FYI: Scarpa Rapid GTX - First Impressions

After winning the silent auction at a LCO event, I put my gift certificate to good use and upgraded to one of the latest approach shoes, Scarpa Rapid GTX. 

Over the years my approach shoes have ranged from running shoes resoled with sticky, nobby rubber to more recently the Sportiva TX3.  The Rapids combine many of the qualities of a running shoe with some of the features of a dedicated approach shoe. My feet tend toward wide and high volume, as a result, I often have to purchase shoes a 0.5 size larger than I would like. In the case of the Rapid, the toe box narrows so a longer shoe was a good choice. Unfortunately, as I scrambled one of the Flatirons, I noticed that the tip of the shoe tended to catch on protrusions. This could be the result of poor technique, the function of the extra space in the toe, or that the GTX/nylon material is prone to catching. Climbing the same line in the TX3 did not result in a similar issue, in part, because the toe box is more rounded and I am able to wear a size that leaves less empty space at the tip of the shoe.  The Rapid feels more like a running shoe and responds as such on the approach and descent trails. Relative to the TX3, it felt more responsive when moving rapidly downhill. The TX3 feels more stiff and less subtle on the trail.  The TX3 and Rapid use different rubber. The TX3 feels more tacky and gripps coarse slab, making me feel more confident on the class 5 scramble. The Rapids performed as advertised. If I know I'll be hiking more than scrambling on the approach, I expect I will favor the Rapid. For approaches or scrambles with more committing moves the sticker TX3 will probably make me feel more secure. I realize that the best face off would be the Scarpa Rapid vs the Sportiva Guide but I'll have to wait for another LCO auction to add to my shoe collection. 

I also just got some Rapids (non gtx) and just want to say that the Sportiva TX Guide might be similar on paper but they are completely different shoes. The Rapids are really soft, like a running shoe. Besides the climbing rubber on the toe, they are totally trail runners. The rubber is sticky but you absolutely can't edge in them. The Guides are the stiffest in the TX line, and specialize in fifth class climbing and edging.

Yukon Cornelius wrote:

I also just got some Rapids (non gtx) and just want to say that the Sportiva TX Guide might be similar on paper but they are completely different shoes. The Rapids are really soft, like a running shoe. Besides the climbing rubber on the toe, they are totally trail runners. The rubber is sticky but you absolutely can't edge in them. The Guides are the stiffest in the TX line, and specialize in fifth class climbing and edging.

Good to know. Thanks for making the comparison.