Review: Tenaya Iati

In 2014 we gave Editors’ Choice to the Tenaya Oasi for its flexible, easy-to-wear feel and outstanding performance on every angle and rock type. Building off that “high performance without the pain” ethos, designers at the Spanish shoe brand have outdone themselves by combining a more aggressive downturn in the mid- and forefoot, and a slightly stiffer feel in a sticky rubber shoe that is just as comfortable to wear. Testers wore these bouldering on the sandstone steeps of Roy, New Mexico, picking pockets in Ten Sleep, Wyoming, and smearing granite slabs in Boulder Canyon, Colorado. “These are my quiver of one for anything requiring solid performance,” one tester said. “There’s no hold these don’t grip fantastically.” The infinitely adjustable Draxtor lacing system has two webbing straps that zigzag to cover the entire top of the foot, and you can keep the single pull tab or put two separate pull tabs on each strap to further customize fit. A blend of synthetic and natural leather means these stretch in the right places to feel good on the foot without stretching out, and a mesh sock ups comfort and breathability.