La Sportiva Cobras

My reviews are all for products I have purchased, used and either enjoyed, or not. 

Let's talk La Sportiva Cobras. I heard about them on my first Thai trip, but didn't have a chance to get a pair until just before the second. So far I've  destroyed two pairs of cobras. They are my go to shoe for almost any route or problem. They have been increasingly hard to find over the last few years, but thankfully it seems like they are coming back, at least in Europe for the 2016 season. They are listed at Sportiva.com (Not LaSportiva.com... ), and now in pretty new colours. But they don't seem to have actually dropped yet, I picked up a few pairs from the Czech Republic on Ebay, along with a pair of pythons.

Pros

  • Fit - pretty much perfect for me, they are quite narrow, but being a slipper I recommend trying before you buy. 
  • Sensitivity - The cobras best attribute, the thin sole (3.5mm) means that you can feel every hold and becomes something that you rely on. 

Cons


  • hard to find at the moment
  • Requires good foot strength - The downside of the thin sole- they won't give you support to edge, they rely solely on the strength of your feet. This means you will use the inside/outside of your foot more than the toe. 
  • Durability - again the thin sole means that they will wear out quicker
  • Heel hooks - The cobras are a slipper, so heel hooks are generally out unless you can pull sideways, which is how I prefer it anyway
  • Heel - toe moves  -  with an extremely flexible sole, these will again rely on your foot strength, and pain tolerence. Not something I use much. 
  • They'll dye your feet orange



These are amazing shoes, and I love them on all rock types. I've used them a lot on granite slabs and boulder problems, quite a bit on Thai limestone, and a little sandstone. They are regularly chosen over La Sportiva Miura laces and a pair of Scarpas with a harder, but agressive sole

Performance on slabs:
Fantastic, you never need to look down, you can feel everything through the shoes, and can feel how good the holds are. They inspire the confidence needed to just step up on tiny holds and smears.

Performance on granite:
Generally very good, but the tiny sharp edges cut up the rubber quite a bit, and they don't perform so well once they are trashed. This is not unique to the cobras, but is a drawback of climbing granite.

Performance on overhangs:
Great, you can feel each hold, and it ensures that you keep pushing through the hold, and you never slip off unexpectedly.


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