As a fairly new rock climbing shoe company, Tenaya comes out swinging with the world's hardest/first 5.15a flash by Alex Megos in the Oasi!
Tenaya Oasi
Credit: Tenaya
A “flash” means that he did one of the hardest climbs in the world (rated 5.15a) on his first try with no falls. Some climbers use more strength than footwork, but not Megos — he uses both, so it would only make sense that the shoe he wears into his toughest battles is well-proven in the field. The Oasi is now a force to be reckoned with, and we are excited to put it through our own tests, even if they don't involve flashing one of the hardest climbs in the world. We will try to flash our own personal hardest climbs.
If the shoe fares well overall in our first round of tests and it continues to be popular on the market then we will do a full Hands-On Review soon. For now check out the similar and very popular La Sportiva Solution. Both shoes have a highly aggressive downturned toe, but the Solution is a bit lighter weight and has thicker rubber on the sole. The thick rubber may make the edge last longer but may not have a lot of sensitivity until they are well broken in. The Solution also has only one strap, compared to the two straps on the Oasi. The two straps add to the heavier weight of the Oasi but are more durable than the single thin strap on the Solution. The “SXRDynamics” tightening system is also shared with other Tenaya models, but on the Oasi it is taken one step further with the custom “Draxtor” design that Tenaya says is “the fastest, most efficient and precise lacing system in the market today.” Our reviewers can hardly wait to put these through our complete tests!
