In this Tenaya Mundaka Review you will see that Tenaya Mundaka is a really good mid to high level climbing shoe and will definitely get you a good addition to good performance results on your climbing adventure.
Even if you are a less experienced climber looking to begin leveling up your skills, these are still really great climbing shoes. They may break your bank because they are pretty expensive, but they will start letting you go on a couple of different kinds of climbs of varying difficulties and further increase your climbing skills.
The Mundaka climbing shoe does lack in some performance areas, but trying out this climbing shoe specifically and then getting in depth information can definitely give you more precise experience in what areas the shoe performs really well in, and what areas you may need to make up for either with your personal climbing skills or other shoes that can compliment this one.
In Depth Guide of the Tenaya Mundaka Climbing Shoe

Tenaya Mundaka Review Climbing Shoe Score
Fit – 8 out of 10
Comfort – 8 out of 10
Sensitivity – 7 out of 10
Edging – 8 out of 10
How Well Does the Tenaya Mundaka Climbing Shoe Actually Perform?
Edging
The Mundane has an awesome downturn which obviously gives super support when you are attempting to edge on difficult surfaces. It should force a lot of the power towards that big toe, allowing you to rely more on the shoe’s design than your own muscle power.
Climbing with a shoe that can edge really can definitely be a huge bonus. If you are used to climbing with a shoe that doesn’t have this kind of support, you will obviously see a difference when you are attempting to get a good hold on those tougher ledges that are much smaller.
However, you may have built up your foot strength and your footwork significantly while climbing with shoes that don’t give a ton of support. But when you switch to a shoe that offers tons of support, you should be able to have an even better experience when you are climbing.
However the downturn isn’t as aggressive as other high performing shoes, so you won’t get the best support from it. However there are a couple of factors in Mundaka’s design that attribute to it’s powerful edging skills.
Flat Toe Box
Even though this climbing shoe has pretty good downturn and much of its support is derived from the forced curve of the shoe, it also provides a really flat toe box that can give added support.
This portion of the shoe is flatter than the rest but only right at the toe box. This will give your toes more room to flatten out and really get good purchase on the rock face. Most climbing shoes don’t feature this added flatness and only rely on the rigidity of the shoe to give support on small edges.
Works on Overhangs
Even on steep overhangs, the Mundane works really well, allowing you to be sure on small edges while moving from position to position.
Usually you have to be a lot more cautious with other climbing shoes when climbing on steep overhangs. But since the stiff downturn combined with the flat toe box increase your stability, you can do more complex moves while you climb and still feel safe.
Asymmetrical
The toe of the shoe lines up really well with the middle of the shoe, distributing your weight really well across the climbing shoe.
This is a tough feature to have because the intent of the downturned design is to force as much power towards the big toe, and in turn most of your body’s weight. However, if you have high asymmetry this gets your weight distributed much better and gives more solid support, while still directing a good amount of power to your big toe.
Pocket Skill is High
High asymmetry also really helps this shoe hold into pockets really well. When you have a toe that is off center, it’s much easier to lose balance and not feel as stable. High stability helps a lot when jamming your foot into a pocket.
Also, the toe of this shoe is pretty long and since it has a flat toe box, it gives a ton of support.
You should be able to pull at the pocket really well in these climbing shoes. Pulling at the pocket and being able to move from that hold to another really effectively is one of the key components to knowing if you have a supportive shoe or not.
Even with the stress put on the toe of the shoe when you cling strongly to one pocket to move to another hold, you should feel much give in the shoe or too much flex to the point where you can’t get good stability.
Vibram XS rubber has a little bit of trouble grabbing onto slippery textures such as limestone, so it may have trouble with pockets on this type of terrain.
Crack Climbing is Ok
The Mundane still has good downturn, but it’s flat enough to be able to give good support for cracks. The midsole of this shoe is thinner so it can fit into cracks a little bit easier.
However, since the toe box is flat and a little bit wider than the average climbing shoe, it may be tough to fit inside cracks in the rock face.
Sensitivity
Surprisingly, the shoe is pretty soft and you should be able to feel the rock face pretty good. For all its support and stiffness, it really does a good job of being sensitive.
Is the Tenaya Mundaka Climbing Shoe Comfortable?

Fleshy, Soft Tongue
Slipping on the shoe, you should be able to feel the comfort that the tongue of climbing shoes has. Most shoes don’t prioritize this part of the shoe as important, but a large part of discomfort often comes from slipping and sliding around and an ill fit.
