La Sportiva Tarantula Climbing Shoes Review

It is not secret that I have a preference for high quality – great performance gear and when it comes to footwear I always want to have the best possible shoes. This is the case for my first pair of climbing shoes, the La Sportiva Tarantula.

Read full review here: https://olympusmountaineering.wordpress.com/2018/09/28/la-sportiva-tarantula-climbing-shoes-review/

Prior of deciding which climbing shoes I wanted to use for my climbing, I have searched on various brands, but once again, I ended up buying a product from La Sportiva.

The very first thing I always look at is how easy it is to get the shoe on – some are remarkably difficult and time consuming but the La Sportiva Tarantula slips on easily thanks to its laces free design. The way the fastening system works is very clever too thanks to a well thought out adjustment method which features opposite side locking straps that can move up and down as well as to tighten and loosen.

Design & Materials
The La Sportiva Tarantula is an entry-level climbing shoe that’s slightly more aggressive than regular beginner shoes. Aside from the usual rigid sole and flat profile, the La Sportiva Tarantula features a last with a low asymmetry for better performance generally and also technical precision. New climbers may find this a little unusual at first, but once their feet adjust this shoe will let them progress much faster than a non-asymmetric beginner shoe.

As for comfort and wear, the La Sportiva Tarantula features an unlined upper that, once broken in, will provide maximum comfort and a custom fit, as well as a highly adjustable opposing-strap closure system that makes the shoes easy and quick to take on and off between climbs. The sole is La Sportiva’s own Frixion RS rubber that’s designed to be extra durable so as to not wear out before your climbing level has improved enough to necessitate buying a new shoe. Its stiff sole provides maximum foot support for feet unused to climbing shoes, and it will excel on vertical climbing.

The La Sportiva Tarantula is made of leather upper and mounded very well around my feet. The leather is unlined so it can get a bit hot inside the shoe after extended wearing but nothing at all unmanageable. La Sportiva’s FriXion rubber soles worked very well against the rock too with very little slip in the sole which is alarmingly sticky. The front hook isn’t very long however, which means that slightly more technically difficult routes might be challenging in the La Sportiva Tarantula Climbing shoe.



In Action





Read full review here: https://olympusmountaineering.wordpress.com/2018/09/28/la-sportiva-tarantula-climbing-shoes-review/

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Mike wrote:

First, a little hopefully constructive criticism, this reads like an add written by someone with little knowledge of climbing shoes disguised as a review.

Second, How is rubber alarmingly sticky, if anything frixion rubber is on the less sticky end of the spectrum.

Third, What's the "front hook"?

Pretty sure he’s talking about the shoe lacking a downturned toe. 

Try some Muiras, plenty of “front hook”.

So, let me get this straight...you have worn a grand total of one pair of climbing shoes, and you felt qualified to review them?  How can you comment on their performance, if you have nothing to compare them to?

Ted Pinson wrote: So, let me get this straight...you have worn a grand total of one pair of climbing shoes, and you felt qualified to review them?  How can you comment on their performance, if you have nothing to compare them to?

I'm not so sure it's the only pair of rock shoes he has used. but his first. He did say "once again" he got La Sportiva. Maybe he will clarify.

I would agree if they were the only shoes he had used, then he has little point of reference from which to review.

Ted Pinson wrote: So, let me get this straight...you have worn a grand total of one pair of climbing shoes, and you felt qualified to review them?  How can you comment on their performance, if you have nothing to compare them to?

Equally bad are the folks who comment on a shoe that they have "only worn around the house so far". Or "review" a rope after one day's use.

Gunkiemike wrote:

Equally bad are the folks who comment on a shoe that they have "only worn around the house so far". Or "review" a rope after one day's use.

Yo I unboxed my new rope and it uncoiled funny.  2/5 stars.

May it please the forum I'd like to review a pair of shoes...haha...Tarantulas...I knew he'd get ripped for that. 

Harsh criticism considering he included action shot pics. You can see the alarming stickiness jumping right out at ya in the second foto. 

Super good beginner shoe..most comfy when broke in..over all a great well rounded shoe