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

9.3
out of 10
14 Positive, 1 Mixed & 0 Negative
from 15 Reviews
Retail Price:
$184.95
Used Value:
$110.97
Sale Value:
$166.46

With its sharp downturn, the Oasi Climbing Shoe is undoubtedly Tenaya's most aggressive option for stronger climbers projecting steep sport routes and some of the most difficult boulder problems out there. It is the shoe of choice for Megos himself, the dude who sent multiple 5.15 routes in a single day, crushes 9a problems on a regular basis, and flashed 8b+ trad without a sweat. That isn't saying you'll go from zero to pro the day you strap this shoe to your foot—you'd also need Alex's rippling abdominal core and pincer-like fingers for such a feat—but if one of the world's strongest climbers chooses this shoe, you have to assume he's onto something.

Unlike most aggressive climbing shoes, the Oasi's downturn stays downturned thanks to that blue strap which connects the heel to the arch. Also unique to the Oasi is the dual-strapped hook-and-loop closure that can adjust in length to accommodate wider or narrower feet; what that means for you is that you can expect a solid fit regardless of your foot's shape. The dual-layer midsole keeps this shoe stiff so you can find the pressure you need on the dime-sized edges that make overhung climbs so challenging. A shoe this great deserves bomber rubber, so Tenaya relied on Vibram's XS Grip to ensure the tacky traction you need for climbing your hardest.

Specifications

Brand:
Claimed Weight:
11.9oz
Closure:
hook-and-loop, Draxtor PAT
Lining:
TXT-treated cotton
Midsole:
dual-layer GI 1.8 and TST 150
Profile:
aggressive downturn
Recommended Use:
sport climbing, bouldering
Rubber:
Vibram XS Grip
Upper Material:
microfiber, [tongue] Lycra