Also, discomfort has a lot to do with lack of protection from undue strain from the straps. You’ll want to get a really good, tight fit from your straps. However this does cut into your comfort level.
Split Sole
The footbed of this climbing shoe is really comfortable. T/he padding is really extensive and thick enough to be comfortable without losing performance.
The sole is actually split so as to only be heavily padded in areas of maximum pressure points.
Lots of climbing shoes have padding of the same thickness all around the shoe. It creates a thickness that isn’t really necessary and takes away from a low profile. The low profile really helps on lots of different aspects, especially cracks and pockets.
With these climbing shoes, they will be able to perform a lot better because the padding is strategically placed in parts of the shoe where you are sure to have the most discomfort.
But also the thinner parts of padding are put into places that don’t require as much comfort.
True to Size
The synthetic upper doesn’t allow for a whole lot of stretch, so the initial fit is most likely going to be the fit even after you have broken the shoe in for a while.
If the upper was either partially leather or fully leather, it would be able to stretch to conform really well to your foot. This is great, but still makes it a little tough to size. However it does provide a level of comfort and fit that is more specific to you.
But if you get a shoe that isn’t really going to stretch, then you know that the size you start out with is the size you end up with.
Again, the upper will still do a bit of stretching, enough that a little bit of conforming to your foot will happen. However it is usually not going to stretch to any great degree and so you won’t be able to rely much on it fitting your foot if it isn’t sized appropriately from the beginning.
Flexible Midsole
The midsole has thinner rubber than the rest of the shoe. This gives a good level of comfort and flexibility that a lot of other high performing shoes don’t offer.
Does the Tenaya Mundaka Climbing Shoe Have Good Fit?
Doesn’t Conform to Your Foot
The upper is totally synthetic, which means it won’t really conform to that shape of your foot. There will be some slight stretching, but not enough to conform as well as an all or partially leather upper.
Better Performance by Downsizing
Even with the level of stiffness that the Mundane provides, you might want to downsize a little to increase the overall performance of the shoe. You will probably be giving up a little bit of the climbing shoe’s comfort, but this might be a worthy trade.
Heel Fit Might be a Problem
The fit of the heel might be a little hampered by how soft it is. You may feel a lot of slipping around in the heel because of the lack of rigidity, which is going to affect it’s heel hooking ability.
Also the angle of the heel is a little awkward and it is honestly not very conducive to heel hooking.
Awesome Strap System
The Mundaka is a combination of velcro and straps. There is a large velcro strap on the side of the shoe that is the main place where straps can be tightened. The rest of the shoe is covered by a couple of layers of straps that extend pretty far down to the front of the shoe.
This is a pretty awesome closure system. It combines the high adjustability of a lace closure system with the fast acting system of a velcro strap.
It also covers a lot more of the shoe than a normal velcro closure system. Most climbing shoes only have about one or two velcro straps that don’t provide for a lot of adjustability.
This design also doesn’t let you have too much trouble fiddling around with the laces because the straps only have one piece you have too maneuver to close the shoe. But you can still adjust it really well because of all the other small straps that criss cross the climbing shoe.
Does the Tenaya Mundaka Climbing Shoe Have Good Value?
The Mundaka is pretty expensive. It has a lot of high performing qualities that do makeup for the expense, but it also lacks in some key areas that may not balance the gap between price and value.
However the comfort level is really high even when doing highly technical moves.
Pros and Cons of the Tenaya Mundaka Climbing Shoe
Pros
- Great at edging
- Comfort
- Short break in period
Cons
- Too soft
- Dead spot in arch
How does the Tenaya Mundaka Climbing Shoe Compare?
Mundaka VS Ra
The Tenaya Ra and the Mundaka have really similar sensitivity. They are both pretty high and can be relied on really well to feel tough textures and surfaces that you wouldn’t be able to feel with other climbing shoes.
However, the Mundaka beats out the Ra when considering how well the shoe does at edging. It is only a slightly higher ranking than the Ra.
Mundaka VS Oasi
The Mundaka has a little bit better edging ability than the Oasi. Its flat toe box really helps keep you stable in this area and also gives a good amount of comfort.
They both have very similar sensitivity and should be able to have a great feel on the rock face.
What’s the Verdict on Tenaya Mundaka Climbing Shoe?
Mid to High Level Performance, Lacking Some Areas
If you are an experienced climber, adding this shoe to your collection would be a good way to expand your performance.
Edging with the Mundaka is really solid, and also climbing in pockets.
Crack climbing and the fit might be a little tough, but these are pretty well balanced out by the comfort level, which is pretty high for a high performing shoe.