Tenaya Inti -unexpected greatness-

After much struggling to find a shoe that fits comfortably but also performs well I've found a shoe I love; the Tenaya Inti.

Shoes I've worn, for reference. (Obviously desnt mean they're bad.. just didn't work for me.) Anasazi Pink, Anasazi Pro, Moccasyms, Katana Lace, TC Pro, Butora Acros, Scarpa Instinct VS, Miura VS, Team Blacks, Dragons, Tenaya Mundaka, and Tenaya Tarifa.

I'd describe the Inti as a medium-soft, flexible shoe with added stiffness in the toes for surprisingly excellent edging. Sized comfortably it is exceptional for longer routes and smears like a dream while still edging very well. Downsized it's ultra good at edging and excellent for vertical to slightly overhanging routes.

It doesn't seem ideal for cracks or pockets and doesn't heel hook very well. It lacks lateral stiffness to comfortably hold up in cracks and the toe isn't ultra precise. The Tarifa seems a better option for pockets and I haven't found a good Tenaya shoe for cracks (maybe the Masai, but they're ultra narrow and don't fit me).

I like the Inti better for slab AND vertical climbing than any other shoe I've tried and highly recommend it. For pockets I'd reach for the Tarifa, for heel hooks or steep bouldering the Mundaka.

Highly recommend trying it out for either a versatile shoe or pure vertical to slightly overhanging sport excellence. Ideal if you like more flexible shoes but also edging support for your toes.

Been climbing in the Iati for a few months and  agree it's great. Almost no other shoe fits my foot. I'm thinking about picking up the Mundaka as a more aggressive shoe like you said, but can you compare the two more? Thanks

S P wrote: Been climbing in the Iati for a few months and  agree it's great. Almost no other shoe fits my foot. I'm thinking about picking up the Mundaka as a more aggressive shoe like you said, but can you compare the two more? Thanks

The Inti is the one I reviewed but the Iati is similar to the Tarifa, which I also use.

The Mundaka is much more flexible but still has excellent forefoot support for edging. It's less precise in the toe as many bouldering shoes seem to be. This seems to help kind of grab things with your toes on overhangs but makes it less ideal for precise micro edging.

With that said it's not soft enough to be really excellent at grabbing with your toes on roofs, as compared to something like 5.10 Teams or Dragos. It's more of a versatile bouldering shoe or moderately overhanging sport and not truly specialized for roofs.

If you like flexible, versatile shoes for bouldering and overhung (but not roofs) the Mundaka is a great call.

jeffrey, what size intis do you wear?

slim wrote: jeffrey, what size intis do you wear?

Inti US 11.5 for multi-pitch, 11 for sport. Oddly the Tarifa & Mundaka I wear a 10. Street shoe is 10.5/11.