La Sportiva Katana Lace Vibram XS Edge Climbing Shoe for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

tl;dr This shoe is the perfect blend of comfort and performance. From cracks, to small edges, and even some impromptu heel hooks here and there, these shoes have helped me 'send plenty without the need of throwing on some painfully small shoes. They'll easily take down most 11s and with good technique will do much more! More details- The shoes have a fair amount of support and great grip to stand thinner edges. The laces allow a snug fit throughout the shoe - crucial for squeezing the most support when pushing the capabilities of the shoe. They underperform at toe hooking but can throw solid heel hooks when properly fit. The neutral symmetry and comfy support makes them great multi-pitch and day-long sesh candidates. They are by no means a do-it-all shoe, and advanced climbers will certainly benefit from specialty shoes like TC Pro's or Solutions, but if I had to keep a single pair of shoes, it'd be these puppies. They're very durable and can be re-soled at least once (probably more if you care well for them and don't have smelly feet). The shoes are snug on my average-width feet and I can imagine the laces allow for larger range of widths but I would encourage people at either width extremes to look at other alternatives. They "run small" but so do other La Sportiva models and most brands. Comfort is overrated in climbing shoes, but in my humble opinion and experience, it will be crystal clear when you need tighter, sensitive, or aggressive shoes. Until then, you most likely don't, so may as well spare your toes and make your climbing more enjoyable. People try to give magic formulas for sizing but it's best to get a ball-park estimate from La Sportiva's sizing guide, order two three different sizes in that range and see for yourself what feels best. Looks like Backcountry might start doing free returns/exchanges to save a few bucks when doing this.

60% of all people have one foot that is larger than the other; for 80% of them, their Left is larger than their Right. I am the opposite. So I literally have to buy two pairs of shoes for the right fit: Skwama = L44/R44.5; Solution = L44.5/R45; Otaki = L44.5/R45. Why am I telling you this? Because the Katana Lace seems to be "unisex" sized = a little snug for the rated size. So I can wear a size 45 and they fit both of my feet after breaking in; plus the lacing allows me to further dial in the fit for my freak feet. As for performance, I think they offer about 90% of the performance of a Miura VS without the pain of the Miura toebox; and I am not expert enough to bemoan the extra 10%. Love these shoes for edging on the smallest features I would dare to atttempt. If I am trying something more challenging than I am used to, these shoes inspire confidence!!

I wear these for difficult multi-pitch climbing. The amount of padding makes them easy to be in all day, because of the slight aggressive style and XS edge rubber you're not losing performance for comfort. I used these in the Gunks for a season pushing my grade a bit so I wanted a high performing shoe that would also be comfortable to walk the mid-ledge that separates most climbs from there top pitch and wear most of the best pitches start. I wear a size 9 street shoe used a size 42 with no discomfort after they were broken in. I would recommend going down a half size if you like a tighter more aggressive fit. Unfortunately, I had lost my Katanas 3 years ago in the Gunks. I can only hope they found a sendy home. The point is after all these years I bought a new pair and they haven't changed, I still love em! Heres a picture of the day before they went missing.

This is a great climbing shoe. There's nothing I can add that hasn't already been said - EXCEPT my experience with sizing. So here's what fits my feet: Katana Lace - 45.0 for all day comfort. I tried a 44.5 for a more technical fit but they destroyed my toes during break in. If I was climbing radical stuff I'd have stuck with the 44.5 TC Pro - 44.5 Mythos - 44.0 Scarpa Helix - 45.0 (used in the gym) Brooks, Asics running shoes - US12 La Sportiva Ultra Raptor - 46.0 La Sportiva TX3 approach shoes - 45.5 For what it's worth... hope this helps.

They're a good shoe. This is my first pair. After getting these I found some other aggressive shoes that fit me better. But these are good too. Not the best first aggressive shoe.

My First climbing shoe was -La Sportiva Tarantula FriXion RS Climbing Shoe size 39, my shoes size. Great for beginners, no deal on 5.11's. Second climbing shoe was the La Sportiva Miura Lace Climbing Shoe in 38. It would smash the top of my big toe so I started taping it and wearing socks. While those were being resoled, I needed a back up pair. I went with La Sportiva Katana Lace in size 38. So comfortable! LOVED them! I had hoped that I wouldn't have to tape my big toes, but I still did. They're more aggressive than the Muiras with a more down turned toe, but on day 3, when I was doing more 5.11's, I noticed pain on the back of my ankle. The stitching which doesn't exist on the heel in the Muira's, has a zig zag pattern on the Katana's, and it was digging into my skin THROUGH MY SOCK and left a mark for an hour. I don't want a shoe project. I luckily was able to return them. The Muira's have padding in the heel, no zig zag stitching. I thought they were over-all a great shoe. I had great feeling in them, but they seem more comfortable than my Muiras in the same size. I think because of that, I prefer to climb difficult things in the Muiras-they're more supportive for me.

I own 4 pairs of climbing shoes. Climbed for years. Trad, Sport, Boulder, Alpine. I am a size 9.5 US. First Pair: Tarantulaces (42), then Mythos (41.5), then Genius (42.5), now Katana Lace (42). The first was my beginner shoe. The Mythos is my go to shoe for all day wear, particularly Alpine routes for low tech moves (high 4s, low 5's; i.e. Crestone Needle, Capitol Peak, etc). The Genius's are great for overhang boulder and steep sport, but not for anything approaching vertical. This is where the Laces came into play. The Katana Laces perform well on cracks, edging, stemming, slight overhang, face climbing, and even perform well in smearing. The slight assymetrical turn of the last and moderate downturn strikes the balance between comfort and performance. Regarding sizing, I did a lot of research to try to dial it in. These do not stretch as much as the Miura. I believe that shoes that fit too tightly invert the performance curve a bit. Downside from your street shoes 0.5 - 1.0. Half a size down allows you to break it into a comfortable fit within 2 weeks. For a full size down, plan on the breakin time taking double the timeframe, and plan on popping the heal out after a single pitch. Bottom line, these are all around performers that give you the feel of stick, stability and control (due to the stiff sole and the P3 midsole platform), but does not do so at the expense of sensitivity or flexibility. These do well on everything. They are worth it.

