La Sportiva Otaki Climbing Shoe for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

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.

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 shoes 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 the 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 means 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 mold well (but all good climbing shoes do this). The man made leather and full lining mean 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 bear 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 boulder, they may not be the best for long term use. The bits of rubber over the toe are ok, and being fully lined they are comfortable to toe hook (padding) but the shoe wasn’™t made for that. All man made leather gets stinky after a while. It is just a fact. Deal with it. Real leather tends to deal better with stink, but stretches more. 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 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.

I love the precise performance of the Miura VS, but my feet are too "pudgy" in width for the tight size I would need to extract that performance. After 3 tries, I gave up. These shoes in my regular 44.5 sizing give me all the performance I hoped for in the Miuras, but can accommodate my frequently-swollen feet. So my quiver consists of 44.5 Otaki, 44.5 Solution, 44.5 TC Pro, 45 Katana Lace and soon 44.0 in Skwawa. Yes, I have a bad case of "GAS" = Gear Acquisition Syndrome :-). And I am George Baldwin, not Jeanne Ransome.

delicate toes and edges, accuracy without extreme pain. in addition to the bubble and slight downturn, it's also not necessarily the same build on the shoe last the katana in terms of size, despite the comparison in the product description. for instance, i wear katana 41s, and bought these in the same size to find a little room on my toes in the front. will use them for winter climbing with socks to compensate, but next pair i'll size down an extra half number for sure.

I've only used them for bouldering so far, but they fit great and are breaking in well. I've had zero issues with them while climbing and am looking forward to them breaking in fully.

Get these shoes! Ive never felt more secure than with any other shoe. Highly recommend!

This was my first pair of aggressive shoes. I was a little nervous about the break in period as I heard it could be a little painful, however these were pretty comfortable right off the bat. They molded to my feet after a few bouldering sessions and now are now my go shoes for sport and bouldering both indoors and out. I've been climbing in them for about a year now and they have held their shape surprisingly well and have not flattened out too much. They perform great both when edging or smearing on slabs or vertical routes and on steeper overhanging rock. I've been able to trust my feet more and have definitely started climbing better. They fit true to La Sportiva's sizing. I've had three pairs of Sportiva's with completely different profiles and I always find a perfect fit by sizing down a full size from my street shoe.

Best shoes ever, I wear them for every thing for bouldering to trad climbing!!

Shoes are insanely comfy. My feet are shaped like triangles; wide toe box, high arch,narrow heel. I have the Scarpa arpias too- fit very similarly but the heel on the Arpia is way too baggy. Otakis fit like a dream and the heel is much more protected and supportive. These shoes are much better for support than the Arpia and are edging machines while maintaining sensitivity.

I upgraded to these from my gambits once i started projecting V6s and let me just say. WOW! These shoes can grip! I'm still blown away at how well these can grip foot holds, there have been multiple times where I have surprised myself that I didn't slip off the foothold. I have narrow feet but a wide toe box and these fit perfect! I can't believe how stiff and aggressive these are yet remain comfortable! If you're looking to up your bouldering game these shoes are the way to go! I wear a size 9.5 street shoe and ordered a size 42 in these and they fit great!

Just got these a month or so ago but love how stiff they are. So far they've performed really well on vertical and slightly overhanging climbs with really thin feet!

Decided to upgrade to a more aggressive shoe. Holy crap, what a difference this makes on steep terrain and boulder problems. So happy I got these bad boys and have added them to my unhealthy amount of climbing shoes. Runs true to size with other Sportiva models, I usually size 1/2 to a full down from my standard euro fit depending on what I’m going for in the shoe.

These are great edging shoes. I got them as a gift for my boyfriend for his trip to red rocks for tiny edges. He was looking for a stiffer shoe and appreciates the performance on slab and steep boulders with these shoes.

These are nicely constructed, fairly rigid, moderately down-turned shoes good for sport climbing that demands technical edging. One thing I don't believe any of the reviewers mentioned: they are very wide in the forefoot. I own mostly Tenaya shoes (all narrow) and have 2 pairs of Scarpas (Vapor and Instinct lace). These are at least 3-10 mm wider than my other shoes. Eventually I got use to inside and outside edging in them. But be aware if you are coming from narrower shoes.

I purchased a pair of Otakis to stand in while my Katanas were being resoled, but man have they been so much more than a substitute! While they've only seen gym use thus far, I know I'll be able to count on them for performance on overhung routes as well as any other instance when grip and power is key. Like other reviews have stated, these will stretch a bit. For reference I wear a 42 in Katana and 42 in Mythos, but I sized down to 41.5 and the fit is perfect. Don't expect to stand around in them all day, but they will perform when you need them to!

I've been climbing for about five months and need something stiffer with better edge and solid stickiness for harder sport routes (5.11s) and bouldering (V3/V4). This shoe performs unbelievably well across a variety of situations. It's an aggressive shoe, but definitely not the most aggressive shoe out there, a solid choice to step up to for intermediate/advanced climbers. It's especially great for overhung routes, the S-heel makes heel hooking incredibly effective. I am a size 40 and I sized down to a 39, which were very tight at first, but they stretched out and fit perfectly now. They probably stretched out 1/2 size up. It only took a couple of sessions to fully break them in.

I've been a big fan or La Sportiva for year. I've used many of their shoes. The Solutions and Futuras were some of my favorites. These shoes have a strong edge on the toe so edging it very easy. The shoe holds it shape and is pretty comfortable right out of the box. I have fallen in love with these shoes and you will too. Try em out. They rock.

when i get in a pinch and need a strong toe hold these do the trick.