It utilizes the Vibram XS Grip 2 rubber which is a softer compound. All trademarks property of their respective owners It styles a permanent moderate downturnthanks to La Sportiva's P3 technologyand lower asymmetry for a balance between high . Got feedback? The toe is low volume and pointy, though, and can gain modest purchase in thin cracks and pods. For those of us that prefer to keep our quiver of shoes rather small, you might want to consider these as your next replacement. Currently wear a Five Ten Rogue lace-up (12) which over time have stretched a ton and are comfortable to wear all day including while belaying, and the soles are basically turning up like a . Toeing in on steep pockets in the Miura VS. They are made from an array of materials and do include a lining so they shouldnt stretch much. This can happen because of either debris in the fibers or simple wear and tear. Interestingly, the last two iterations of this shoe have featured a different rubber on the womens model. Technical footwork has never been so easy thanks to the La Sportiva Katana. For a performance fit, we recommend you get the Katana Lace 0.5-1 sizes below your street shoe size or the Miura 1-1.5 sizes below your street shoe size (in US Mens sizes). We buy all the products ourselves. Its strong bouldering performance places a point at the tip of the shoe that lets the climber trust their movement. You can't paste your toes and smear the rock very well in this shoe, but you can stand on invisible micro features and crank. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. The lack of suppleness though certainly doesnt mean a lack of stickiness. No ads. This moderately aggressive shoe is a gamechanger for all climbers alike. Thankfully, the leather and synthetic combination of the La Sportiva Katana Lace softens and stretches with use, molding to the foot. These shoes are an investment that will pay for themselves in durability and versatility. VIEW LA SPORTIVA CLIMBING SHOE COMPARISON CHART. . The Katana Lace is a veritable edging machine now available in Men's and Women's styles. If you need to improve your heel hooking, this shoe offers a great platform to learn, as it does most of the work for you. Out of the box the Miura is more downturned than the Katana Lace, but as you wear it its downturn decreases and the shoe becomes flatter. Fortunately, the Katana Lace rises to the occasion as one of the best board climbing shoes on the market. This very popular climbing shoe excels by combining, Very good high-end performance yet versatile shoes with optimal sensitivity. You help support OutdoorGearLab's product testing and reviews by purchasing from our retail partners. For hard sport and trad climbing, the Katana Lace outcompetes the Miura and Testarossa. If sized correctly, and you're willing to make a small sacrifice in comfort for high performance on techy terrain, then these are a great choice for your next multi-pitch outing. If you find they fit your foot well, you might just keep reaching for them, no matter what your plans for the day are. The final price will be displayed in the cart before making the payment. She has worked at high ropes courses and climbing gyms and spent several seasons in Southeast Alaska as a Tour Manager for a remote zipline. There are times when you'll miss being able to feel the rock, but this is still an incredibly adept climbing shoe. You can always purchase more than one size and return what doesnt work to ensure you have the shoe you want. Theyre technical enough to get the job done so you can save your other prized pair of shoes for your hardest projects. In this category, La Sportiva Katana Lace sits at the top of the chart. You can get away with climbing a few cracks in this shoe, but it won't be very comfortable. For those who arent familiar with this, the P3 is essentially a tensioned rand that wraps around the forefoot and around the back of the heel. On Squamish slab, the old Katana dominated. The stiffness of the shoe naturally limits sensitivity on the wall, but in exchange, the climber receives power. If long hand cracks are what you seek, a softer, less aggressive shoe might be a better place to look. Like many of their performance offerings, La Sportiva has incorporated the P3 active rand into the Katana. Outside the European Union (Great Britain, Switzerland). Published on: 12/09/2021Updated on: 02/17/2022. Here is that very comparison. A post shared by La Sportiva (@lasportivagram). Additionally, the lace-up system allows the wearer to micro-adjust the fit to the width of their foot. This very popular climbing shoe excels by combining comfort and performance to tackle any route. With this shoe, there is no need to compromise performance for comfort. The extra padded tongue cushions the top of your feet and provides a bit