Approach shoes vs hiking/trail runners

Hey everyone,

So I totally trashed my "approach shoes," which were really just trail runners, during my recent trip to Red Rock and I'm in the market for a new pair of hiking/approach shoes. I've read a few articles and reviews but I'm still not sure whether I'd be better off with another pair of trails/light hiking boots or a genuine approach shoe. I'm looking for a durable shoe that I can hike in, mainly for hiking/scrambling to climb sites. While this is usually called "approaching," and at first I thought the answer obvious, most of the "approach" shoes I've looked at are more for multi-pitches and seem to be more like really comfortable climbing shoes. I'm concerned that the Vibram will wear out super quick from trail hiking. So...can anyone recommend either:

A) a super durable approach shoe that can be hiked in without falling apart, or
B) a super sticky/aggressive hiking/trail shoe that won't cause me to slip and fall to my death on the approach?

As I said in a similar thread, mountainproject.com/v/best-… I'm currently partial to La Sportiva Raptors (or maybe its Ultra Raptors?) for the application you describe. They have good sticky rubber soles that are much better on loose sandy ground (and mud) than the sticky dot rubber soles on some of the more climbing-oriented approach shoes. I'm not comfortable climbing in them beyond very low fifth class, so for me they're for hiking in and out when some scrambling may be involved.

They're great trail-running shoes as well.

Your quandary is self-selected: approach shoes are not for hiking, and hiking shoes/boots are not for approaching (walking on rock). But to answer the question directly, Five Ten Camp Four and the Scarpa Den.

Also, you might look at a "tweener" style of shoe popular in Britain, the scrambler:

outdoorsmagic.com/gear-feat…

La Sportiva just came out with a new shoe - the Mutant. I think it's a step up from the Raptor.

+1 for the guide tennies. Long hikes in no problem and led 10+ pitches of 5.7/8 on gear.

I have some 5.10 running shoes(dome I think) that are great approach shoes. They have stealth rubber on them that is nice a sticky but don't wear out very fast. I also have the 5.10 tennies if i have to do some low 5th class.

Cool, thanks for the replies and recs. Sorry if this thread had been done before. I've looked at the Guide Tennies and Outdoor Gear Rated them very high as approach shoes, but I was worried that they wouldn't be durable. Good to know that they hold up!

I think yoid like the salewa mountain trainers.

guide tennie

In no way should you misconstrue Guide Tennies as 'durable.'

The Guide Tennie is great if you are doing long moderates in the mountains. Leave your climbing shoes behind and go from hiking to climbing with a single pair of shoes. The new Guide Tennie is more durable and better than the old for standing in aiders all day if thats your thing. The Guide Tennie may not be the best but what shoe is? I do know that it will out perform running shoes on the rock and make scrambling more fun and less a pain in the butt.

Another vote for 5.10 dome! They do not climb well above 5.7 but do very well on slabby or boulder crossing approaches.

The word "durable" eliminates the 5.10 Guide Tennies. I was out last Monday in a remote local kicking steps in the steep slick dirt with mine on. 2 things I noticed: 1st, they suck at kicking steps. I've been across that slope many times in other approach shoes and they all did better. Thank God I had an ice axe with me or it could have been a long ride over the cliff below. As I was solo and carrying a lot of weight, it was pretty nerve wracking anyway.

Next: at the end of the day one of the tongues of the Five Teniie Guide shoes was out of the shoe, totally detached. Never seen that on any other shoe I've ever owned an there was/is a lot of tread left. So I'll be trying to sew it back on if I find my speedy awl.

Lastly) The friction is excellent with the five tennie guides, and that's worth a lot when boulder hopping. So there is that, they'd be near perfect for Joshua Tree or Red Rocks. Buy a couple pairs as the first one will fall apart quickly.

Good luck

I have found the rubber on Guide Tennies and La Sportiva Bouler Xs to wear out pretty fast.