La Sportiva Tarantulace review: fit, sizing and what climbers say
An inexpensive, flat, comfortable lace-up with an unlined leather upper and thick, durable FriXion RS rubber. It is La Sportiva's beginner and all-day shoe: great value for gym and moderate outdoor climbing, but not for steep or highly technical terrain.
- Beginner
- Beginners
- Gym
- All-round
- Multi-pitch
- Slab
- Outdoor
Size down about one size from your street shoe
For a snug all-round fit, a street UK 9 (EU 43) is a UK 8 (EU 42) in the Tarantulace. Go half a size smaller for hard bouldering, or bigger for long days. It's a starting point: feet differ, so try them on if you can.
Your size in the Tarantulace
Your street shoe size
Aggressive
Tight, hard bouldering
Recommended
Snug all-rounder
Relaxed
Long sessions
Comfort
Beginners, multi-pitch
How the Tarantulace fits
- Heel
- Thick rubber heel rand, but some dead space makes heel hooks only average.
- Toe box
- Roomy, flat toe box (low asymmetry) that lets toes lie flat; it is wide side to side, so it fits tiny pockets and thin cracks poorly.
- Suits
- Average to wide forefeet and anyone who wants comfort; La Sportiva rates it medium volume, so very wide feet may still be pinched.
What climbers say
From independent reviews and buyers' feedback; each point is backed by at least two sources.
Strengths
- Very comfortable flat fit you can wear for hours
- Outstanding value, at under half the price of premium shoes
- Thick 5 mm rubber and leather upper are durable
- Smears well on moderate slab and big gym holds
Watch out for
- Thick rubber feels insensitive and edging is below average
- Flat, wide shape struggles on steep terrain and in small pockets
- Heel dead space makes heel hooks insecure
- Unlined leather stretches and can get loose over time
La Sportiva Tarantulace size chart
Your street size, then the size to get for each fit. From La Sportiva's size chart and how this model runs.
| Street | Aggressive | Recommended | Relaxed | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK 4EU 37 | – | UK 3EU 35½ | UK 3½EU 36 | UK 4EU 37 |
| UK 4½EU 37½ | UK 3EU 35½ | UK 3½EU 36 | UK 4EU 37 | UK 4½EU 37½ |
| UK 5EU 38 | UK 3½EU 36 | UK 4EU 37 | UK 4½EU 37½ | UK 5EU 38 |
| UK 5½EU 38½ | UK 4EU 37 | UK 4½EU 37½ | UK 5EU 38 | UK 5½EU 38½ |
| UK 6EU 39½ | UK 4½EU 37½ | UK 5EU 38 | UK 5½EU 38½ | UK 6EU 39 |
| UK 6½EU 40 | UK 5EU 38 | UK 5½EU 38½ | UK 6EU 39 | UK 6½EU 39½ |
| UK 7EU 40½ | UK 5½EU 38½ | UK 6EU 39 | UK 6½EU 39½ | UK 7EU 40½ |
| UK 7½EU 41½ | UK 6EU 39 | UK 6½EU 39½ | UK 7EU 40½ | UK 7½EU 41 |
| UK 8EU 42 | UK 6½EU 39½ | UK 7EU 40½ | UK 7½EU 41 | UK 8EU 42 |
| UK 8½EU 42½ | UK 7EU 40½ | UK 7½EU 41 | UK 8EU 42 | UK 8½EU 42½ |
| UK 9EU 43 | UK 7½EU 41 | UK 8EU 42 | UK 8½EU 42½ | UK 9EU 43 |
| UK 9½EU 44 | UK 8EU 42 | UK 8½EU 42½ | UK 9EU 43 | UK 9½EU 43½ |
| UK 10EU 44½ | UK 8½EU 42½ | UK 9EU 43 | UK 9½EU 43½ | – |
| UK 10½EU 45 | UK 9EU 43 | UK 9½EU 43½ | – | – |
| UK 11EU 45½ | UK 9½EU 43½ | – | – | – |
– means past the end of the La Sportiva size chart we have.
What La Sportiva says
“Generally sized down 1-2 full EU sizes from a standard EU street shoe size.”
Quoted from the La Sportiva product page
Specs
- Rubber
- FriXion Black, 4 mm
- Stiffness
- stiff
- Closure
- laces
- Version
- men's
- Made for
- gym, beginners
- Upper
- Leather, microfibre lacing harness, 2 mm FriXion RS toe rand
- Lining
- Unlined (lined tongue)
- Weight
- 245 g (per shoe, maker figure (size not stated))
- Resoleable
- Yes
- Price
- $99 (list price, 2026-10-08)
- Released
- Long-running; current version has updated aesthetics with the same fit (per maker)
Same sizing: Tarantulace Women's
Compare with
Sources
- La Sportiva USA: Tarantulace
- OutdoorGearLab review (2021)
- 99Boulders: best beginner climbing shoes
- Climbing House review
Checked 8 October 2026 (Tarantulace (current US model, Olive/Tiger; updated aesthetics)). Gear Loop isn't affiliated with the maker and earns nothing from these links.
More La Sportiva shoes
La Sportiva sizing →Estimates. Fit depends on foot shape and preference.