of protection when climbing wider cracks. This rubber is meant to strike the balance between sensitivity, stiffness, and support, as needed while edging and it does exactly that. How can we improve GearLab? (P3 stands for Permanent Power Platform.). The Katana has a 1.1mm full-length LaspoFlex with P3 midsole allowing the weight of your body to transfer toward the toe. This simply means increased support in the toe region while optimizing sensitivity. A lace up version of the famous Katana model which offers the same excellent multifunctional performance with the addition of several new technical solutions which further enhance the high levels of performance. Here are the downturns of both shoes, side by side. You can purchase the La Sportiva Katana with either lace or velcro straps. The Katanas heel is a no-nonsense construction, that gets the job done. Though it can sometimes be hard to source these shoes in stores, many who choose the Katana lace-ups swear by them like a trusty climbing partner (me being one of those people). Even similar models such as the Genius and Testarossa fail to approach the staggering asking price of this lace up. La Sportiva Katana Lace sizing help! The P3 System maintains the downturned shape unaltered for the life of the shoe. The slightly downturned toe and subtle asymmetry ensures you can hook into pockets or exploit the tiniest edges while providing unrivaled comfort for the level that it performs at. We won't accept manufacturer's freebies. Your email address will not be published. Street size = 12. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. The Katana digs its hooked beak into the thin vertical splitters of hard cracks. These fit issues were probably a result of having a wide foot and didn't affect the overall comfort of the shoes. The heel on the women's version is noticeably more narrow and locks your foot in without that extra rubber we experienced on the older men's shoe. In a confusing twist, it seems that the Katana Lace is unisex. Though its construction may appear fairly simple, theres more to this crafty little shoe than meets the eye. As opposed to leather, synthetic materials dont stretch much. . The awesome edging ability combined with the easy-on, easy-off benefit is hard to ignore. If you are trying to send your technical, thin crack project, the Miura VS might do the trick. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. With a stiff platform and an aggressive shape, the Miura VS are masters of precision, shining in the realm of technical climbing. I dont mean to make it seem like the Miura loses its entire downturn and becomes a slipper-like climbing shoe, because it doesnt. The Katana really stands out the most when it comes to edging on vertical to slightly overhanging terrain. This is certainly a step up from the bulkier stiff rubbers found on entry-level shoes, but dont expect to be able to manipulate and bend the Katanas as you would with a high-end bouldering shoe like the La Sportiva Futura or Scarpa Furia. While theKatana VCShas been updated with some minor feature upgrades and a new color palate, they mostly remain the same and are just as reliable as ever. You help support OutdoorGearLab's product testing and reviews by purchasing from our retail partners. The shipping for CE countries is free for all orders over 180. About us Its edging ability is second to none allowing for total confidence on the smallest edges, while on steeper terrain it helps you grab and pull. The Katana Lace is relatively stiff, which gives your foot arch support for pitch after pitch of demanding climbing. Overall, these shoes are going to be much more comfortable than a severely downturned model. This shoe not only cams well because of the heel, but it gets behind thin hooks well, and holds them easily. If you want to buy this shoe to gain extra edging abilities, you may look for a tighter fit. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. La Sportiva generally creates its shoes for performance, but the Katana Lace also has a comfort-focused design besides performance. 1.032.000 i.v - Tel. Although you're not going to get the same sensitivity as a super soft shoe like the La Sportiva Skwama, the Katana Lace provides the perfect balance between sensitivity and support for all-day wear. The Miura VS is an all-around technical master and a tried and true longtime favorite of our testers. Youll feel confident placing your foot just about anywhere. Climbing Shoe Review is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Copyright 2023 Climbing Shoe Review | Privacy andCookie Policy. LA SPORTIVA Iscr. All-around climbing, vertical and overhung face climbing, crack climbing, All-around climbing, sport climbing, crack climbing, 0.5-1 sizes smaller than your street shoe size (in US Mens sizes), 