These shoes are a pure joy. Bought them for bouldering but soon these became my first pick for just about everything. They edge ok but don't expect too much. My footwork has improved a good deal since I got them.

The sole (XS Grip²) is awesome and durable but I think the number of on/offs this shoe can take is limited.

awesome slipper! good on overhangs and small edges! the heel is awesome never slips. love mine for bouldering and gym use!

awesome for bouldering. size tight for glove like fit. resole often. definite must arrow in your quiver.

These shoes are probably the best climbing slipper you can find, they will stretch to form fit your foot so size em good and tight. The only huge issue I have is that because they focus all of the edging into the big toe I wear a hole through them faster than any other shoe I've owned. I always resole them, so they stay around for a long time, but the leather on these wears faster than on lined shoes, so stay away from sharp limestone!

These shoes, along with the Mantras, should never have been discontinued... Fortunately, La Sportiva saw fit to bring the Cobras back from the dead, and they are every bit as fantastic as the originals.

Like any soft (and in this case "soft" means "really really really buttery soft", which in turn means "practically transparent under your foot") shoe, they are *not* for everyone. In fact, shoes like these don't appeal to a lot of climbers, so it really depends on your tastes and climbing style. This, in turn, makes the shoes inappropriate for beginners, since - by sheer virtue of being a beginner - you would then have no set climbing style and a dubious (at best) definition of taste.

To recap: Super soft shoe, not everyone will like it, not good for beginners.

The shoe is suuuuper sensitive. Not quite as sensitive as the Mantra (a discontinued shoe I pine for) but a touch more aggressive with more stiffness in the rim around the toes. This makes them absolutely killer for pretty much anything you could potentially wrap your toes around, and still flexy enough to jam into most pockets. Unfortunately, that's one place where the Mantra edged out the Cobra (pun!)... the Cobra's toe is a bit blunter, making it a little less awesome for tiny lil' pockets.

These shoes require strong feet. Seriously. If you flex your feet and a small battleship tattoo appears on your arch, and the cannons shoot, then your feet are probably strong enough. If you flex your feet and they become the governor of California, then your feet are probably strong enough. If you flex your feet... you get the idea.

If you're used to very stiff shoes, you probably won't like these shoes in any way, shape, or form. If you favor board-lasted shoes, these are pretty much the polar opposite. If you are used to very stiff and aggressive toeboxes, the shoes aren't that.

However, if you like to feel the rock you're climbing, if you have unnaturally prehensile toes, if you curl your tail around your waist so people don't stare and call you monkey-boy... then these shoes are very much like climbing barefoot with a strip of rubber krazy-glued to your soles. And as we all know, krazy-glue and rubber always constitute a party. They have extremely precise heels that require precision to place precisely... and that means good footwork!

They're very durable, but size them smaller than usual (even for Sportivas) - they stretch quite a bit. They're a bit on the expensive side - but worthy considering how specialized the shoe is... and besides, most high-performance shoes these days are more or less in the same pricepoint.

The rubber is extremely sticky and soft. This means less durability and life - more so if your footwork isn't rock-solid. Expect to have to resole these (or buy a new pair) sooner than other models and/or brands.

Covet these shoes for sport climbing and bouldering of all kinds. Overhangs won't be a problem, but you will truly need powerful calves and feet to bring out their peak performance. Eschew them for trad, as you will probably find them to be far too soft and squishy.

I'll say it again: these shoes are not... NOT... for beginners. They're not for climbers that like shoes to do the work for them. They're not for people with weak feet. They will not give you technical advantages while on the rock. They *will* make your feet stronger, your footwork better, and your feel for the rock will improve. They're not for eveyone, but for those that they're for, they're the best.

After trying on about 10 different pairs of shoes at the local shop, i chose to go with the Cobras. After climbing for a few weeks in them, I know I made the right choice. If you like a softer shoe that lets you really grab the rock on those steep problems, this is the one. Make no mistake, this is definitely a softer shoe. I gave it 3 stars for comfort, mostly because i wear 'em super small. A bigger size would obviously be more comfortable, but with an unlined leather slipper, you're gonna want to go with a smaller size than usual. They get more comfortable the more you wear them. These are excellent for steep bouldering and trad, and in my opinion, one of the best shoes in La Sportiva's line. They're a very reasonable price for the quality and performance.

I personally love la sportiva fits and I had 3 pairs of these shoes. I was psyched they brought these back. One of the best slippers out there, just really simple and high performance. Great shoe for the value, since climbing shoes are getting expensive.

A few years back, I heard that La Sportiva was discontinuing the Cobra. I found them on sale a few places and quickly bought about 5 pairs. The Cobra had become my favorite all around shoe: gym climbing, bouldering, and good sport routes. Recently someone told me that La Sportiva had brought back the Cobra… this made me happy because I have found it to be the best slipper for the price. Great fit and great performance!

The cobra is my favorite all-around slipper. I size it super tight which means it's pretty uncomfortable to wear for more than a few minutes at a time (like a few boulder problems or a route), but since it's a slipper they're easy to take on and off.

I think this shoe is the perfect combination of bouldering and sport climbing performance, friction and value, which are probably my top criteria for a shoe.