La Sportiva Tarantula Climbing Shoes Review

The La Sportiva Tarantula is a shoe I keep recommending to people just starting out. It’s comfortable right out of the box, forgiving for long sessions, and tough enough to learn the ropes both inside and outside.

Honestly, if you want a shoe you don’t hate to wear (or pay for), but still does everything “well enough” at the gym, the Tarantula is hard to beat.

Sure, you sacrifice some performance on small edges and in steep terrain, but if you’re just getting into climbing or value comfort above all else, this shoe will let you rack up pitches or burns without wrecking your feet—or your wallet.

Before I started ClimbingShoesFit, I wasted way too much cash on climbing shoes that didn’t fit right or left my toes feeling like they’d run a marathon through a meat grinder.

Sound familiar? Honestly, I started this whole blog for people like us—the ones who want real answers about climbing shoes, not just specs and sales talk.

The La Sportiva Tarantula was actually my first pair of climbing shoes. I bought them after borrowing stinky gym rentals for way too long. Back then, I was just getting started and didn’t know the difference between a slipper, a downturned monster, and a neutral all-day shoe. I just wanted something that didn’t crush my feet or destroy my motivation to fall off V0 slabs all night.

I chose the Tarantula because the internet kept saying “comfortable,” “good for beginners,” and “real leather upper” (whatever that meant—I just knew it wasn’t the nasty gym rubber). Years later, after burning through a pile of bouldering and sport shoes, I keep coming back to the Tarantula for friends (and even myself) when I know comfort is king.

Let’s take a look at what makes this climbing shoe unique.

The Tarantula is not going to win awards for razor-thin edging. I learned that the hard way, wobbling on little chips at my first outdoor crag. On gym holds, though, it gets the job done.

I could stand on most medium footholds in my first few months, but as soon as the holds got small—or the climb got techy—it was clear I needed more support.

There’s not a lot of stiffness under the toe. You can dig in on a moderate-sized edge just fine, but as your legs get tired, you’ll notice your toes working harder and slipping occasionally. I remember one yellow V3 slab at my gym: my friends sailed up in their stiffer Miuras, while I had to fight to keep from rolling off the dimes with my Tarantulas.

Is it enough for most gym climbing and big footholds outside? Absolutely. If you want to start working micro-edges on vertical or steeper sport routes, you’ll eventually want something stiffer and more pointed.

Smearing is where the Tarantula starts to shine a little. Because the sole is pretty flat and not ultra-stiff, you can really mush your foot onto big volumes and sloping indoor features. I remember being halfway up a glassy dihedral at the gym, completely botching my sequence, and somehow trusting my whole weight to a Tarantula pancake pressed against the wall.

The shoe’s flexible sole means your foot molds decently to the hold, giving you confidence to push even when you can’t find anything to “stand” on. Outdoors, I smeared up a sandstone slab and actually felt safer and more relaxed than a friend struggling in a brutally downturned shoe.

The only time things got sketchy was on hot days or ultra-polished plastic—sometimes the rubber would feel a bit too hard and less sticky than I wanted. Still, for typical gym smearing and easier slabs, the Tarantula is more than enough.

Real talk? The Tarantula is basically the pajama pant of climbing shoes. My first session, my feet were surprised by how little pain there was. After putting up with hard rental shoes that cut into my toes and sides, this felt like cheating.

Yes, the first couple of hours gave a little toe squeeze (no shoe is magic). But within two or three sessions, the leather upper softened and molded to my foot. No hot spots, no burning pinky toes, no heel blisters. I finished multiple long gym nights without peeling them off between every climb.

I even took them outside for full-day sessions and didn’t need “camp shoes” for relief—something I still dream about with more aggressive shoes. Breaking them in? Basically just climbing a few times. If you’re worried about pain, this is the shoe to start with.

Don’t expect a slipper-like feel for tiny details. The Tarantula has a fairly thick sole, and that mutes a lot of the feedback from the rock or wall. Standing on big holds? Amazing comfort, no problem. But when I tried to really “feel” a micro bump under my toe, it was tough to know if I was centered or just guessing.

That said, as a beginner, I actually liked this. The forgiving rubber and stiffer feel gave me the confidence to load up my feet without thinking about every little wobble. As I got stronger and started caring more about micro-footholds, it was clear this shoe wasn’t designed for surgical precision.

So: great if you want some forgiveness and aren’t planning on balancing on invisible holds.

If you start projecting harder boulders or get obsessed with footwork (welcome to the club), you’ll eventually want more sensitivity.

Hooks are fine for easy moves, but don’t expect miracles. The Tarantula’s toe is pretty round and doesn’t have a lot of aggressive rubber up front. I found toe hooks on big features possible, but never super secure. There’s a lack of “stick” compared to shoes with fancy toe patches.

I tried a wildcard foot-to-hand match on a steep gym roof (neon green—still remember it), and the toe hook immediately started to roll. Not a dealbreaker for easier climbs, but something to keep in mind as you get more adventurous.

