Alternative to the Katana Lace

Hey everyone, I was hoping to get some shoe recommendations.

I have been climbing on the katana lace for about a year now, they are great shoes, but I have already put a resole on them and now the rand is starting to blow. I am hoping to branch out from La Sportiva. I really liked the katanas because they could really handle everything from technical limestone to granite cracks. My issue is they are expensive and are not that durable.

So does anyone have a good suggestion for shoe that can fit the bill?

Thanks.

Scarpa vapor lace. I have both and find them quite similar. I prefer the vapor slightly as they fit my heel better.

I'm not sure you will find them more durable however. I go through about 4 resoles a year total on my various shoes, so if you're only using the katana to climb, and you only have one resole, I'm not surprised the rand is wearing thin. Rock and Resole has done good work repairing my rands, and my old vapor lace (orange ones) went through 5 resoles with new toe caps several times, still climbed well.

Have you tried the 5.10 Verdon? Seem like similar shoes.

Ted Pinson wrote:Have you tried the 5.10 Verdon? Seem like similar shoes.

you're suggesting five ten as a more durable alternative?

Get more shoes in your rotation. I love my Katanas but, for example, I'll switch to Mocs for crack-y trad. It helps everything wear more slowly to have different pairs. I've been using the same pair of free second-hand gym shoes for two years, which keeps my nice shoes from wearing out for the three+ gym days a week.

Edit: I second the scarpa vapors as an alternative.

Yes, Seb.

Check out the 5.10 Quantum.

Fix your footwork. I replace a rand every once in a while on a re-sole, but don't be shy about letting your cobbler fix your rands when they need to be fixed.

Sam Stephens wrote:Fix your footwork. I replace a rand every once in a while on a re-sole, but don't be shy about letting your cobbler fix your rands when they need to be fixed.

I think I'd tend to agree with Sam. I've only once heard problems about the katana lace and it was more of a sole delamination issue and admittedly the original sole. I've talked with a couple resolers and they've said the Katanas are some of the most well made shoes around.

I think the secret to a long healthy life out of your climbing shoes is to resole them before you have to. That being said, I'm not sure a rand job is particularly unhealthy for your shoes.

In terms of durability, five ten have weighed in pretty low in my experience and my girlfriend has a pair of scarpas that have lasted forever.

the issue with the katanas, and other sportivas, is sole delamination ... not the rand

the rand should last through a few resole with good footwork ... eventually itll wear out

the other issue with some sportivas is wear on the velcro straps ... but thats mitigated by some seam grip

;)

bearbreeder wrote:the issue with the katanas, and other sportivas, is sole delamination ... not the rand the rand should last through a few resole with good footwork ... eventually itll wear out the other issue with some sportivas is wear on the velcro straps ... but thats mitigated by some seam grip ;)

Is this still happening? My first Miura had that problem, but all my recent (3-5 years) shoes still perfectly fine.

divnamite wrote: Is this still happening? My first Miura had that problem, but all my recent (3-5 years) shoes still perfectly fine.

All the sportivas I've had have been fine

Sam Stephens wrote: All the sportives I've had have been fine

My first pair of Miura was a clunker. The leather part for shoe laces came apart after two months (stitching basically came undone). The rubber sole delaminated. But since then, never had a problem.

divnamite wrote: Is this still happening? My first Miura had that problem, but all my recent (3-5 years) shoes still perfectly fine.

the local shop here had sportivas go back for delamination recently ...

they still say that sportivas are the ones coming back the most

perhaps they fixed it, perhaps not ...

their take was scarpa, evolve, 5.10, sportiva in that order for durability ... the new guide tennies being the exception coming back all the time

they also sell the buturas which the rep told em, if theres any delamination at all theyll cover it

personally my scarpas have never delaminated .... i find the vapor to be somewhat similar to the katana lace

you can see various recent threads ...

mountainproject.com/v/la-sp…

ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php…

its really hit or miss ... you can get a perfectly good pair that will never delaminate ... and then another exact same pair where it start peeling in the first dozen climbs

;)

yep, I just sent my katana lace back because of sole delamination ... I have five pairs and only used the katana occasionally, still the sole came off which is of course disappointing.

I made very good experience with the boreal lynx in the past which I believe is a good alternative to the katana. how is the quality of boreal shoes today?

For a cheaper alternative, I'm a fan of the evolv luchador lace version. They aren't the most stylish but they perform well.

amazon.com/dp/B014I1KN7G/re…

Bear, that order matches my experience, although I haven't tried Scarpa. Sportiva does make up for their lack of durability with performance, but omg does the toe rubber wear quickly!

Ted Pinson wrote:Bear, that order matches my experience, although I haven't tried Scarpa. Sportiva does make up for their lack of durability with performance, but omg does the toe rubber wear quickly!

I dunno if anyone else has this experience, but I never get more than about 3 months out of the original toe rubber on my Katanas before I start seeing the rand. When I have them resoled they last easily twice as long. I'm not dragging my toes or particularly sloppy, but the tip/inside edge of my big toe goes FAST with gym climbing.

Other than that, I've had great luck with them. I've got three pairs of Katana LU's and one Miura VS and they're all on 2-4 resoles without delamination issues.

No gym climbing in my good shoes, might be why mine last longer. I keep two pairs of K laces, a pair of Testarossas, and a pair of Cobras for climbing on real rock, and a pair of Scarpa Forces for inside. I get about a year or more out of the original soles on all my shoes, even my gym ones.

Tenaya Ra. All other suggestions are stupid. Tenaya Ra