Tenaya Mundaka Climbing Shoe for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

9.2
out of 10
8 Positive, 2 Mixed & 0 Negative
from 10 Reviews
Retail Price:
$194.95
Used Value:
$116.97
Sale Value:
$175.46

Sometimes the thing that is keeping you off the send-train is painful feet. Crunching toes and collapsed arches aren't Tenaya’s favorite thing either, thus the birth of the Mundaka Climbing Shoes. These puppies keep the dogs from barking with their extremely comfortable footbed. The split sole offers flexibility in pressure points on your feet to reduce pain as you press down, and you get a comfortable, firm, and personalized fit of a gym shoe without sacrificing the more aggressive feel of a downturned shoe. Vibram rubber offers legendary durability and will help keep you on the wall even when the footing is suspect. Rely on the Mundakas to tick off your next projects, last long enough to plow through plenty of routes on your tick list, and keep your feet from burning and aching with pain after a full day of ticking off redpoints.

Specifications

Brand:
Asymmetrical Curvature:
yes
Closure:
hook and loop, Draxtor PAT system
Last:
stiff
Lining:
cotton with TXT treatment
Manufacturer Warranty:
1 year
Midsole:
double GX 1.4 and TST 131
Profile:
aggressive
Recommended Use:
bouldering, sport climbing
Rubber:
Vibram XS Grip
Upper Material:
natural leather microfiber

