La Sportiva TX3 Approach Shoe Brown Size:

Product Information

This is my go-to shoe for technical hikes, heavy packs, and slower days, so the added weight isn’t felt in the same way it would be for a trail runner.

The good news for climbers is that there are more quality products and styles to choose from than ever before. They were immediately comfortable — not requiring any breaking in — and I’ve never developed a blister while wearing them, even when doing long walk-outs with wet feet. Even after tons of time spent on the sharp granite of Tuolumne, the mesh held its own without showing any signs of abuse. We want to edge, smear, and jam our shoes to success, forgoing the discomfort of real climbing shoes whenever possible.We try to increase our certainty in this subjective metric by asking for as many user testimonials as possible to determine if the shoe fits a wide range of users or just a minority. Unfortunately, the shape of the TX3’s toe box made for a strange and unideal fit with my Petzl Leopard FL aluminum crampons. I believe the uppers of the Acrux FL will survive more abuse than the lighter mesh of the TX3; look at pictures of both shoes and you’ll see the difference in the materials of the uppers. The stable and supportive midsole coupled with the Vibram MegaGrip outsole handle a wide variety of trails over any distance. The “climbing zone” toe, featuring Vibram® Mega-Grip™ Traverse rubber, coupled with the burly Trail Bite™ Heel Platform provides maximum grip in scree and mud.

With a larger toe box you definitely sacrifice some climbing precision, but in my opinion at least, what you lose in climbing performance you more than make up for in comfort.The Vibram Lug design on the TX Guide utilizes a unique lug pattern that provides grip in sand and rock, as well as traction on smooth granite and slick surfaces. I expected some amount of tradeoff in a non-leather design, but I wasn’t prepared for gaping holes in both shoes after a half of year of use. Not only are they useless in terms of quality — my first ones broke within an hour of use — but they are also quite short. Good question, given that you’re comparing two shoes that are really built for the same purpose: hiking rugged terrain where you need excellent grip and traction and prefer a lightweight shoe. This shoe feels at home with a 30lbs pack on, and just as comfortable on fast days with just a hydration vest.

The Scarpa Crux also has plenty of support, and costs less than the rest of the products on the market. This outsole is ideally suited for rocky terrain where you’ll encounter a lot of talus and granite slabs. Approach, mountaineering and mountain running : three ways to approach outdoor walking concentrated in the “multifunction” Traverse X series: three models with design, closure system, grip and a comfortable fit in common, but that differ in terms of weight and materials.The bulkier Mescalito Planet is also one of the heaviest approach shoes on the market, which makes them a pain to carry up multi-pitch climbs. I reviewed the TX3 a few years ago and loved it, but the shoe left we wishing for a little more cushion underfoot.

I usually only get about a year or two out of my Wildcats before the tread is chewed up and the mesh torn by off-trail scrambling, scree, granite, and bushwhacking. The tongue on the TX3 is a burrito wrap style with a gusset stitch only on the medial side of the shoe. I like the more generous forefoot flex of the TX3, whereas the Acrux FL is slightly stiffer and thus more supportive (but that’s on a scale of low-cut hiking shoes, not “stiff” like you’d see in boots).I've had these since August 2019 and have warn them a lot for walks around the neighborhood and some light hiking. Finally, if the TX3’s airy mesh upper catches your eye, it’s worth taking a look at the Black Diamond Mission LT. I don’t do any climbing, but love using approach shoes for technical hiking and backpacking with a heavy load. The TX Guide doesn’t provide the plush long-day comfort of a dedicated trail runner, but the softer heel does make this shoe a lot more comfortable than most dedicated approach or hiking shoes I’ve tried in the past. And if technical roped pitches aren't part of the day, a heavier shoe will slow us down over the course of an objective, which could lead to less fun, longer recovery times, and, in extreme cases, potential injury.