I haven't seen too many folks on here talking about these shoes, so I figure I'll start it up with a quick review of my time using them.
Disclaimer: I work for an Arc'teryx store and did get a deal on them, but damn I love these shoes.
I've owned so many different approach shoes in the last two years. Sportiva, Scarpa, 5.10, the works. All didn't fit my feet in some way or another. Blisters with 90% of them.
When these were coming out and I got to learn more about them, the more I was excited to try them, and of course nervous about fit.
I own the basic non-gore-tex ones. Although after this review you'll see why I wouldn't mind a pair of gore-tex.
These shoes are made with a seamless, clean construction. The main upper is a series of layers of fibers, individually soaked with DWR, and another hydrophobic super durable outer. No tongue, or stitch lines. There's even a micro shank type piece in the shoe to give it some stiffness that won't wear out. No compromise in walkability.
The rand around the toe and the heel is uniquely made for each size shoe, not just a one size fits all piece that'll eventually delaminate. +1 durability
Arc'teryx uses a unique Vibram sole pattern, similar to that of the BoulderX, but slightly different. Mixture of two different types of sticky dots, great climbing zone, and the great heel lugs for downhill breaking.
The liner is an incredibly comfortable mesh type fabric that moves very well with your foot. The idea is that your whole foot is covered by this fabric, like a sock, so it allows for better breathability with no dead air pockets. Similar thing by having no tongue; increased breathability. In Gore-tex models, this liner is where the gore-tex lives.
Performance:
I eagerly took these to Rooster Rock, outside of Portland on the first day I had them. It's a simple 5.4 scramble, easy downclimb as well. It'd be a good place to become aquatinted with my new shoes. I cranked them tight before the climb, because that's what I'm used to doing. Right away they stuck to rock well, held an edge very nicely. I made another trip here a few weeks later and didn't feel the need to crank them down as much, and I still got the same level of performance.
I'm in the Tetons now for the summer and have had a few long days out with them. Mt. St. John via the east ridge and over all the summit pinnacles, and a few days later on the East Ridge on Buck Mt.
Conclusion from both of those days:
Wow these things are amazing. They take a strap on crampon very well, I use the BD Contact. Kick steps well, and basically handles snow well in all ways a shoe that's not a dedicated mountain boot does. As mentioned I do not have the gore-tex model, and had some bread bags for the sloppy snow decent. The whole way up going from snow to rock to rock to snow, they got wet, but dried out incredibly quickly. Like stupidly quick. I also noticed my socks getting drier quicker and I'll credit the liner design to that one. On the way to Buck I even stuck my foot right through the snow into flowing water, and no more than an hour later you couldn't tell that it happened.
Both of these climbs involved going from snow to rock and back again, and every time I did a quick kick to get some moisture off the bottom, and I was good to go. I noticed no real decrease in climbing ability with wet soles. St. John involved quite a bit of technical climbing terrain, and never once did I wish I had different footwear on. 100% trust in these shoes. The rubber is great and very sticky, and they hold an edge incredibly well.
These shoes are also just plain comfortable. I usually go with varying tightness of the laces throughout a day, and that makes these shoes super comfy on the trail up, the snow up, scrambling a ridge, snow down then trail down. Even after a 11 hour day, I felt as good as one can after a day like that in my shoes. The only discomfort experienced was when my socks were quite wet on the hike out, because I didn't put my bread bags on during the boot-ski down (these also boot ski super well!).
The huge advantage of the inner liner construction was that there are no rub spots anywhere on my foot, because the liner takes that burden instead of my feet. Days where I know other approach shoes would have destroyed my feet, I had no doubt in these that I would get home blister/hot spot free.
That's a quick rundown of how I feel about them. I really do love these things. I'd say the removable liner Acrux2 is next on the list, if I want goretex.
Acrux FL, non-Gore tex: $190
1lb, 14oz for the pair
Two thumbs up from me.
Anyone else used them? I'd love to hear more thoughts! Shoes are a pretty individual thing and I'm aware of the good and bad that comes with that.
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