Long term review of those climbing shoes made by Ocun. Ocun developed they own rubber, the CAT rubber:
“Rubber sole called CAT (Climbing Adhesion Technology), which was developed with the particular aim of achieving maximum friction. We currently use two types of rubber sole compound on our climbing shoes: the more adhesive CAT 1.5 and the slightly harder CAT 1.1.”
I have used those shoes since more than 2 years now. As a side note, I use them several times a week, with some pic periods during which I use them every day. So I used them very extensively !
For those who know and who have already used the Oxi, the Oxi S is an updated version of the bouldering Oxi that was introduced years ago. The main upgrade is a prominent sticky rubber toe patch that enables you to toe-hook as much as you can. The slipper design and a single Velcro closure ensure perfect fit and easy putting on and off between attempts. So this make this pair particularly attractive for bouldering. But you can also use them for sport climbs.
This pair has an asymmetric and downturned sole and made of a natural leather Insole and a microfiber upper. If you are a vegan climber , it’s not for you !
Those shoes look very aggressive, and they are, but these are really comfy shoes for how aggressive they are and seem to fit a wide variety of foot shapes well. Of course, the first times you will wear them, you will suffer, especially because it’s made with natural leather. But then you will have the felling to wear your slippers.
I first bought those shoes because i was looking for something more aggressive; with a rubber toe patch. But on the other side, I’ was really unwilling to pay + £100 for a pair of climbing shoes at that point. When I found this pair I was very enthusiastic, I loved the shape and the price tag was very attractive. You can find them for less than £80 on the internet. I was also very happy to try a new rubber. The sole is composed of a CAT rubber 1.5 band of 4 mm.
The Oxi is loaded with a lot of rubber compare to other climbing shoes, which makes it great for edging. However, the flip side to this stability is a lack of touch sense. This is particularly true when they are new. As soon as you broke them, I found this less obvious. A big rubber toe patch is found at the front of the shoe. This patch is very effective and in addition to add a bit of grip, it will also protect your toes. On that aspect, the shoes won’t extend much at the front, as it can be the case for other shoes.
Another amazing feature is its heel hooking. I tried a lot of different shoes. And every time I don’t feel comfortable, it’s because of the heel. And when I’m conformable, the majority have had pretty poor heels during climbing. Either because my heel moves inside the shoes or because it’s not close enough due to a bad structure of the shoes (for my feet) and the rubber tends to roll off the placement. But with the Oxi S, everything is perfect. They fit perfectly, follow the shape of my feet. SO when I want to use my heel, I can really push on it without any problem, and it’s very efficient compare to other shoes I tried.
