How to Choose Rock Climbing Shoes
La Sportiva Kubo Climbing Shoes - Men's
$169.00
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Delivering precision, power and plenty of comfort for long climbing sessions, the men's La Sportiva Kubo climbing shoes combine unlined uppers, sticky Vibram® XS Edge outsoles and a moderate downturn.
Key Details
Climbing Shoe Type
Moderate
Last
Slip-lasted
Can Be Resoled
Yes
Upper
Leather
- Unlined leather uppers with highly breathable, cushioned tongues keep you comfortable through long days on the wall
- 4 mm Vibram XS Edge rubber outsoles features a moderate downturn that promotes confident foothold positioning on the wall
- Sticky toe-rubber patches are integrated into the rands, improving durability and providing great jamming and hooking performance
- Heels are integrated into the soles for increased heel-hooking precision and grip
- Opposing dual hook-and-loop closure system offers a precise, customizable fit
- Designed for climbers of all abilities
- Shoes can be resoled; La Sportiva Authorized Resolers can be found across North America
- Constructed without intentionally added PFAS
- Fit tip: La Sportiva recommends sizing down 1–2 sizes from your typical street shoe size
Imported.
View all La Sportiva Men's Climbing Shoes| Best Use | Rock Climbing |
|---|---|
| Climbing Shoe Type | Moderate |
| Last | Slip-lasted |
| Upper | Leather |
| Lining | Unlined |
| Outsole | 4 mm Vibram XS Edge rubber |
| Footwear Closure | Strap |
| Can Be Resoled | Yes |
| Gender | Men's |
| Weight (Pair) | 14 ounces |
| Sustainability | From a Climate Neutral Certified brand |
La Sportiva Footwear - Men's
| 34 EU | 35.5 EU | 36.5 EU | 37 EU | 37.5 EU | 38 EU | 38.5 EU | 39 EU | 39.5 EU | 40 EU | 40.5 EU | 41 EU | 41.5 EU | 42 EU | 42.5 EU | 43 EU | 43.5 EU | 44 EU | 44.5 EU | 45 EU | 45.5 EU | 46 EU | 46.5 EU | 47 EU | 47.5 EU | 48 EU | 48.5 EU | 49 EU | 49.5 EU | 50 EU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Men's | 2.5+ | 4 | 4.5+ | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 6.5+ | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 8.5+ | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 10.5+ | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 12.5+ | 13 | 13.5 | 14 | 14.5 | 15 | 15.5 | 16 |
| U.S. Women's | 3.5 | 5 | 5.5+ | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 7.5+ | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 9.5+ | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 11.5+ | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 13.5 | 13.5+ | 14 | 14.5 | 15 | 15.5 | 16 | 16.5 | |
| EU | 34 | 35.5 | 36.5 | 37 | 37.5 | 38 | 38.5 | 39 | 39.5 | 40 | 40.5 | 41 | 41.5 | 42 | 42.5 | 43 | 43.5 | 44 | 44.5 | 45 | 45.5 | 46 | 46.5 | 47 | 47.5 | 48 | 48.5 | 49 | 49.5 | 50 |
| Mondo | 24 | 24.5 | 25 | 25.5 | 26 | 26.5 | 27 | 27.5 | 28 | 28.5 | 29 | 29.5 | 30 | 30.5 | 31 |
Sizing Notes
For boots: Add one half size to your street shoe size. You should be able to slip one finger behind your heel when you are standing up with the boot unlaced and your toes touching the front. If the boot is too short, your toes will get smashed walking downhill. Too long and your heel will slide up and down and give you blisters.
Buying Advice
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Most Helpful Favorable Review
Even Toe Compression, Good Edging
ChimichangaMagic2 years ago
I've been climbing for 6 months, all gym so far, and do as much bouldering (V3+level) as I do sport climbing (5.10+ to 5.11- level). Bought these because my first pair were the mythos ecos, and were way too big - had no idea what I was doing when I bought those, mostly just thought hey climbing shoes are climbing shoes and I'd rather air on the side of comfort, and these look sexy.
Something to know about Sportiva, quote is directly from an email with their service team "most of our climbing shoes will be identical between Mens and Womens outside of the available sizes and colorways" - this includes the Kubos, the size/and fit is exactly the same. But something we also covered in that email is that the Kubos are one of a sportiva few shoes, that, even though the fit is the exact same, use different materials on the sole for the men's and womens.
The men's Kubos use the vibram edge XM, and womens use edge XM 2. The main difference between those materials is the XM 2 is softer than the XM. The reason they put a softer material on the women's, is because women are on average lighter, and under a lighter weight, softer rubbers will compress and comply to what they're contacting better. Lighter people don't get the same grip performance that heavier people do, out of harder rubbers.
Now that said, I'm 182lbs, and am probably in the weight range intended for the mens, but I opted to return these and buy the women's. A slightly tackier rubber sounded better to me, the obvious tradeoff being edge stiffness, and overall stiffness.