Heel hooks? Kind of a mixed bag. The heel cup stays on, but there isn’t that locked-in feel aggressive shoes give. For gentle, straightforward gym climbs, the heel is just fine (no slipping off). But on overhangs where you need a strong, tensioned heel—like a big cross to a jug—it can shift or feel a little “floaty.”

Bottom line: hooks are okay for easier climbing, but you’ll want something beefier when you start working steep boulders or sport routes.

What surprised me most was how many months I didn’t even think about my feet. All that time, my climbing buddy was swapping between aggressive shoes and complaining about his crushed toes—even while sending the same problems as I was.

On my first outdoor climbing trip, I wore Tarantulas for three straight hours without taking them off. My friends couldn’t believe it. I could focus on moving, laughing, and enjoying the day instead of scheming how to rip my shoes off after each pitch.

The biggest thing that changed for me: realizing I didn’t need “performance” shoes to enjoy climbing, progress fast, and develop footwork. The confidence to just keep going without pain counts for a lot, especially early on.

Here’s the deal: the Tarantula is pretty forgiving for most foot shapes. I have a foot that’s a little on the wide side at the ball but a medium arch, and this shoe fit without squishing or cramping.

Best for:

• Medium to wide feet—lots of toe box room
• People with normal to high volume feet
• Folks who hate aggressively downturned shoes

Not ideal for:

• Very narrow feet (might feel sloppy)
• Super high arched feet (could be tight over top)

The shape is pretty “normal”—no crazy point. Egyptian, Greek, and most square toes will do fine. Roman foot types may have a bit of extra dead space up front, but it’s almost never a dealbreaker at this comfort level. If you’re picky about a precision fit—or want a death grip in the heel—look elsewhere.

The Tarantula’s footbed is flat and straight, so your toes lie naturally if you have.

• Egyptian feet (big toe longest): your big toe isn’t squeezed.

• Greek feet (second toe longest): your second toe has room, not curled up.

• Square feet (toes same length): all five toes sit side by side comfortably.

The Tarantula really shines for medium and wider feet. There’s enough volume and width in the forefoot that you won’t get crunched, but if your foot is skinny or narrow, you might feel it swimming in there.

The Tarantula comes in unisex sizing and fits both men and women. I wear EU 43 (US 9.5–10) in street shoes, and the same size in Tarantula for comfort. If you are a woman or have a low-volume foot, check out the Tarantula Woman model, which fits smaller and thinner feet better.

I learned the sizing lesson! My street shoe is EU 43 (US 9.5–10), and I started with Tarantulas in both 43 and 42 because I wanted to compare pain vs. performance.

The key tips:

• If you want comfort (gym, multi-pitch, all-day wear): get your street size—EU 43 for me. Almost zero break-in pain.
• If you want a slightly snugger fit or have low-volume feet: go down a half size (42.5 or 42), but expect a little toe squeeze for a couple sessions.
• Don’t size way down like pros do with aggressive shoes; it doesn’t help performance and kills the comfort point of this shoe.
• The shoe will stretch a little—mine relaxed by maybe half a size after a month of hard use.

Summary: stick with street size or half a size down if you must. If you’re between sizes, go smaller for performance but don’t force it.

This shoe is tough. My first pair made it almost a year of hard gym use (2-3 sessions a week) before the toe rubber finally got thin enough to worry me. The leather upper held up with barely any scuffing, and the Velcro stayed strong even after repeated cycles of me yanking them off between problems.

The edges rounded out slowly, but the sole never delaminated or peeled. I even handed my old pair down to a friend, who abused them for another season outdoors. As long as you don’t drag the toe constantly, they’ll easily outlast most beginner-phase learning.

One note: If you’re aggressive on your feet or drag your toes a lot, you’ll round out the edge fast. But overall, they’re way tougher than most gym beginner shoes.

Honestly? The Tarantula is one of the best bangs for your buck if you care more about comfort and learning than super high-end performance. You can beat them up, cram long sessions in, and—most importantly—you won’t dread putting your feet in for just one more climb.

I’ve steered six or seven friends to this shoe as a “first real shoe,” and all said thanks for not tricking them into something painful and pricey.

I’d recommend it for:

• Beginners needing a real shoe
• Casual climbers who want comfort
• Multi-pitch or long gym session folks

If you already have good footwork and want to push into tougher grades, save up for something more aggressive. For 90 percent of new climbers, though, this is the right call. It lets you focus on learning, not on foot pain.

As with anything one size doesn’t fit all. Here are my recommendations.

Avoid these if:

• You have super narrow or low-volume feet (may feel loose)
• You’re looking to send hard overhangs or micro-edge projects
• You want max sensitivity for technical footwork
• Toe and heel hooks are critical for your style
• You crave a super snug, ultra-precise fit

If you want your sessions to feel fun, relaxed, and pain-free, these are your shoes. The Tarantula is for:

• Beginners, especially first gym climbers
• People who hate foot pain
• Folks with medium or wide feet who struggle in narrow shoes
• Anyone looking for legit value
• Gumby intermediates who prioritize mileage over grades