Tenaya has quietly infiltrated the climbing shoe scene since its founding in 1997. The Spanish brand didn’t have the media firepower of brands like FiveTen or LaSportiva. Still, it has consistently and doggedly developed shoes and put them on the feet of top rock climbers since its inception. Climbers like Alex Megos and Chris Sharma have been ticking the world’s most difficult climbs in Tenayas for a while now, but the brand remains relatively quiet.
The Oasi and Oasi Low Volume (LV) have been in the Tenaya lineup for a long time, but the allure of a high-performance all-around shoe still made it a great candidate for a review. Our tester, who climbs V7 outdoors, is also a youth competitor. She ground out team practices for a month with the Tenaya Oasi LV.
In short: The Tenaya Oasi LV proved to be an excellent shoe for the “semi-beginner” rock climber. These boulderers and sport climbers may advance out of their first flat and straight beginner shoes, abilities progressing enough to warrant a more aggressive, downturned model with a performance-oriented fit. The reasonable street price also bodes well for these athletes, as they may advance quickly to the next echelon and again require a higher-spec shoe.
- Upper material: Microfiber
- Outsole: 3.5mm Vibram XS Grip
- Insole: 2D multilayer Stretchtex
- Midsole: G1 1.8 and TST 150 double layer
- Closure: Draxtor Velcro
Pros
- Patented Draxtor closure system is highly adjustable and quick to use
- Stiff front edge and softer middle portion of the shoe made the shoe versatile
- Durable
Cons
- Loose fit at the arch and heel
- Lack of rubber on forefoot for toe hooking
Tenaya Oasi and Oasi LV Details
Like so many rock shoes these days, the Oasi models employ a microfiber upper with a stretchy Lycra tongue. However, Tenaya graces the shoe with its patented Draxtor closure, which employs an almost infinitely adjustable multiple-strap, single-tab system. The Oasi has a cotton liner and multilayer insole.
Tenaya builds in a two-layer midsole into the Oasi and uses 3.5mm Vibram XSGrip for the outsole. The Oasi line is built on a fairly downturned last, which is clearly visible from the side.
On Tenaya’s 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the highest amount, the Oasi and Oasi LV scores 3 for rigidity, 4 for sensitivity, and 3.5 for adaptability to foot width.
Our tester’s size 37 Oasi LV weighs a verified 14 ounces per pair. The MSRP is $195, but online retailers have them for around $140-150.
Oasi LV Fit
Our tester felt the fit of the Tenaya Oasi LV was a bit strange. Longitudinally, her size 37 matched the same size in other brands of climbing shoes. Her toes had the correct pressure against the front of the shoe, and the curve of the toebox matched the shape of her forefoot.
However, the shoe’s arch had a problematic fit. Unless it was cinched down extremely tightly, there was a gap between the foot’s arch and the shoe’s arch.
The heel was decidedly narrow, fitting this dimension of her smaller heel better than most other shoes. But there was a small amount of bagginess otherwise.
The Oasi LV took some work to break in and feel comfortable, possibly because of the liner or sturdiness of the rubber. Our tester suffered through foot pain for the first few gym sessions, but the shoe relented after five or six team practice sessions. The shoe held its downturn, support, and shape well over the testing period.
Tenaya Oasi LV Performance
Our tester really enjoyed how dynamic the outsole felt on the Tenaya Oasi LV. The toe area’s super-prominent and rigid edge reminded her of high-performance shoes aimed at outdoor climbing, which was great for edging, both on the steeps and lower-angle slabs.
The arch and heel were softer, in stark contrast to the front end of the shoe, making that part of the shoe feel more like a competition-style model. This pliability made the shoe work well to engage with and power off footholds on the dynamic, comp-style boulder problems at the gym.
The skinny heel made it sensitive and made it easy to heel hook on smaller edges. However, the looseness in the arch and the slight gap in the heel allowed the shoe to squirm around the foot under high pressure, reducing the effectiveness and precision of heel hooking.
This wasn’t an issue on larger footholds, only smaller ones. The heel of the shoe also isn’t aggressively shaped or textured, which made it less effective when pulling inward on smaller or less textured features.
The Tenaya Oasi LV’s forefoot has scant rubber, which makes it less effective at toe hooking on slopey or less textured features compared to more competition-oriented models.
The tester felt that the outsole rubber quality overall wasn’t as good as in her higher-spec shoes, but it was adequate for indoor use. Finally, our tester discovered that the Tenaya Oasi LV was quite durable, withstanding the intense and frequent use during youth competition team practices.
The Final Word on the Tenaya Oasi LV
Our tester concluded that the Tenaya Oasi LV is an ideal shoe for a beginner who has acquired the skills and abilities to move beyond a pure beginner shoe. Although not a highly aggressive shoe, it had more downturn, power, sensitivity, and precision than most shoe beginners commonly purchase initially.
If you are finding your current beginner shoe limiting as the problems at your limit grow more technical, then the Tenaya Oasi and Oasi LV are excellent choices. The shoes proved durable and, combined with the street price, render them a great value compared to other comparable climbing shoes.