But again, the fit between the men's and womens is exactly the same. I'm only about 5 sessions in with these but I absolutely love them - fit is amazing. Tight for sure, which was the goal with this new pair, but even in toe compression. I tend to do a lot of research and try a bunch of different options when shopping for equipment for something I'm really into, and of everything I tried these felt the best. A lot of shoes feel like they cramp certain toes more than others, and sometimes do weird things to skin (the zenit's that I tried like pinched a little flap of skin under my pinky toe), but with these, it felt like pure even compression - its just up to you to decide how far you want to go with that compression by choosing smaller and smaller sizes. My performance is obviously greatly enhanced over the mythos, edging feels great, they're grippy, precise, yea, just awesome.
I also tried the otaki's and the fit was basically identical - they just had a sharper edge on the bottom, more of a sharp corner, the kubos are a little more rounded, and the otakis also have a little slightly downward pointing point/tip of extra material on the toe, kindof like the beak on some birds. They don't have the toe-hooking material that these doo though, and I do like to do a lot of overhanging stuff at my gym, and the kubos have been good for that. Reviews on the otakis said the heelhooks are cheat code level though I think they use a different material for their heel, and it has a pattern on it.
ChimichangaMagic
Columbus, OH
26 people found this review helpful
Most Helpful Critical Review
Great shoes but dye my feet
Ryan1 year ago
Great shoes for bouldering and climbing but dye my feet red and green after each session.
Ryan
3 people found this review helpful
Davide Fossati
Atlanta, GA
Comfortable, flexible, and precise
3 years ago
These shoes have a fairly similar shape to the La Sportiva Katana Laces (which have been my favorite shoes so far). The main difference is that the Katana are firm and supportive, whereas the Kubo are soft and flexible. I recently purchased the Kubo because I want to practice different footwork technique with a soft shoe. The Kubo are extremely comfortable, flexible, yet very precise. I would definitely recommend them for climbing at the gym. I still prefer to use my Katana outdoors, but that might change when my footwork improves.
Age:35–44
Experience Level:Experienced
Typical Shoe Size:Mens 8.5
Used for::Gym Climbing
Yes , I recommend this product
utxj
SLC
Kubo
2 years ago
Primary use for these has been indoor sport climbing at 5.11+ level. My street shoe size (mostly Merrell) is 10.5 (43.5) I got the Kubos in 9.5(42.5). While at home, I wore them for short 15 min periods, for about a dozen of these sessions. Then took them for some indoor bouldering. The jumping down really helped break them in. Did a few TR sessions and by the forth climbing day on these I felt they were much more comfortable. I can now get about two climbs in before I NEED to take them off. I felt they stretched at least a half size maybe slightly more.
Age:35–44
Used for::Sport Climbing
Joey
San diego
Perfect intermediate climbing shoes
2 years ago
This was my third pair of climbing shoes and a great all around shoe. I have used for literally every type of climb and think it shines brightest working indoor boulder problems, specifically on slab. The flexibility is amazing and sticks really well on rounded, slanted, or low profile foot holds. They also help tremendously with smearing when no holds are available. Small foot chips also are sticky, but they hurt the feet a little bit because the shoe is pretty soft and sensitive. You will also work your calves a little harder relative to a stiffer shoe. Toe hooks are solid, heels are pretty good. Very comfy for moderate climbing shoes and a perfect step up from beginner. I tried a ton that hurt my feet and put these on and immediately purchased. I have narrow feet and had to max out the tightening straps on these but they are secure. Should fit most volumes. Skill level V4/V5 , 5.10d/5.11a
Age:35–44
Used for::Gym Climbing
Yes , I recommend this product
m801
Salt Lake City, Utah
Phenomenal!
2 years ago
A Swiss Army Knife in climbing shoe form; high-quality construction, comfortable shoes that required very little break-in, offer great sensitivity, and perform well (though not always excelling) in most climbing arenas ranging from edging, hooking, and smearing capabilities. Really love this shoe, have used it 3 times per week or so in the gym with a few outdoor excursions too, able to wear them all day without issue and trust them when I need to, couldn't ask for a better first shoe or pair for intermediate climbers, or those looking for a "jack of all trades" shoe.
Age:25–34
Used for::Gym Climbing
Yes , I recommend this product
Hacksmith
New favorite all around in the gym
2 years ago
Exactly what I wanted them to be: softer for smearing, but still solid edging. Hooks fore and aft. Secure heel. Break in wasn’t bad. Easy on and off. Priced well for a gym shoe but I can see using them outside too. For reference I have a narrow heel and a low volume foot with a high arch. I bought the same size as my katanas and finales: 44.5 for a normal street shoe size of 11 1/2.
Age:55–64
Used for::Gym Climbing
Yes , I recommend this product
Big Tasty
Finger Lakes Region, New York
Don’t size these like a neutral shoe
3 years ago
Give yourself some extra room. These were my first moderate shoes after only climbing in neutral shoes. Because they were La Sportiva, I sized them the same as my favorite pair of Mythos and that was a mistake. They are breaking in but has been much more of a process. I could have easily gone a half size up. That said, I’m very happy with their performance.
