Tarifa
Description
The Tarifa will amaze you! Never before has a rock shoe offered such versatile performance in extreme situations. Its ability to stick on ‘impossible’ holds borders on the supernatural.
Utilizing the RB RangeX system, a technology developed by Tenaya to make climbing feel both easier and more intuitive, the Tarifa offers superlative responsiveness in all kinds of demanding situations.
Not too rigid, not too soft, the Tarifa has been designed to provide optimal performance across a wide range of extreme climbing situations: from one-move boulder problems to long, sustained stamina-fests: from the steepest, most powerful overhangs to the thinnest of face climbs: from the tiniest edge to the vaguest smear.
You’ll be amazed how such a radically down-curved shoe can feel so comfortable, more so than many conventionally shaped rock shoes. The answer lies in how the Tarifa works in perfect harmony with the natural biomechanics of your feet, meaning the only thing you have to think about is the next move.
Retail price
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| Weight | 680 g Single : 340 g / 12.0 oz |
| Closure Type | Lace |
| Gender | Unisex |
| Volume | Narrow |
| Sizing Information |
2-14 US M 3-15 US W1-13 UK (mid sizes included) Take your average size for European and/or U.S. based climbing shoe brands. Your Tenaya size should be approximately 0.0 to 0.5 sizes larger than your average size in European brand shoes, or 0.5 to 1 size smaller than your average size in U.S. brand shoes. Downsize the Oasi and Tarifa 0.5 size smaller than this.  Tenaya-Shoe-Size-Chart.jpg |
| Best Use (Highest Performance) |
Sport / Face Over-hanging |
| Asymmetry | Moderate |
| Tongue Details | not provided by the brand |
| Last Details | Shape: Downturned (performance) Construction: not provided by the brand not provided by the brand |
| Upper Material | not provided by the brand Microfiber |
| Midsole Material | not provided by the brand Double midsole GI 1.8 y TST 150 |
| Sole Material | 3.5 mm
Vibram XS Grip
Rand: not provided by the brand |
| Footbed Lining | Cotton with TXT treatment |
No reviews yet.
The Tarifa is a well-designed shoe for a narrow foot. If your feet look more like skis and less like snowshoes, they might be your ticket to send town. Most of the shoes we tested are geared towards a wider foot. Wider shoes tend to be better for crack climbing but can leave narrow footed folks with an insecure, cumbersome fit. For our testers with slender feet, the Tarifa quickly became their weapon of choice.
I would put these shoes in the same league as the Scarpa Boostic and Miura VS, in that they are on the stiffer side of performance shoes. I found they were best on vertical to just past vert climbs with small footholds. The toe is very precise, once I got used to it, with enough sensitivity to know I was standing on the best part of the hold, but supportive enough my feet didn’t tire quickly standing on small nubbins.
Following Tenaya’s motto that high performance doesn’t have to mean low comfort, the Tarifa is a medium-stiff shoe that has top-notch performance on every angle and type of terrain. “It’s stiff and supportive where you need it—heel cup and forefoot, but completely flexible in one key spot—the arch/middle of the foot,” one tester said of this narrow-lasted shoe. “That means I can edge on a razor crimp as well as I can smear on a low-angle section as well as I can dig in deep on tiny nubs on a roof. Its versatility is unrivaled.”
The Tenaya Tarifa’s are like Cadillacs. Built to perform, but comfortable enough to cruise all day. The Vibram XS Grip 3.5 mm rubber provides precise grip and edge control, while not being too stiff or thick for techy, overhanging terrain.
I got to test these in as a ton of different environments: dime pockets at Smith, all-day slab sessions at Squamish, Indian Creek splitters, greasy gym plastic holds, City of Rocks huecos and even Black Canyon choss. While they may perform better in some places (there are better slab shoes out there), I wouldn’t hesitate to take them out again in any of these places.
One of the things I like best about the Tenayas is how the narrow foot bed translates to performance on the rock. The narrow sole in the toe box places the edge directly under the power point of the big toe instead of on the side where it’s prone to rolling off of edges. This stands true for both the Oasi and the Tarifa, though there are some subtle differences in the toe box that are perceptible in performance.
Overall, the Tarifa is a wunderwaffe for sport climbing. They are comfortable, don’t require a break-in phase and excel at precision pasting. I can see that climbers with more demanding foot types (such as weak, fat or ugly feet) might need a stiffer or wider shoe. There is no one, ultimate, sacrosanct climbing shoe that will fit and suit every climber. But these work for me (and Alex Megos).
