La Sportiva Tarantula Unisex-Adult Climbing Shoes Review (2026)

What this shoe is

The Tarantula is La Sportiva's strap-closure counterpart to the lace-up Tarantulace, built with the same target audience in mind: climbers who are new to the sport and want a comfortable, flat shoe for both gym and outdoor use on easier terrain and mellow routes. It uses a dual hook-and-loop closure system with two heel pull-tabs, rather than the Tarantulace's lacing harness, and the unlined leather upper gives it moisture management and gradual stretch over time similar to its lace-up sibling shoe. La Sportiva markets the sizing chart as unisex, applying the same European sizing across the line without gender-specific differentiation between men's and women's fit or shape.

Rubber and midsole

Like the Tarantulace, the Tarantula uses FriXion RS rubber, described by La Sportiva as an ultra sticky compound for maximum performance, paired with a 1.8mm LaspoFlex midsole for a lightweight, torsionally rigid platform underfoot on every climb. That midsole gives the shoe enough structure to edge reasonably despite its comfort-first, flat profile, which suits top rope and easy lead climbing far better than steep, technical terrain requiring precision footwork. The shared rubber and midsole between the strap and lace versions means the core performance difference between the two comes down to closure type rather than climbing capability or grip on the wall.

Strap closure in practice

The hook-and-loop straps are the shoe's main selling point for gym climbers, since they let a climber pull the shoes on and off in seconds between climbs rather than fussing with laces each time they sit down. That speed comes at some cost to fit precision, since straps adjust in broader increments than a full lacing harness can, so the fit across the whole foot is less fine-tuned than the Tarantulace offers across a session. For climbers who value quick transitions over dialed-in precision, that trade-off usually favors the strap closure, especially during a session with many short climbs back to back.

Sizing and durability

As with the Tarantulace, the unlined leather upper will stretch with wear, so the site's own caution against sizing up too generously holds up against how La Sportiva builds the shoe over its lifespan. Because the fit relies on straps rather than laces, there is less ability to compensate for a stretched upper later by simply tightening a broader range, which makes accurate sizing at purchase more important than it would be on a lace-up shoe. Climbers unsure of their size may want to size similarly to how they would for the Tarantulace, allowing a little extra room up front for the leather to stretch over time.

Who should buy this shoe

The Tarantula fits beginner climbers who want a comfortable, all-day shoe for top rope and easy leads, and who value speed getting shoes on and off between climbs at the gym over precise, fine-tuned fit across the foot. It is a weaker choice for climbers wanting to edge on small holds or climb steep terrain, where a downturned performance shoe will outperform this flat, comfort-oriented design over time. Given the site's own ranking just behind the Tarantulace alongside a strong value score, it is a close alternative for climbers who prefer straps over laces as their first pair of climbing shoes.

Frequently asked questions