1-1.5 sizes smaller than your street shoe size (in US Mens sizes), Edging, smearing, crack climbing, well-rounded climbing shoe, Edging, crack climbing, well-rounded climbing shoe, comfortable given its aggressive build. The soft microfiber tongue is a nice touch, driving up the comfort factor. Before going down the rabbit hole of this comparison, keep in mind when reading this that the Katana Lace and the Miura are both great climbing shoes, and either would be a solid choice for your next pair. As with any climbing shoe, sizing correctly is key to getting the best performance out of the product, and the Katana is no different. The Evolv Shaman is a similar concept to the Miura VS, but much more comfortable. Despite a downturned shape, La Sportiva Katana Lace climbing shoes are comfortable, genuine edging machines that perform well on slabs, twist easily into thin cracks and excel on steep outside routes. GENIUS. When it comes to difficult crack climbing, the Katana Lace is our new favorite. Inc. All Rights Reserved. Your email address will not be published. If you often struggle with keeping your heel properly in your shoe or executing secure heel hooks, this may be the perfect shoe for you. If that option appeals to you, you need to adjust for sizing appropriately to find the right fit. Returned products must be unworn, unwashed and unaltered. Required fields are marked *. Reg. The break-in period can be painful if fitted tightly, but youll be rewarded with a shoe that wont miss a beat with its aggressive glove-like fit. The heel is a little less sensitive than we would like, and it lacks an extended rand for extra toe hooking grip. There are no additional costs or duties on products marketed in countries within the European Union. Though not for the faint of heart, this shoe is a high-performing machine that will get you up that steep overhanging sport route, a multi-pitch crack adventure, or those technical vertical faces. The rubber heel, along with the incredibly snug fit of this La Sportiva shoe, allows for more overall stability and makes heel hooking a cinch. The edging power and low-volume toe make great use of pockets of all sizes. Our lead tester appreciated this, because the three straps helped accommodate their wide, oddly shaped feet. This semi-stiff rubber is designed to balance sensitivity and control, key to providing a balanced shoe. The Miura VS makes up for feeling a little like a brick on your foot by being an edging machine. Theres a womens version but it has laces. GearLab is reader-supported. When you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission. No "sponsored" content. A rounder shoe will be more comfortable while shoved deep in hand cracks, but it will not give you the same performance on your more difficult projects. For the items Stratos Mask and Stratos Mask Filters is not possible to proceed with the return request. Fisc. With that said, the softer upper allows for a degree of control on arete hooks. For the climber that likes to do a bit of everything, the Katanas should seriously be considered. Its certainly faster to get them on and off, but is that what its really all about? Laces are both sustainably versatile and durable. I'm mostly climbing in the southwest (AZ, RR, JT) I've tried TC pros in 41.5 but felt they were overkill for sport. These shoes are an investment that will pay for themselves in durability and versatility. The Katana Lace is a veritable edging machine now available in Mens and Womens styles. The looser the shoe, the worse it will perform while edging. For that, we look to the long-time comp scene favorite La Sportiva Solutions or its younger no-edge cousins the La Sportiva Futura or Genius. Although this shoe isnt highly aggressive, youll feel comfortable placing your toes in pockets and cracks. the world's most carefully tested and objective gear reviews, Excellent edging, stiff, excellent in pockets, Extremely precise toe, extra heel sensitivity, comfortable for an aggressive shoe, Comfortable design, respectable edging, low-profile toe, excellent price, Affordable, flat midsole is comfortable all day, well-balanced performance across many areas, Pricey, tall toe box, too narrow for some feet, Mediocre precision, subpar on the steeps, somewhat insensitive, Insensitive, imprecise fit, ineffective design for steep terrain, This stiff shoe is an all-day workhorse that also performs well on edges and slabs, An ultra-high-end shoe that is designed for performance, Decent overall climbing performance at an affordable price make these a sold choice, An entry-level shoe ideal for beginners that comes at an awesomely low price. