). If I had to pick 1 all around size for me, I would go with the 41 (again street shoe size 42). I have resoled the 41.5 and a pair of the 41. (Rock and resole out of Colorado is an awesome place for resoles). They resole well and are like an old friend, but use a reputable place as I have had cobblers ruin some shoes before. They are comfy, an amazing performer (a combo that isn’t easy to achieve) and they look good. If you are looking for an aggressive shoe that will help you progress, definitely a contender along with the Scarpa Instinct VS. you won’t regret spending the cash.

Otaki product video

Otaki in Japanese Samurai slang is the oldest single wire sword: extremely sharp and precise also on small targets. A concept perfectly applicable to climbing: Otaki is a precise, supportive and structured climbing shoe, ideal for climbing in crags, on walls and boulders thanks to features that meet the requirements of today's modern climbers. The new construction method combines the advantages of the all round snug fit of a slipper to the precision and volume regulation of a Velcro closure shoe. This solution guarantees maximum sensitivity and precision even in torsion: the shoe perfectly follows the movements of the climber eliminating empty volumes and rigid zones. The Innovative S-Heel? allows to maintain perfect torsion stability accentuating performance and adaptability in heel hooks when bouldering.