They are amazing shoes. The laces let you tighten them as much as necessary. They edge very well. You can really get power right where you need it for your bouldering or sport project. So why three stars? The rubber on these wears out very quickly, almost by design. I've had three pairs of these since 2016 and two resoles during that time period. It's hard to justify the short lifespan of these and until climbers stop buying them that quality will continue to decrease. Until La Sportiva fixes the durability issues with these shoes they've lost this repeat customer.

My best all around shoe! Long day multipitch, trad or sport, this shoe does it all. Bouldering is the only thing you would want to buy some specific show, but if you can only afford one pair, this will do it. Great edging power, flat profile still allows good smearing, comfy. Kills at technical vertical climbing! Tried some other modern shoes after, but the Katana Laces are still my favorite!

Great all around shoe for climbing! I originally bought these shoes for gym bouldering and have ended up wearing them all over both indoors and out. The shoe is aggressive enough to keep your feet on the tiniest granite chips but still flat enough that you can feel your toes when you are done climbing. I bought my shoes two sizes smaller than my feet but after a couple runs in wool socks they fit like a glove. After almost a year and a half of wear and tear though the toes are in bad need of a resole. I would say that these shoes have worn slightly faster than I wanted but a bit of rubber and they will be ready for another season. If you don't mind the extra time to put them on I would also highly recommend the laces both for fit and longevity if crack climbing. My go to shoe for the send.

They fit a little more snug than the TC Pros in the same size. I wear a size 8.5 street shoe/hiking boot and the TCs fit me like a glove in size 7.5...very little to no time to break in. After breaking in they are all day comfort. The Katana Lace in the same size takes probably a good 30 pitches to break in, they really rub the back of my heel raw the first few pitches. La Sportiva fits a narrow(er) foot compared to 5.10, but my narrow(ish) feet absolutely love the way LS shoes fit. After the initial break in, the Katana Lace is a glove on my foot. Small edges, smears, a little bit of down turn to keep you hooked on steeper stuff. I just bought my second pair before my first has worn out and I'm breaking them in simultaneously so I can get the first resoled BEFORE they need it, hopefully so I can get a good 3-4 resoles before retiring. They're damn expensive, but this is by far the best fitting shoe I've ever worn and is great on everything. Will probably buy a third pair to add into the mix. TC Pros and Katana lace is all I need for all types of climbing.

this shoe is great for a all day climb or just a quick bolder session.

These are the best all around climbing shoe and they are really comfortable. I have a narrow low volume foot and the heel cup and toe box fit the profile of my foot really well. The lace closure also ensure a really precise fit. I am typically a 45-46 in street shoes and I wear a 44.5 in these guys. They fit like a glove!

I bought these for my sister and she loves them. She wears a size 7 womens shoe and bought these in a size 38.5. She says they fit her feet tight but not enough to make her feet uncomfortable.

These shoes do perform well, there is no denying that. But for all the claims, of amazing comfort, if you need a wider toe box, these will make your dogs feel like they are crammed in a can of sardines. It's been tolerable for me, thought I've probably had a hundred plus hours in them now and am looking for a replacement. They have towed the line between tolerable and uncomfortable, but now I've had enough and want something that won't have me thinking about foot pain while I'm off the deck.

I've had pairs of Katanas for years now and have nothing but love for them. They can do just about anything from cracks, moderate slab, multi-pitch (if you take them off at a belay), aggressive overhang etc. The laces provide complete adjustment of fit and the tongue allows for easy on/off. Pair a pair of Katanas with the Mythos and you'll have the best two-shoe quiver around.

The shoes are very comfortable and the laces are amazing for getting the tightest fit. The sole is a great stiffness for confidence on the smallest of edges. They are amazing all around shoes that I highly recommend.

I LOVE my Katanas! I'm on my second pair (pair number one is still great after a re-sole, but I wanted a back-up option so that I never have to go without them. I climb all over Arizona on every kind of rock, and I always always pick these shoes. They're great in cracks, on edges, and even slab (don't fit too tight). The tongue is the most comfortable I've ever had on a shoe, the laces work great, and they break in perfectly in just a couple days. I'll probably continue to buy these shoes for as many years as I climb, and if they ever stop making them, I'll stock up. I'm female, size 9.5 street shoe, and wear 39.5. Purposely didn't fit them too tight. My toes get sore after a long multipitch, but I can wear them for long periods of time without taking them off at crags or the gym. Stop your search here, and just buy them already ;)

I bought these shoes after falling in love with this beautiful finger crack in Squamish. I already own TC Pros and Miura VS, but neither of them felt right - so I decided to try out the Katana Lace. BEST DECISION EVER. I have now worn these shoes for a few months and on multiple climbing locations. They worked really well for me on climbs that require gear from .4-.75 BD. I did find them a bit painful in hand cracks, but they still perform well. My TC Pros and Miura VS I have in a 36.5 but I opted for a 37 in these. I feel like after about a month of use they stretched out a bit so I wish I had gone for the 36.5

My favorite shoe for steep sport climbs. The edge is amazing for small face climbing as well. Not a super easy shoe to break in but definitely loosens up after use.