Full Reviews

10
The tongue of the shoes is the softest thing I have ever put on my feet. But for the real parts of the shoe. I wear a size 11.5 US and I had to down size to 10.5 US. It fits enough that my toes are curled and that I can keep it on the whole climbing session. If I were to buy this shoe again I would down size another half size. The closure system is by far one of the best that I have tried. I have only climbed in them for about a week and I will update after climbing in them for a bit.
jjonahp@yahoo.com, backcountry.com
August 30, 2019
10
We must have 10 pairs of these shoes floating around the house. They are my husband's go-to for hard sport and bouldering. Despite how aggressive they are, he finds them comfy right out of the box and has an easy time breaking them in. The recent upgrade on the velcro closure makes them last longer. If you are looking for an alternative to the La Sportiva Solution, try them out!
Melissa Druzdzel, backcountry.com
July 15, 2019
10
I'm onto my second pair of these and I own the Tarifa as well. It astounds me how well these things do on more vertical routes with delicate feet, yet they are so soft and sensitive. My favorite part is that I don't even think about them while climbing and I can simply climb and trust my feet. To me this is how a climbing shoe should feel. These things are fairly narrow, but I think if sized right they could fit a variety of foot types. I think Tenaya's advice to go 1 full size down from street is more or less spot on for me. My foot literally measures right in between a US Men's 11.5 and 12 (exactly 11.75). I've had these in both a 10.5 and 11 and I could honestly go either way with the size. The 10.5 gives me a little more heel security, but the 11 is still snug enough for good performance. My advice - don't be fooled into downsizing too much by the fact that they are comfortable! These things are designed to be so, at the right performance size. Cons: -the neoprene inner-sleeve does trap smell quite a bit - a price I'm willing to pay and just have to be better at airing these things out -the heel fit could be slightly better, I feel like the could knock down the height on the back ankle a little bit to allow the heel to sit a bit lower and they would be amazing. Still gets the job done, just could be better -less of a con and more of trade-off: the 3.5 mm XS Grip rubber wears down fairly fast, but it is wonderfully tacky and precise - I might prefer it to Grip 2. Again, this is a trade off for the performance you get -a little more rubber across the toe would be awesome!
Matt D, backcountry.com
May 30, 2019
10
I've been fortunate enough to climb all over the U.S. and I have yet to run into anything the Oasi can't handle. From sharp crimpers on great edges up in the NW, to sloper madness and extend-o leg heel hooks out at HP 40, I have yet to run into a scenario where I wanted a different pair of shoes on. A couple of key points: - The heel is amazing. It sucks in and keeps you in place. While most asymetric shoes will do that, this one has the fore thought to actually have good rubber back there. The sole rubber continues and wraps around the heel, giving you good bite when you drive in and pull on those hammies. - The fit is SUPER comfy. I generally don't have to take off my shoes during a climb session. Now, before everyone yells at me about fit, I climb V7 outside and have the pics to prove it. It's a super comfy shoe.
John S., backcountry.com
November 24, 2017
8
Really great shoe. Grabs the wall nicely, smears well, heel fits snug. Plus the adjustable double straps make it a little bit better and fitting your foot than, for example, a pair of Solutions or Moccasyms. However, I still found these to be a little tight around the middle of the foot, although I have wider feet. I can't comment on the durability issues that others seems to have had with these shoes because I simply haven't had them for long enough to notice a significant amount of wear and tear.
Robinson Vought, backcountry.com
October 30, 2017
10
These shoes are incredibly good, very sticky, very comfy. The Two strap closure means that they fit almost as snuggly as lace ups (think LS Muiras) with all the convenience of Velcro. The only cons are the toe rubber only convers about half the toe, leaving a seam exposed that you can wear through pretty quick if you toe hook a lot, and the heel doesn't have rubber on the sides, so if you have off axis heel hooks you are on the Synthetic 'leather' material instead of grippy rubber. Sizing is big. I wear a 10.5 in evolve Shaman and a 44/45 in La Sportiva anything, I have these in 10 for all day (2-3 hour gym session) wear, but could wear a 9.5 for aggressive fit with no problem. The only shoe that I think is better than this in its category is the Butora Acro, but the Tenaya Oasi's are very deserving of a 5 star rating. Update: After about 7 1/2 months of almost exclusive use (8or 9hours a week avg) I have finally worn through the toe. I can probably climb another week before I absolutely have to retire them so that I can get them resoled. The ONLY bad thing I could say about this shoe is that it seems to smell even worse than your average climbing shoe. I just ordered another pair, so that I never have to be without them.
Patrick Mason, backcountry.com
February 14, 2017
10
This shoe is dope. I had a little trouble getting used to using it in underhang routes, but now it's perfect. Comfort and performance. Will def buy these shoes again after this pair wears out. Note I have a men's size 7. My regular show size is 9.5. Could have gone with a 7.5 and would have been a perfect fit but after the wear in process, the oasi fits really well.
jon G., backcountry.com
September 11, 2016
8