Age:35–44
Used for::Gym Climbing
Yes , I recommend this product
MisterJ
NJ
One of my favorite shoes on the market today
1 year ago
I’ve been through five pairs of these so far and I LOVE them so much. They’re comfortable enough to wear throughout an entire gym session without taking off (for me personally) and they break in quite nicely. I downsized mine from 43.5 street size to 42 in these (and a couple of my pairs were 42.5) so they’re quite tight without being overly painful once broken in. They’re fairly soft shoes with a split sole so your feet maintain a good deal of flexibility.They’re also quite sensitive and fantastic at smearing. They make me extremely agile while climbing. I also use the Katana Laces which are far stiffer with a thicker toe and a lot less sensitivity. When I first tried the Katana after using the Kubo for so long, the lack of sensitivity and flexibility felt like something was missing. I’ve seen gotten used to a stiffer shoe but plan on getting another pair of Kubos because they’re well suited for a different type of climbing than the Katana. The one benefit of the Katana over the Kubo is the thicker toe means more durability and an overall longer lasting shoe (but it’s more expensive so it probably balances out). As with any shoe, it really depends on whether or not it fits YOUR foot. La Sportiva in general is well suited for my foot shape.
Age:35–44
Yes , I recommend this product
Noue
Los Angeles, CA
Nice intermediate shoe
2 years ago
Very happy with my purchase! As a gauge for my level, I am starting to get into V3 level bouldering, so more beginner-intermediate. I initially tried some aggressive shoes (significant arch) which were too uncomfortable on my flatter feet. These Kubos (moderate arch) fit tightly but not painfully, so if you also have flatter feet I'd recommend.
Age:25–34
Yes , I recommend this product
ChimichangaMagic
Columbus, OH
Even Toe Compression, Good Edging
2 years ago
I've been climbing for 6 months, all gym so far, and do as much bouldering (V3+level) as I do sport climbing (5.10+ to 5.11- level). Bought these because my first pair were the mythos ecos, and were way too big - had no idea what I was doing when I bought those, mostly just thought hey climbing shoes are climbing shoes and I'd rather air on the side of comfort, and these look sexy. Something to know about Sportiva, quote is directly from an email with their service team "most of our climbing shoes will be identical between Mens and Womens outside of the available sizes and colorways" - this includes the Kubos, the size/and fit is exactly the same. But something we also covered in that email is that the Kubos are one of a sportiva few shoes, that, even though the fit is the exact same, use different materials on the sole for the men's and womens. The men's Kubos use the vibram edge XM, and womens use edge XM 2. The main difference between those materials is the XM 2 is softer than the XM. The reason they put a softer material on the women's, is because women are on average lighter, and under a lighter weight, softer rubbers will compress and comply to what they're contacting better. Lighter people don't get the same grip performance that heavier people do, out of harder rubbers. Now that said, I'm 182lbs, and am probably in the weight range intended for the mens, but I opted to return these and buy the women's. A slightly tackier rubber sounded better to me, the obvious tradeoff being edge stiffness, and overall stiffness. But again, the fit between the men's and womens is exactly the same. I'm only about 5 sessions in with these but I absolutely love them - fit is amazing. Tight for sure, which was the goal with this new pair, but even in toe compression. I tend to do a lot of research and try a bunch of different options when shopping for equipment for something I'm really into, and of everything I tried these felt the best. A lot of shoes feel like they cramp certain toes more than others, and sometimes do weird things to skin (the zenit's that I tried like pinched a little flap of skin under my pinky toe), but with these, it felt like pure even compression - its just up to you to decide how far you want to go with that compression by choosing smaller and smaller sizes. My performance is obviously greatly enhanced over the mythos, edging feels great, they're grippy, precise, yea, just awesome. I also tried the otaki's and the fit was basically identical - they just had a sharper edge on the bottom, more of a sharp corner, the kubos are a little more rounded, and the otakis also have a little slightly downward pointing point/tip of extra material on the toe, kindof like the beak on some birds. They don't have the toe-hooking material that these doo though, and I do like to do a lot of overhanging stuff at my gym, and the kubos have been good for that. Reviews on the otakis said the heelhooks are cheat code level though I think they use a different material for their heel, and it has a pattern on it.
Age:25–34
Used for::Gym Climbing
Yes , I recommend this product
moon man
Baltimore, MD
Super Solid Shoe
2 years ago
Ordered these as my first moderate pair of shoes. The edging is solid, and once broken in, smearing is certainly possible. While the men's Kubos are xs edge, the women's shoes is xs grip2, which leaves me wondering, if that would be a better shoe for myself. The second strap leaves a small patch for toe hooks, although, not really comfortable for bat hangs. The main issue I have with these shoes is the wide heel cup. My heel is not secure enough for hard heel hooks, and there is a lot of slop while using the heel in moves. All in all, depending on the type of climbing you do, this could be great for you. But if you are doing a lot of heel hooks and overhangs, you may want to consider a different shoe. I mainly use these as my workhorse gym shoes, but I switch over to my Mad Rock Drones for overhangs, or anything I may need a super solid heel or toe hook.
Age:25–34
Used for::Gym Climbing
Yes , I recommend this product
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