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. The La Sportiva Miura VS belongs in the world of tough climbing, where it can use its diamond-hard edges and almost absurdly asymmetric shape to power down on invisible rock features. Finally, it is durable and it does not delaminate. What Other Climbing Shoes Should You Consider? A more aggressive model may outperform this shoe, but the Katana Lace still provides incredible grip and stability. In the Miura VS, rather than splitter desert towers, seek out a technical, every trick-in-the-book Yosemite-style crack climb instead. Theres also a mens version with velcro if preferred. The Katana Lace features an asymmetrical and fairly downturned profile, which allows for amazing precision on moderately overhung terrain. Velcro strap closures are ideal for easy on and off action. Buy La Sportiva Miura Online >> Table of Contents Bottom Line Introduction to La Sportiva Miura Utah Climbing & Bouldering Gyms: The Complete List, North Carolina Climbing & Bouldering Gyms: The Complete List, North Dakota Climbing & Bouldering Gyms: The Complete List, Climbing Shoe Resolers Directory (2020 Update). A technical climbing powerhouse, perfect for crimpy limestone or long granite free climbs. When it comes to toe hooking this shoe does fall flat due to the lack of rubber on the toe rand. This shoe is ideal for face climbing, but it can be great for bouldering and overhang routes. The Katana uses Vibram XS Edge rubber, a harder rubber designed for standing on dime-sized foot chips. They all work well as an all-round shoe and all can be used as an all day trad shoe depending on the fit. For that, look for a less aggressive model. How can we improve GearLab? Though the VS did well on pockets, we actually preferred a softer shoe for pocket climbing, since we were able to cam our toes in. Let us know! I loved the fit and edging capabilities. The Katana Lace and its velcro counterpart, the Katana VCS, have long been a staple of the La Sportiva lineup. Lorica lacing harnesses provide an exact, no-stretch fit; laces are made of recycled PET from plastic bottles. ALL ROUNDClimbing shoes conceived for those looking for performance without compromising comfort. This shape is ideal for heel and toe hooking on overhanging routes. This is at about same tightness in all 3 models. Typically, shoes that perform well when crack climbing will lag behind in this category, but that's not the case for the Katana Lace. It is possibly the best heel in the La Sportiva range. Its value is in how you use it. First off, the sole of the mens shoe has a 4mm Vibram XS Edge rubber built for edging, while the womens comes with a 4 mm XS Grip2 rubber for maximum grip. There are many high-end shoes on the market that will give you similar results as the Miura VS. That being said, some might find that after a couple of climbs the big toe starts to hurt due to the cramped toe box. A native of Indiana, Carolyn has been traveling and climbing around the US since 2012. Jen, shown above, climbs exclusively in the Miura VS: from techy granite trad routes to steep limestone sport climbs. The revised uppers are a mix of leather (forefoot) and screen-printed microfiber (back two-thirds), while the tongue is a breathable, perforated mesh. Estimates of shipping costs are indicated in the customer area, which may vary depending on the weight of the box. Last updated on May 6th, 2023 at 02:52 am. Although they are still in the middle of the road in terms of rigidity, this design gives your foot more flexibility while standing on small holds, better smearing capabilities, and allows you to feel what you are standing on. The heel of the Katana is a divisive topic for Katana fans and ultimately comes down to the shape of the wearers foot. Lets see why. However, the Katana Lace and Miura are each amazing shoes so itd be hard to conclude that one is overall better than the other. $219.00. The velcro version of the Katana still offers the same amazing edging ability, with a little extra ease of access. I'm looking for a shoe for sport climbing upward of 5.10. The Katana Lace performed super well in pockets. La Sportiva shoes are built on European half sizes which are smaller increments than US half sizes. The asymmetric curve of the shoe adds further tension and power to the forefoot. The Miura loses some of its downturn once broken in and becomes less downturned and more comfortable than the Katana Lace. What Other Climbing Shoes Should You Consider? All rights reserved. It's a high-performance shoe that manages to maintain relative comfort. The womens model is another option and fits the same as the mens the greatest difference between the toe shoes is the relative softness of the shoe. The Katana really stands out the most when it comes to edging on vertical to slightly overhanging terrain. Their downturn was not an issue on vertical terrain because their stiffness allows the Miura to hold shape, even when standing on a vertical wall.