Full Reviews

10
Listen. These shoes are a revelation. I have formed an emotional bond with these shoes. They're aggressive, they mold to your foot shape, and they're comfortable. Like actually comfortable, even when sized down as far as is medically reasonable. Super grippy, incredibly precise and sensitive, pretty good at toe hooks, *very* good at heel hooks, low-volume which means no slipping around, the velcro system is rock-solid and easy to dial in, split sole makes them very responsive...what's not to like? If you're looking for a stiff shoe with a razor edge, these aren't it, but you probably knew that already. For me, these are my bouldering and try-hard sport shoes. I will probably keep buying them until Tenaya stops making them. Soft and somewhat thin rubber makes these not the most durable shoes, sadly. My less-than-perfect footwork and I got about five months out of them before they needed a resole or retirement, but for most of that time they were my only shoes and saw 3x/week use in the gym (and one weekender outdoors). I wear a size 9 / 9.5 street shoe, and I sized down to 8.5 in these for a very aggressive fit (per Tenaya's recommendation), which was perfect. Tried the 8, was too small.
Ryan G., backcountry.com
December 4, 2019
10
Tenaya is my favorite brand. If you haven’t tried them, you should know that they are generally narrower, precise, and comfortable. Mundaka is their newest performance flagship, which means it is very soft and downturned. In fact this is the only Tenaya that has a split forefoot and heel, and the deletion of midsole. Very sensitive and well suited for those delicate foot works. Fitwise, I wear 11.5 or 12 street shoes and 11 in these is comfortable. I remember someone said these are sized differently from other Tenaya shoes, but I disagree. They are the same sizing to my other 4 pairs of Tenaya shoes. Probably can go 10.5 but I feel no need to do it. My big and second toes are about the same length. The heel, like many have mentioned is deep so it feels baggy to me.
Szu-Ping Lee, backcountry.com
April 11, 2019
10
I love how these shoes are mega sensitive without sacrificing their aggressive performance. They feel relaxed on my feet but perform like an aggressive shoe - it's hard to believe until you give them a try. The Vibran XS rubber is just what it says... so grippy! This helps me feel confident even on the tiniest foot chips. The lacing is simple and makes for a good fit - like a lace up shoe without the time commitment. My only beef is that they aren't the most durable shoe, but that comes with the territory of the Vibram XS Grip rubber. My advice with that is to be intentional with the routes you choose these shoes for, don't rake down a runout slab route like I did!
Emma, backcountry.com
March 31, 2019
10
I just got these shoes and climbed in them for the first time this morning, and I could just shout from the roof tops about how much I love them. I've been climbing for a few years now and haven't invested in a precise/performance fit -- previously climbed in Scarpa Helix and BD Momentums for comfortable gym shoes and outdoor sport shoes. Putting these shoes on for the first time was AMAZING. It felt like slipping on a sock and my foot filled in every part of the shoe. I typically wear a street shoe size 7.5-8 (usually 8), and I have a wide foot - which makes many climbing shoe brands too uncomfortable for me. I was looking for a performance fit with a stiff sole for sport climbing and bouldering, but was not looking for anything extremely aggressive or 10/10 stiffness. This shoe is stiffer than the Iati and Oasi. They felt good too, but the stiffness of the sole and the rubber on the toe of this shoe for toe hooking really caught my eye. Green is kind of a crazy color for me, but I am SUPER happy with them and couldn't care less what color they are based on how they climb. I've found the brand that fits me best! I hope these will work for you too!
Amanda Ravensbergen, backcountry.com
March 2, 2019
10
This was a gift for my brother, he has a long skinny foot. This seemed to fit him perfectly. He hasn't gotten to use them as they are a Christmas present, but I had to jump on the buy, so it is currently torturing him a bit to know that they are there and for him, but he can't have them yet. (Yes I know mildly evil, but I had to know if I needed to get him a different size and return within the return policy.) However this shoe has great support in the toe box for edging. Should also be great for bouldering. He cant wait to try them on the wall.
Mickenzie Budge, backcountry.com
November 12, 2018
10
This shoes are awesome! I have never had a shoe that was so good standing on tiny slick edges but also comfortable enough that my foot isn't hurting when i get down from the climb. I went with a half size down from my street shoe and can still wear my socks with them. I probably could have gone a full size down but i wanted to have a comfortable shoe.
Dean Raynes, backcountry.com
September 21, 2018
10
When I bought a pair of the precursor shoe to this one (the Oasi) I was blown away by the combination of comfort and performance. For someone with a narrow but medium-volume foot, I have never felt the confidence on heel and toe hooks that I got with the Oasi. As I saw it, there were really only two issues with Tenaya's first attempt at a shoe that can do it all: toe rubber and heel peeling. The Mundaka seeks to remedy these problems, and after a first session, it seems much more well constructed and durable than the Oasi while keeping all the features I loved so much about the first shoe. Tenaya's Draxtor Lacing System, which some claim to be finnicky, offers exactly the kind of adjustability one would expect from a laced shoe in a gym-friendly, quick-change velcro setup. Their choice of Vibram XS Grip rubber over the XS Grip 2 is a smart one as well- the advanced dynamics of the shoe give edging power when you need it, but this softer rubber compound (along with the wholesale removal of the "barely there" midsole of the Oasi) somehow keeps the legendary edging and pocket-finding ability of the first shoe while improving on smearing and sensitivity. Also, who doesn't love having a shoe that no one knows about? Great conversation starter, and I got a lot of compliments on the bold green colorway. While I'm aware that every brand tries to make shoes for every kind of foot, it's hard to slip these on, send my projects, and be completely comfortable without thinking "I'm never going back to any other brand of climbing shoe".
John Flanagan, backcountry.com
November 10, 2017
6
These are an aggressive fit––so much so that I don't think I could wear them for an extended period of time. I had to take them off in between climbs while I was trying them out, and I had already ordered a half size up from my regular. However, the few boulder problems that I did do in these shoes felt great, so I would definitely recommend these shoes. I'm not sure about the durability yet.
Robinson Vought, backcountry.com
October 30, 2017
10
For precise placements on footholds, a nice soft mid sole, and the fit like a solid slipper - the Mundaka is my new favorite sport climbing shoe. I've had the chance now to try it in both the gym and at a limestone crag and I'm really stoked on the performance of these. In regards to fit - a reviewer below noted how these fit with wide feet and long toes - I HAVE WIDE FEET, BUT NOT SO LONG TOES. Maybe that is the difference, but i also believe fitting these is a little different than other Tenayas. TENAYA'S RUN LARGE! So usually i am a 9.5 for most climbing shoes - with these I am a 9 - and that is really sizing up from most other Tenayas. I don't feel crushed in them and I for sure believe they will break in a bit more. They produce a very narrow profile to the foot, and center a lot of the power over the big toe. Very precise.
Alex Quitiquit, backcountry.com
October 4, 2017
6
I wanted a dedicated shoe for my outdoor sport project and was excited about these "new" shoes on the market, but unfortunately I won't ever be able to fit them. They fit me nearly exactly like La Sportiva Solutions in that my biggest toe gets crammed into the next toe, cutting into the flesh. And the toe point where all the power is directed lies right between my big toe and the next toe so no toe would actually be pressing down on whatever edge the rubber point is on. The toe box is quite stiff, likely due to the lining, yet the sole rubber is on the softer side. It's quite a weird feeling. The heel cup is way too big. With just the tension of the shoe being on my foot, there's about a 1/2 gap between the bottom of my heel and the footbed. The lacing system is also a HUGE pain from first impression. I cannot comment on the performance or stretch amount because I'll be (sadly) returning them before using them, but judging from these CRUCIAL aspects, Mundakas will never fit me. For anyone that's excited about new shoes but is totally stressed out by not knowing the fit: I cannot wear the following: 6.5 (38.8) Mundakas - too narrow, toe point doesn't match my feet. (39) Solutions - too narrow, toe point doesn't match my feet. Shoes that fit me: 7.5 (40) Acro WIDE - comfy tight toe box, slightly bad heel. 7.5 (40) Narsha WIDE - ever ever slightly too small to tolerate, but great fit and BEST HEEL I'VE TRIED (38.5) Skwama - My GO-TO for sport toeing/edging & bouldering toehook shenanigans. Love. Heel is ok (38) Maverink - little painful but can gets the gym job done great. (38) Katana - don't actually own these but the fit is so amazingly comfy yet aggressive. (38) Testarossa - too painful to tolerate but toe box fit me very properly I will likely be buying 38.5 Testarossas shortly after writing this review... Also the size chart provided on Backcountry does not match up with the Tenaya size chart on the boxes themselves (see image... if I can get it to upload).
Kevin W., backcountry.com
October 2, 2017

Sport & Bouldering Shoes Reviews