Tenaya Iati Review

Tenaya shoes are known first and foremost for comfort, and the Iati is an excellent all-arounder that’s comfortable and sensitive on a wide variety of terrain.

The downturn is adequate, though certainly not aggressive, which means it will work as well on vertical terrain as it will on the steep stuff. Unlike the Tarifa, the power is focused under your big toe, not off to the side, which meant I always felt like I was hitting every foothold in the sweet spot. The added rubber on the top of the front of the shoe made for more secure toe hooking.

As I’ve come to expect from this brand, they were comfortable from day one, with no noticeable break-in period needed. The 3.5mm XS Grip offers excellent sensitivity, though the little logo stamps Vibram puts on the rubber are absurd. On the pair I got, one of the stamps was right under the toe, which meant I instantly had a millimeter or so less rubber to work with.

I don’t love the Draxtor strap system, as it seems overly complicated, and makes putting the shoe on a little more involved than it needs to be. I imagine they did this so it can accommodate a wider range of feet, but I’ve never had a problem with the simple strap designs found on other slippers. (Maybe folks with wider feet feel differently?)

Those minor gripes aside, after several months of use I can honestly say the Iati hits the sweet spot of offering the right amount of sensitivity and precision for most of my sport climbing needs. Given how comfortable they are, they often have a place in my pack, and in fact I just got them resoled so I can keep using them.

Fit: These things run big, like huge! I am 12 street shoe and got mine in a 10, which is very comfortable. It wouldn’t be crazy for me to wear these in a 9.5 for even more precision. I do have a narrow foot, so take that into consideration.

Retail: $170
Sole: XS Grip 3.5mm
Upper: Natural & Synthetic Leather
Ideal use: Sport climbing

More info and tech specs on the Trango website.

Disclaimer: Wait! Before you go handing over your credit card number, ask yourself, do you really need to buy more new stuff? If so, this product is worth a look. In the spirit of full disclosure, it was provided to SplitterChoss.com for the purpose of reviewing. Don’t worry, though, our integrity can’t be bought!