La Sportiva Kataki

The La Sportiva Kataki performs extremely well on a wide variety of climbs and rock types, but it really shines on trad climbs that combine difficult cracks and vertical edging. The Kataki’s combination of a softer, low-profile toe box, medium stiffness underfoot, and comfortable lacing system has made it my go-to shoe for thin cracks. There are better shoes on the market for super-steep pocket-pulling (e.g., La Sportiva Solution), and better shoes for long trad routes (e.g., La Sportiva TC Pro or Five Ten Anasazi Lace). But when it comes to one shoe to use for both technical face climbing and difficult cracks, the Kataki is one of the best all-around shoes I’ve used.