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

8.9
out of 10
10 Positive, 1 Mixed & 0 Negative
from 11 Reviews
Retail Price:
$154.95
Used Value:
$92.97
Sale Value:
$139.46

Instead of having to pack three different pairs of climbing shoes, pull on the Tenaya RA Climbing Shoe for confident performance on everything from technical face climbs to steep boulder problems. Crafted in Spain and made available for the first time in the US, this shoe features an ideal blend of stiffness and sensitivity for all-around performance and has convenient hook-and-loop straps for easy on and off.

Specifications

Brand:
Asymmetrical Curvature:
moderate
Claimed Weight:
(single, approx.) 6 oz
Closure:
2 hook-and-loop straps
Lining:
TXT-treated cotton
Manufacturer Warranty:
1 year
Profile:
moderate downturn
Recommended Use:
sport climbing, bouldering
Rubber:
Vibram XS Grip
Upper Material:
microfiber

Full Reviews

8
I bought these as a replacement for my beloved Sportiva Katana Lace which are no longer made. I wanted something to function as an all arounder, especially on vertical faces and slabs. For reference I always wore a 42 in the Katana Lace. I am an 11.5 street shoe pretty much across the board, and my foot is very low volume. I bought these in a 10 (43) and have been generally pleased with the fit. My second toe is longer than my big toe and square-ish toe box on these presents a bit of initial discomfort for me the 10's are tight to the point of being just a bit uncomfortable during the first laps of the day, but they have just enough stretch where the discomfort lessens enough to where they are snug but not uncomfortable. These things are SOFT. Definitely the softest shoe I have ever owned. They smear extremely well to the point where smedges and smears will stick to the point of surprising me. The thin XS Grip gives a lot of feeling and feedback regarding what you're stepping on. These are not the best for edging because they're so very soft, and the square toe box makes them way less than desirable for pockets. But man do they smear. The heel is a weakness for me. I feel like the heel has a little movement even though my toes are, at times, in pain. On a particularly thuggy sport route I actually had my heel slide out when laying into a particularly overhanging heel hook. If you need something for smearing or you're looking for a sensitive all arounder this is your shoe. If you are on super overhanging sport routes or boulders this is not for you. All in all I would give it an 85% provided they hold up, though other long term reviews give me confidence that longevity won't be an issue.
ktantill, backcountry.com
April 30, 2018
10
I've rented shoes from the gym before and of course these are better than the ones you get there. I've owned these for a month now and quite happy with them. After two weeks my feet were able to be comfortable in them as a beginner. I feel secure in them and am psyched to train hard in them.
Stallone E., backcountry.com
September 2, 2016
8
Amazingly comfortable for a high performance shoe. I've been climbing in the 5.11 range with them and love them. If a climb looks like is going to be a mix of styles/techniques, I use these. If a climb has more edgeing, I'll pull out the Scarpa Boostics. The Ra's do everything well though, that's what I love about them. Sizing, I would say go at least a full size down. I'm Street shoe size 9, I bought a pair of 8's in the Ra. I'm almost thinking I should've even gone half size down from that. There's room in the heel cup, sort of a bummer. That could be my foot, But I don't have this issue in the Muiras or the evolve shamans . But, the Ra's are a great buy, and if you want to shoe that's a great all-around performer, this is a shoe you should consider. PS: if Ramon Julian is crushing 5.14s and winning world championships in these shoes, they should be good enough for whatever your challenges are.
Christopher M., backcountry.com
May 16, 2015
8
I love nearly everything about these shoes: -They perform surprisingly well for how comfortable they are. -Just slightly down-turned with a medium-stiff sole creates a great balance between sensitivity and stiffness, which makes them a very versatile shoe. -Very durable. -(I know this shouldn't matter but) the best looking climbing shoes out in my opinion. My only gripe about these shoes is the heel cup. It could just be the shape of my foot but these shoes have the 'baggiest' heel out of the 5 pairs of shoes I own. They fit tight in the toes and tight up around the top edge of the heel (on my achilles) but there is a bunch of extra space in the bottom-back of the heel. So much that my ability to heel-hook in these is nil. Fortunately, problems/routes which require heel-hooking make up a small percentage of my climbing. But it is a bummer when these shoes are so close to being the one climbing shoe that could do it all for me. The search continues ;)
Kyle D., backcountry.com
March 25, 2015
8
This is a good 'all around' shoe. It is relatively flat lasted, much like the katana velcro or the anasazi vs. I sized them at street size and they have a surprisingly performance fit. Slight toe curl, great edging, excellent smearing. Great for vertical to overhung sport routes due to the slight lip around the front edge which lets you pull on overhangs and they work well on finger cracks to boot. They fit about the same as my size 9 sportivas. In hindsight, the inti was probably a better fit for my foot, but these are awesome shoes!
Kevin L., backcountry.com
April 16, 2014
6
I bought these shoes with the hope they could be my miracle do-all shoe: Comfort, Edging, Fit, Toe Hooking, Trad, Sport, Etc. They are quite comfortable, but seem to run at least 1/2 size large, and not the best fit with Morton's toe. They are great trad shoes, comfortable all day, but they are not great for edging or aggressive bouldering as they are neither down-turned or down-cambered.
Matt, backcountry.com
May 13, 2013
10
I've been wearing the Tenaya Ras since September 2012. The Ras are the best high performance, all terrain, comfortable climbing shoe I have used. While working on "Eurotrash" in Rifle Colorado the Ras performed well on the 1st crux which requires toeing in on tiny smears and one small divot. The Ras performed great on the upper crux as well which is steep and for me required a heel hook. I've had problems with other climbing shoes heel hooking well. The Ras stay on my heel, do not cut into my ankle and do not have too much room in the heel box. Great shoe, performs well on all terrain and is also comfortable.
Melissa Love, backcountry.com
April 18, 2013
10
The Tenaya Ra performs as well as other established high-end shoes but without the usual pain associated with them. I've worn the Ra on technical thin cracks in Squamish and hard sport lines in the Red. They've yet to let me down when it comes to smearing, edging, hooking, or whatever shannanigans are necessary. They seem to hold up well, too. I have two pairs now, and even my older pair, while softening up, still has full rubber and virtual no seam peeling or splitting. These things are definitely an up and coming shoe.
Chris B., backcountry.com
March 19, 2013
10
Simply put, these shoes are incredible. Its the first time in years I've gone to a crag with only one pair of shoes in the pack - they are comfy enough to warm up in, and so high performance I've climbed up to 13a in them (which is the hardest I can climb in any shoe...). They were right at home in Hueco, and I did a 6 pitch route in Eldo in the same pair I wear for hard sport. The performance is top notch, and the comfort surpasses anything I've worn. They seem to be mid-volume overall, with a pretty general last shape that should work well for most feet. The rubber is awesome, too.
Adam S., backcountry.com
March 18, 2013
10
These shoes are great for just about anything. They are the only velcro shoes that I've ever been able to get a good fit with, and i've tried them out on everything except for low-angle slab :) These shoes are fantastic!
Erica L., backcountry.com
March 18, 2013
10
These shoes are amazing!! I had been using the Muiras for the past 4-5 years and I just switched to the Ra's and I couldn't be happier. I was very very pleased with the Muiras but the Ra's blow them away in terms of comfort, fit, and edging performance. I use them for everything from multi-pitch trad to working on my red point project. I just got a pair resoled and they look good as new and the fit did not change appreciably. Hopefully they will last for 1 or 2 more resoles. I mostly climb in the range of 5.10-5.11+ trad and red point into 5.12.
jeff g, backcountry.com
March 18, 2013

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