![]() The Katakis are more downturned, which gave me more power under my big toe on overhanging climbs Lace-up versus velcro The toe felt precise and supportive, but the midsole was soft enough to offer sensitivity and flexibility on steeper routes.Īccording to the company, Sportiva’s heel-design technology, something call S-Heel, boasts “the perfect heel cup fit by eliminating heel deformation in high-torsion situations.” I’m not really sure what a high-torsion situation looks like, but I can attest to the fact that the shoe has a suction-cup fit on my heel and provided no trouble on all kinds of heel-hooking situations, maybe even high-torsion ones, too. They performed well in most situations but really shined when it was time to tech-out on small edges or pockets. Even after a long hot summer day, my foot doesn’t slop or slide around, and there are no gaps.įrom the gently overhanging limestone pockets of The Fins in Idaho to the steep cobbles of Maple Canyon, Utah, I’ve worn the Katakis on a wide range of rock. Once on, they feel completely secure while climbing. When I put the Katakis on, I stretch the tongue toward me and smooth it out before lacing-up to lock in the fit. If you’re a raving Katana fan, you may find the Katakis to be too narrow to use. The Katakis are lower volume and more asymmetrical than the Katana Lace. ![]() The Katakis are an inspired evolution (not a replacement) of the Katana Lace, and employ a similar sock-like tongue to eliminate dead space. I like to size my shoes with a toe-knuckle-be-damned fit, no matter what the so-called experts running this blog say. The sizing was the same for me as the women’s version of the Sportiva Solution, Velcro Muira, and Otaki, which is nice if you’re a La Sportiva regular. The Katakis are moderately downturned, with 4mm of the familiar Vibram XS Grip2 rubber. But what shocked me most was that, after a few months of wear, the Katakis, with their slightly more aggressive shape and lower-volume toe box, edged out the Otakis as my top pick for favorite all-around women’s climbing shoe. ![]() I believed I was going to like the Katakis before I even laced them up. Months passed and Sportiva launched a lace-up sibling, the Kataki, which is built on the same last and midsole as the Otaki. I swore, I’d never need another shoe for anything other than the steepest of caves. This year, I wore my La Sportiva Otakis straight down to the very bones of my feet.
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