La Sportiva Katana

La Sportiva Katana

Average Rating: rated 4.00 of 5 stars
Reviewed by 5 Trailspace users

Description

The Katana is a climbing shoe made by La Sportiva. It has an average rating of 4 stars (out of 5), based on 5 user reviews.

Here's what other sites are saying:

From Backcountry.com:
"The La Sportiva Katana climbing shoe for women is designed for easy-in, easy-out convenience. It makes all the difference when you've working tirelessly on a problem for the past half hour and your feet are beat. Two snug fitting VELCRO closures wrap your foot in opposing directions to give you a fit you can't find in a lace-up. The premium leather and sticky rubber construction wreaks havoc at the crags and in the gym. Slip-lasted and lined, the Katana is magic for bouldering and crushing holds on your project. **La Sportiva recommends buying 1 full size smaller than your street shoe. AVAILABLE FOR NORTH AMERICAN SHIPMENT ONLY."

From Oregon Mountain Community:
"The La Sportiva Katana is a performance velcro shoe for sport routes, bouldering and gym climbing that also excels at crack climbing. Great for low to mid volume feet.La Sportiva Katana Features: Velcro closure system provides easy on and off convenience combined with one hand on-the-fly adjustability for added performance. Vibram® XSV rubber is the best combination of edging hardness and smearing stickiness. Dual-component lining, powerful slingshot rands, and a Powerhinge in the sole for precision footwork. Color: Yellow Upper: Lorica/Leather Construction: Slip Lasted Sole: 4mm Vibram XSV. Weight: 16oz What La Sportiva says about rock shoe fit: While it isn’t a black or white issue, a general rule dictates that soft shoes require a tighter fit, two to three sizes smaller than your street shoe size. We recommend you fit your trad shoes one to two sizes under your street shoe size. A thick midsole creates a platform on which you stand, while a slip-lasted slipper-type shoe relies on your crammed toes to create an edging platform. Confused about the sizing? Check out our Shoe Sizing Comparison Chart ."

From Moosejaw:
"On Sale. Free Shipping. La Sportiva Men's Katana Shoe (Fall 2009) The Men's Katana Shoe by La Sportiva is a performance velcro shoe for every type of climbing. Features: Highly adjustable opposing velcro closure for a precise fit Lorica toebox for optimum edging power Slingshot rand connected to the Powerhinge under the arch to control stretch Weight: 4.8 oz / 110 g Upper: Lorica /Leather Construction: Slip Lasted Last: PD55 Lining: Pacific (forefoot)/Dentex (back) Sole: 4mm Vibram XS Grip Midsole: 1.1mm full-length Laspoflex"

From Mountain Hideaway:
"A performance velcro shoe by La Sportiva for sport routes, bouldering and gym climbing that also excels at crack climbing. Great for low to mid volume feet. Katana Climbing Shoes Technical Specifications: Velcro closure system provides easy on and off convenience combined with one hand on-the-fly adjustability for added performance Vibram- XS Grip rubber is the best combination of edging hardness and smearing stickiness Dual-component lining, powerful slingshot rands, and a Powerhinge in the sole for precision footwork Additional Specifications: COLOR: Yellow UPPER: Lorica/Leather CONSTRUCTION: Slip Lasted LAST: PD55 LINING: Pacific (forefoot)/Dentex (back) SOLE: 4mm Vibram- XS Grip MIDSOLE: 1.1mm full length Laspoflex WEIGHT: 7.87 oz/223 gm"

User Reviews

rated 5 of 5 stars Men's Katana
Reviewed by Simon, Apr 09, 2009

"The best pair of rock shoes I've ever owned!

They are extraordinarily comfortable for a pair of technical shoes, and have performed well on a variety of surfaces, even out performing (to my delight) my more technical shoes. I would highly recommend these to any level of climber, for the money (they generally aren't cheap) it really is worth it."

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rated 1.5 of 5 stars Men's Katana
Reviewed by Eric5987, May 20, 2008

"All my Sportiva shoes have fallen apart. I have a pair of Katanas that "perform" very well on the rock. However, they have delaminated terribly and require constant re-gluing to keep them from falling apart. This also happened on my Sportiva Mythos and Megas."

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rated 5 of 5 stars Men's Katana
Reviewed by Erc, Nov 23, 2007

"I've been climbing for 1. 5 years now and own currently 7 pairs of climbing shoes. This is by far the best climbing shoe I've had, it is very technical, but very comfortable. I had a pair of Vipers before and although they had great grip, taking them off was a pain, whereas the Katana are easy to put on and remove, and with the velcro you adjust how tight you want them."

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rated 4 of 5 stars Men's Katana
Reviewed by ericq99, Feb 19, 2007

"Used these shoes on granite and limestone sport and sometimes in the gym. Great edging and hooking (both toe and heel) abilities! Bought these snug (I'm a size 12 and got a 43) and they took a little breaking in, about 2-3 wks. Only drawback was the wear. After 3 months of regular use (1-2 times/wk) the toe rubber started delaminating."

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rated 5 of 5 stars Men's Katana
Reviewed by Sean, Feb 16, 2004

"I manage an indoor rock climbing gym and just recently bought a pair of Katanas. I've owned four other brand name shoes, but have already enjoyed these the most. The dual direction velcro makes for a great fit, they're extremely comfortable, they climb awesome, and on top of all of that, they look really cool!"

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Have you owned or used a La Sportiva Katana? Share your thoughts with other hikers and backpackers.

Where to Buy

Buy Online We found the Katana at 7 online stores:

StoreProduct DescriptionPrice

Backcountry.com
2 purchase options:
Katana Rock Climbing Shoe - Women's$134.90Buy Now
Katana Climbing Shoe$134.90Buy Now

Oregon Mountain Community
2 purchase options:
Katana$134.95Buy Now
Katana - Women's$135.00Buy Now

Moosejaw
2 purchase options:
Men's Katana Shoe$114.75Buy Now
Women's Katana Shoe$114.75Buy Now

Mountain Hideaway
Katana Climbing Shoes$120.00Buy Now

GearX.com
Katana Velcro Climbing Shoe (2009)$134.95Buy Now

EMS
Women's Katana Climbing Shoes$135.00Buy Now

US Outdoor Store
2 purchase options:
Katana Climbing Shoes$135.00Buy Now
Katana Climbing Shoes - Women's$135.00Buy Now

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