I've gone through two pairs of Oasis. For size reference, I had a little extra heel space in a 6.5 Oasi; a 38 in the LS Futura and a 38.5 in the LS Solution are suction cup fits for me. These shoes are cut narrow! I have a wide women's foot (La Sportiva Men's is perfect for me) and these shoes are still a little narrow for me in the toebox. I'm currently looking for something to replace them because of this issue. Overall, these shoes are great if you want something soft, and between a Miura and a Solution in performance/capability. They are probably overhyped, but at the time of their introduction, they filled (and still fill) a relatively unoccupied niche of sensitive, comfortable, performance shoes. Pros: - Really sensitive shoe; but not so soft as to lack structure/support; shoe flex is designed to allow your foot freer movement - Impressively capable for edging, smearing, smedging - Solid but not excellent heel - Trango stands by their product and sent me new closure tabs when mine wore out :) - Well-made sole and rand have held up impressively well for thinness of rubber Cons: - Toe hooks are pretty meh, the boomerang-shaped patch of rubber on the toe is not very useful - Lacing system is pretty bad; the hook tabs constantly detach from the loop patch, and the hooks wear out over even a year. They also slip on the straps. - Soles are outdated Vibram XSGrip rubber instead of stickier (IMO) XSGrip2 rubber
Maia B., backcountry.com
July 20, 2016
10
My go-to shoe for a comfy day. It's a stiffer shoe but still does well on steep walls. I've had mine for 6 months now and the velcro is weakening. I wear a 38 in Solutions and 38 in Genius. Sized down 1/2 size to get them to fit.
teddy T., backcountry.com
July 11, 2016
10
Of all the shoes I have climbed in, these are by far the best. They are as comfortable as the 5.10 Rogues (very relaxed fit), but just as effective and powerful as the Evolv Nexxos (ridiculously aggressive). I've used them on small, sharp edges of Sierra granite, and on long, slabby sections, and so far they have held up excellently. They fit like a slipper, but the straps allow you to really crank them down if you want a tighter fit. I could see myself wearing these for a long day of multipitch just as easily as they could be used for an intense bouldering session. Overall, if you're on the fence, I would go for it and purchase them. (If funds allow for it.) They're refreshingly free of gimmicky crap, they seem to be very durable, and the comfort is unbeatable.
Dario D, backcountry.com
August 28, 2015
6
Shoe was one of the most comfortable out of the box, make sure to size these true to fit as well because they won't stretch in size at all (just conform more to your foot). If you're familiar with La Sportiva Sizes than size these as you would the Solutions. When I'm saying true to size below I'm saying true to your performance climbing shoe size ya dolt. ;) The Pros: I wanted a softer shoe that could be a great all arounder and these seemed to fit the bill for the first three months of wearing them. The shoes edge respectably and can be good enough on most terrain, but really shine on overhanging sport and bouldering routes. The adjustable straps are great for cinching down the shoe for that "just right" fit after the shoes have conformed to your foot. Now on to the cons: My pair are almost due for a resole and already there are durability concerns with the shoe's heel rand peeling off from doing powerful heel hook moves. My biggest qualm though is the almost paradoxical break in period of the shoe, as stated above these were the most comfortable performance shoe I've owned out of the box. After time the fit of the Oasi seemed to grow more painful with each session (I used to be able to stand all day in them, recently had to pop em off between each go because of the pain). Due to degradation of the shoes themselves as well as the loss of comfort I will not be investing in a resole of these suckers (even for gym shoes). All in all if you have the money to burn and can afford to get a fresh pair of these puppies every 3 months than ... spend those hard earned bucks. For a poor college student these shoes cost too much for what they offer.
Gillian E., backcountry.com
July 3, 2015
10
Ever since I bought a pair of Tenaya Masais, I was completely taken up by the company's philosophy of high comfort and high performance. At the behest of a friend, I decided to pick up a pair of Oasis when my 5.10 Black Wings got completely wrecked after two seasons of use in the gym (RIP Black Wings). One caveat regarding these shoes is that the size is super wonky. Just to give you a point of reference: Masai (9), Anasazi VCS (9), Oasi (8). These shoes run run really big, so you'll want to size them down pretty heavily (at least 1.5-2 sizes). Apart from the sizing issues, I love these shoes. They edge tremendously well, do wonders on steep/overhanging terrain, help me dance my way up techy-slabs, and just stick to slopey holds.
rohanbk, backcountry.com
June 28, 2015
10
These work great all around. THey dont stretch, they dont hold stink like so many other shoes, they fit true to size and are well made. They also keep a nice tight fit unlike some velcro shoes, and I hate lace ups.
Climb Germany, backcountry.com
March 18, 2015
8
These are my first pair of "real climber" shoes. I tried a bunch on at my local gym and these fit my foot the best. I can still edge on slabby stuff and they really helped me improve on more overhung stuff and bouldering. The shoes are flexible and thin enough you can still feel the rock and they didn't really stretch out very much. My only complaint would be the heel cup. I wish the whole thing was rubber for better gripping, but other than that I love them! I would defiantly get a second pair.
Colleen D., backcountry.com
March 17, 2015
10
These shoes are some of the best in the world. Its no wonder that you see pro climbers pushing the limits of climbing wearing them. I got a pair hoping to have a good "steep" sport climbing and bouldering shoes, but now, I've climbed everything from pure roof to slab in them (hard.) They are extremely comfortable and perform incredibly well. The down-turned toe is perfect for the steep stuff, but they are soft enough to climb up the thinnest slabs. I've had 5 or 6 pairs now and just love them.
Dan Brayack, backcountry.com
February 25, 2015

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