TX4 VS TX Guide

I was wondering if anyone could chime in about any fit differences between the two?  

I have moderately wide feet and the TX4 is marketed as having "Wide forefoot fit for all-day comfort and stability"  which is not specifically listed that way for the TX guides.  Seemingly harder to find the full sizing range for the TX4's right this minute (maybe a re design or recolor or something in the works unless they're being discontinued)  So the sizing options are better in the TX guide but I'm wondering if they will possibly fit as wide or not. 

Thanks

TX guide (synthetic) is for very narrow foot. I've had the leather version for a few years. It's still narrow but much closer to a normal shoe width. 

I have both. The 4 is definitely wider. I have a low volume foot and use them regularly but I have to cinch the laces very tight along the whole top of the foot. It works fine. Very comfy for walking long distances. *Mine are a few years old so I don’t know if things have changed.

I don’t have to tie the Guide any tighter than a normal shoe. *Same * as above

Pretty sure this has been discussed ad nauseam, but if your feet truly are “moderately” wide, you should be fine in Guide Leather, but better in TX4. Guide synthetic will NOT fit you, period. Guide leather has almost an extra inch of lacing, halfway down the forefoot, so you can leave those loose, then snug the shoe from the mid foot to the ankle in order to accomodate extra width in your foot. TX4 is plain and simple much wider than the TX Guide Leather, so that may be your best option (also easier to find, seems like). What size are you? I thought the size production was the same for both, but maybe larger in TX4 if that’s an issue for you. FWIW, I size up 0.5 size in Guide Leather, over TX4 (46.0 in tx4, 46.5 in guide leather).

Ive owned every TX variant except the TX Guide synthetic and like everyone else said - TX4 is very wide and TX Guide leather is narrow, but stretches.

But I've got an unpopular opinion - the TX4s are kinda crappy. Baggy fit, crap laces, heavy, not durable, and the sole is a tad soft for such a clunker (I hear the TX4 R/Ecos are stiffer). Last year, I got the Scarpa Mescalito Planets and I'm immediately dropped of my TX4s off at good will.

Now, the fine folks at Outdoor Gear Lab have come around too = TX Guide leather for narrow feet and Mescalito Planets for wide. I have medium feet and they both work for me. I think only people with the widest of wide feet should be considering TX4s anymore. 

https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/climbing/best-approach-shoes/ratings

Two differences:

1. Outsole

TX4...vibram megagrip

TXG...vibram idrogrip (slightly better for wet surfaces)

2. How nasty narrow the TXGs are and I don't have even have wide feet. Mostly suited to people who have "elf feet."

Got rid of the Guides after a painful week of use. Never again.

Apparently the leather version is more bearable. 

Rexford Nesakwatch wrote:

Ive owned every TX variant except the TX Guide synthetic and like everyone else said - TX4 is very wide...

No mate, not quite; they are very comfy. Perfect approach shoes. I even climb with them on.

I recently ordered the guide in synthetic and leather, same size, to compare. My experience was not as one would expect. The synthetic were roomier as the material was thinner, so i kept those, not to mention the sole almost 1/4 inch longer than the leathers. I can’t wear the guides day in and day out like the tx3/tx2 that i have had, but i prefer the guide and it is simply a higher performance shoe when compared side by side in an edging/climbing test. I have a medium wide foot and am a bit of a goldilocks, usually buying wide models in other disciplines running/tennis.

As each model fluctuates from colorway, upper material, then tolerances within even the same exact model - and has to then meet a myriad of issues and preferences for each person - if one has the luxury and patience it is best to order every model and size, and compare properly, and evaluate for oneself. For a longtime I dismissed the guide as too narrow, thinking the tx 2/3/4 were best, till I evaluated properly and realized how good the guides were, and while not as comfy, well worth the trade off. If I am approaching descending (not that often if ever with two toddlers) are many dangerous moments and I would prefer the security of a higher performing shoe. 

Everyone is talking about how wide vs narrowed but, if you can fit in the narrow the non leather will be more durable than the leather, the leather quality on the newer tx line is variable to poor. 

Levi Goldman wrote:

I recently ordered the guide in synthetic and leather, same size, to compare. My experience was not as one would expect. The synthetic were roomier as the material was thinner, so i kept those, not to mention the sole almost 1/4 inch longer than the leathers. I can’t wear the guides day in and day out like the tx3/tx2 that i have had, but i prefer the guide and it is simply a higher performance shoe when compared side by side in an edging/climbing test. I have a medium wide foot and am a bit of a goldilocks, usually buying wide models in other disciplines running/tennis.

As each model fluctuates from colorway, upper material, then tolerances within even the same exact model - and has to then meet a myriad of issues and preferences for each person - if one has the luxury and patience it is best to order every model and size, and compare properly, and evaluate for oneself. For a longtime I dismissed the guide as too narrow, thinking the tx 2/3/4 were best, till I evaluated properly and realized how good the guides were, and while not as comfy, well worth the trade off. If I am approaching descending (not that often if ever with two toddlers) are many dangerous moments and I would prefer the security of a higher performing shoe. 

