Tenaya Iati and Oasi- Fit and Stiffness Comparison?

Rebooting this old thread with a title change and a revised question. I've been using the Oasi for years as my gym shoe, and love the shoe for plastic and smeary sandstone boulders.  But it's a bit too soft for my liking on granite boulders with small feet. Looking for something with the same fit, but stiffer for better edging support. How would the Iati fill this niche? How much stiffer is it?

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Original post asked a similar question, but about the Tarifa:

After years of exclusive Sportiva use, I recently got the Tenaya Oasi and am really impressed by the fit and comfort. I'm psyched on it as a soft shoe for steep terrain and gym climbing. I've heard the Tarifa described as being somewhat a sister shoe, albeit a stiffer lace-up version, so naturally I'm interested. I'm looking for something for fill the role of my Miura VS (which perform well but are painful) -- a stiff downturned edging shoe for vertical to slightly overhanging terrain. Are the Tarifa the shoe? A few questions--

Fit-- Do the fit the same as the Oasi? I've tried on other Tenaya shoes (Mundaka, Ra, Masai), and those didn't work for me, especially in the heel. But the Oasi fit is perfect in both the heel and the (narrow) toe. Is the Tarifa fit the same as the Oasi, or is is a bit different like the other Tenayas?

Stiffness-- How much stiffer is the Tarifa? The Oasi is very soft. If the Tarifa is just a bit stiffer, it wouldn't quite be stiff enough for the niche I'm looking for (thin edging on vertical to slightly overhanging sport routes). But if it is a lot stiffer (comparable to Miura VS?), then it could be perfect. Other thoughts on Tarifa performance also?

Just looking for info on the Tarifa (and maybe other Tenaya's like the Iati). I'm plenty familiar with the comparable offerings from Sportiva, Scarpa, etc, and am not looking for shoe suggestions from those brands. Also, I have not tried on the Tarifa yet, and may end up ordering them to try on (from somewhere with a good return policy), but am looking to gather some information before doing so. Nowhere local carries them.

Thanks.

I know this reply is months too late, but if by some chance you're looking for some insight, hopefully this will help!

I've actually gone the exact reverse of what you are describing: I first purchased the Tarifa having heard good things and now just recently picked up the Oasi, wanting the same fit/performance in something that goes on and off a bit quicker.

For fit: I find them to fit very similar, though the Tarifa may have ever so slightly more room. I think this could also be due to a tongue and inner-sleeve that opens up a bit wider than the Oasi.
I went with the same size in both, which is about 1 size down (.5 in some shoes) from street shoe for me.

Stiffness: Honestly, I do not find the Tarifa to be much stiffer than the Oasi. In fact, I find them to be very close in stiffness. I think they are both on the softer side. At Tenaya's .net webpage, the rigidity ratings are 3 for the Oasi and 3.5 for the Tarifa. I'd say this is pretty close, though again, I don't think the Tarifa ups rigidity too much. From what I've heard, the Iati is the most rigid of Tenaya's performance line. I know you said you're looking for more rigidity, so perhaps giving the Iati a go would be a better move.

I feel your pain on not having these in stores nearby to try on. I'd like to try on the Iati myself someday. So far loving the Tarifa and Oasi though.

How have you guys liked your Tarifa and Oasi? This is about the best discussion of the two I could find. I'm in a similar boat. I really like the Tarifa. Interested in trying out a pair of Oasi. Tarifa is the best-fitting shoe I've ever tried. I sized down 1 size from street shoe in the Tarifa for a good fit, but the 0.5 size down in the Oasi fit the best in the store. I know it's been a while since this was posted, but there's no better thread out there. How have they performed comparatively for you?

K Dub wrote:

How have you guys liked your Tarifa and Oasi? This is about the best discussion of the two I could find. I'm in a similar boat. I really like the Tarifa. Interested in trying out a pair of Oasi. Tarifa is the best-fitting shoe I've ever tried. I sized down 1 size from street shoe in the Tarifa for a good fit, but the 0.5 size down in the Oasi fit the best in the store. I know it's been a while since this was posted, but there's no better thread out there. How have they performed comparatively for you?

