At first glance, the Ra looks decidedly less techy than many current high-performance shoes. It lacks the extreme asymmetry, the extremely downturned shape, and the rubber-covered heel that seem to be de rigueur for many climbing shoes. With such understated aesthetics, it would be understandable if climbers overlooked the Ra for something with flashier construction, but they would be wrong. Allow me to explain.
 
The Ra is a bit of a throwback (in a good way) to a time when shoes were less hyper-specialized; a time when you didn’t need a quiver of footwear to go climbing. As such, it delivers a surprisingly high level of performance over a wide range of holds and climbing angles. Sure, more specialized shoes will outperform the Ra in certain niche situations, but anyone looking for one shoe that can do it all should consider the Ra.

Let’s look more closely at the Ra and try to understand where this balanced performance stems from. Starting with last, Tenaya has spec’d a slightly downturned and somewhat asymmetric shape that hugs your foot and does a good job of delivering power and precision on small holds without the foot-contorting fit found on more extreme footwear. The benefit of this construction quickly becomes evident: you can size them snug for difficult bouldering and sport climbing, and less tight for longer routes. Moving on to the midsole, Tenaya employs its 2D PLT 10 platform that provides the required support for edging and toeing into small pockets while remaining flexible and sufficiently sensitive for more tenuous slab climbing. Again, while the Ra may not have the edging or sensitivity of more specialized shoes, it does an admirable job of providing the balanced performance most climbers require on less-than-bleeding edge routes. Other notable details include a cotton-lined synthetic upper, a two-strap hook-and-loop closure system, and a grippy Vibram XS Grip outsole.

So, while all this sounds good on paper, how does the Ra perform in the real world? Well, during my time with the shoes, I found the Ra to be perfect for most real-world climbing situations. And by real-world, I mean routes and boulder problems with small holds on vert to gently overhanging terrain. If I were focusing exclusively on more modern plastic climbing (with its endless mandatory heel and toe-hooking shenanigans), I would prefer a shoe with greater rubber coverage on the heel and forefoot, but for the smaller holds encountered on less-than-cave-like steep routes, the Ra is an excellent choice. Size it appropriately, and you will quickly understand why this style of footwear was and still is an excellent choice for the vast majority of real rock-climbing situations.       

You can learn more about the Tenaya Ra and other great Tenaya shoes at tenaya.net and trango.com

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