Maybe people living in freezing climates like yourself (if that's the case) with feet always in contracted mode would definitively feel the Guides aren't wide but I live in Australia and being hot and humid most of the time then feet are mostly in expanding mode.

I have used this version:

https://summitgear.com.au/products/la-sportiva-tx-guide?variant=39818419109946¤cy=AUD&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvsCCs62uhAMVF6lmAh3N9QiVEAQYASABEgI1YfD_BwE

Performance-wise TX4 vs Guide? Hardly any difference but I climb (up to grade 7a/7a+ French in them so I know how the shoe works. No limestone pockets walls as no aproach shoe can climb in them. Same goes with vertical smooth granite walls.

The TX4 R/Evo edge a lot better than regular TX4 as they have a stiffer sole. I have a pair of the R(etro) version. 

I have all the TX series and I consider myself to have average width feet and the synthetic guides are pretty unbearable after a couple hours. I haven’t tried the leather ones. Climbing is no problem in the TX4’s, I have never felt like they were loose or baggy. 

giraud b wrote:

Maybe people living in freezing climates like yourself (if that's the case) with feet always in contracted mode would definitively feel the Guides aren't wide but I live in Australia and being hot and humid most of the time then feet are mostly in expanding mode.

I have used this version:

https://summitgear.com.au/products/la-sportiva-tx-guide?variant=39818419109946¤cy=AUD&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvsCCs62uhAMVF6lmAh3N9QiVEAQYASABEgI1YfD_BwE

Performance-wise TX4 vs Guide? Hardly any difference but I climb (up to grade 7a/7a+ French in them so I know how the shoe works. No limestone pockets walls as no aproach shoe can climb in them. Same goes with vertical smooth granite walls.

The TX4 R/Evo edge a lot better than regular TX4 as they have a stiffer sole. I have a pair of the R(etro) version. 

I live in a mild climate, though foot swelling is a factor to be sure. I have the same model that you linked. I wasn’t aware of the tx4 r/evo as being stiffer, I haven’t tried that one on, and that might mean it might rival the guide in climbing ability. Another thought though, the sole underfoot was very supportive in the guide while the tx4 felt pretty minimal and flat support wise - yet another variable - arch height. 

I got TX Leather Guides with very wide high volume feet. I can´t even tie the laces without resorting to an overhand. They are still supprisingly good, but I guess I might try the TX4 for the next pair...

Apologies if that was not addressed in this thread, TX Guide Leather is def able to accommodate wide(r) feet but it is still relatively low/med volume wise, whereas the TX4 is def the highest volume shoe in the LS line (in my experience, the BoulderX has less volume than the TX4).

Keep your eyes on Geartrade and/or EBay, I often see TX4’s and TX4 R’s pop up at half price, sometimes less. Certainly time consuming but when you’re sitting on the loo, good use of 2min to check - I usually get 1-2 pair a year at less than 50% of retail this way.

Christian Hesch wrote:

Apologies if that was not addressed in this thread, TX Guide Leather is def able to accommodate wide(r) feet but it is still relatively low/med volume wise

Thats what I understood from reading but then trying on the leather felt significantly narrower than the synthetic, maybe i just needed to break them in a little? 

Maybe you should give the TX2 Evo a go. It's like the Guide (same outsole rubber) but low volume and not as narrow.

If LS made this shoe in a higher volume, I reckon they'd have made the perfect approach shoe.

I got a pair I tested on the local crag and oh boy they climb well.

Review:

https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/climbing/approach-shoes/la-sportiva-tx2-evo

Levi Goldman wrote:

Thats what I understood from reading but then trying on the leather felt significantly narrower than the synthetic, maybe i just needed to break them in a little? 

The 2022 and 2023 production Guide Leather was significantly wider than the synthetic Guide and, more importantly, had the longer lacing system, down to 1.5in away from the toe (as compared to synthetic guide, whose laces stop 2.5in away from the toes), which enables you to leave the lowest lacing super loose and accommodate more width.

For the TX2 EVO comment, they are VERY LOW volume, as they have this foam padding down at the forefoot, on top of the foot, which takes up a lot of potential volume space. The TX2 EVO Leather does not have this foam insert, and has a LOT more volume than the green TX2 EVO.

I meant the leather one. Didn't know there is also a non-leather version.

Interesting. I tried on the newer blue trimmed tx guide leather, maybe the older green trimmed model fit differently. When i tried on the guide leather, it did not appear that the lower lacing was going to really help how narrow they felt, so i kept the synthetic model. But again, maybe i should have stuck w it and broken them in.

All of these subtle variations are dizzying, and with the tx2 evo leather/synthetic too, its a lot, not to mention sizing for approaching or for legit climbing…

thanks for nerding out with me…

Yeah, retail on all those different versions would be horrible, I hear ya!!! I have yet to try the blue trimmed model, my commentary is only based on the green (older) model, I will laugh if they’ve changed the fit yet again! Sheesh… fwiw, TX4R is fuggin badass, even compared to the TX Guide Leather. Might be too much volume for some people (I have more of a medium volume foot, but def not narrow) but I just cinched it down well and it climbs just as well as the Guide Leather, and is the best aid shoe I’ve ever had.

Is the tx4r the same as the tx4 evo?