Hey Kevin - I've tried out some other shoes over the years, but the Tarifa, Oasi and Oasi LV have easily been my favorites. Tenaya has a new one coming out (I think this year?) that I am interested in trying, the Indalo: exxpozed.com/tenaya-indalo

Between the Tarifa and Oasi, I really feel like they are exactly the same -- at least VERY similar in terms of how they fit and perform. This makes sense given that the last/sole/heel rand are virtually the same. The two main differences being with laces, you can dial in the fit more from a volume perspective and the obvious of the Tarifa having a little more rubber over top of the toes. While I still love the Tarifa and climb in it, I've been reaching for the Oasi/LV more often. I appreciate that they're a little easier to get on/off every couple climbs and to me, I feel like I'm wearing the exact same shoe as the Tarifa (both which I don't think about while climbing!).

My street size falls exactly in the middle between 11.5/12 on the brannock device and I wear the 11 in the Tarifa and Oasi. I have a pair of Oasi in 10.5 that are still surprisingly comfortable. They maybe give me a little more security for heel hooks and the steepest of stuff, but I don't find it to be a monumental difference, so I've mainly stuck with the 11.

I would say go with your gut on sizing. Given how the 11 fits for me, I do think I could wear an 11.5 and not see any issues with performance. If your foot is on the narrow side, the LV Oasi is worth a look for sure - I find them very, very similar to the standard Oasi, with just marginally less overall volume. The pair I've been climbing in the most is the 11 in the Oasi LV. 

If you're a Tarifa fan, I'd be shocked if you didn't like the Oasi. Let us know how it goes!

Thanks for the help. I have been really happy with the Tarifa. I wear a 10.5 street shoe pretty much across the board. My first pair was a 10 in Tarifa. I went with 9.5 for my second, and they fit really well too. I had to buy them sight unseen but I got to try on a pair of Oasi, and your assessment of the sizing was spot on. Oasi just slightly tighter. So I ordered 10 in the Oasi. Probably will relegate them to gym duty and keep the lace up Tarifa for outdoors. I like laces outside. Thanks again.

Thread reboot: I found the Tarifa fit much narrower in the forefoot than the Oasi. The Oasi fits great for me, but surprisingly the Tarifa felt oppressively narrow.

Thinking about the Iati instead. How's the stiffness there compare to the others? Looking for something that fits like the Oasi, but with a bit more stiffness for granite boulders.

Sizing - same for Iati as Oasi?

JCM wrote:

Thread reboot: I found the Tarifa fit much narrower in the forefoot than the Oasi. The Oasi fits great for me, but surprisingly the Tarifa felt oppressively narrow.

Thinking about the Iati instead. How's the stiffness there compare to the others? Looking for something that fits like the Oasi, but with a bit more stiffness for granite boulders.

Sizing - same for Iati as Oasi?

I have the Oasi and the Iati in the same size.
Not a big difference between them, but the Iati feels like it has a tiny bit more with in the forefoot, definitely more tension in the heel and a slightly tighter fit, maybe 1/4-1/2 size. A bit more support in the middle, with the full soles.
Toe softness feel about the same, but edging a bit better, probably because of the tighter fit and tension.  

JCM wrote:

Thread reboot: I found the Tarifa fit much narrower in the forefoot than the Oasi. The Oasi fits great for me, but surprisingly the Tarifa felt oppressively narrow.

Thinking about the Iati instead. How's the stiffness there compare to the others? Looking for something that fits like the Oasi, but with a bit more stiffness for granite boulders.

Sizing - same for Iati as Oasi?

In my experience, the Iati is stiffer than the Oasi, but I wear the LV version of the Oasi.  The "regular" volume Oasi is a bit wider than the Iati I think, but I cinch the hell out of the draxtor system to get them to fit my narrow paddle feet.  IMO, the stiffness from least to most for Tenaya models that I've used goes like this:  Mundaka, then Oasi, then Iati.  For narrowness, they're all about the same and will adapt to a range of foot widths, but the volume from least to most goes:  Oasi, then Mundaka, then Iati.  Hope that helps.

Iati has been my go-to shoe for everything, especially single pitch sport and trad and bouldering for like the last 6-7 years.  Love 'em.