Approach Shoes you can hike in

I got the scarpa iguana, they feel a lot better hiking then 5.10 tennies and scramble pretty well.

I can weigh in on Scarpas, I have the Zen Pro and they are sturdy, supportive and durable -  good hikers but I don’t like climbing in them.  The fit is a little narrow in the toe.  The Scarpa Vitamins are awesome but discontinued. They are similar to a Boulder X but both hike better and climb better. But nothing beats the heel lock down of the Boulder X with the Mythos style lacing.  I just got the Gecko Lites for warmer weather scrambling, they are very nice but the rubber does not seem as grippy as other approach shoes. They hike and climb well and are pretty lightweight

Those So I'll's look like they would suck at hiking. Flat shape with no tread. 

I've tried many different approach/hiking shoes, and my current favorite is the 5.10 Camp 4's. They're burlier than the tennies and have more of a hiking shape. Much more supportive feeling. They kick ass on wet/ snowy terrain too. I've climbed lots of 5th/5.6-5.7 in them as well and they feel great. A bit heavy, but an all around good mix of approach and hiking shoe.

https://www.backcountry.com/five-ten-camp-four-shoe-mens

I just went hiking/scrambling with the SoIlls today and they performed great. Found a bunch of random V0ish boulders to try them out on. If you lace them down tight they perform decent as climbing shoes but the toes are far too bulky for small holds or jamming in cracks. But they smear awesome and can edge if the hold is big enough. The rubber is super sticky. If you loosen them up you can hike in them fine. I would not trust them in wet/muddy conditions due to the lack of tread. 

Unfortunately the side rubber is already starting to come apart from the canvas. I think these shoes will last maybe 4-6 approaches and then they will be toast, even if you super glue them back together. My guess is they are just not designed to be used hard, the company is just too new to making shoes to make anything durable. 

So yeah, dont buy them. 

cmqr9001 Black wrote: I hike a lot on my Arcteryx Acrux FL shoes. Suuuuuuuper sticky on everything and super comfy.

Only if you have a narrow foot. I have a B-c width foot and am still not stoked on them. Also the midsole is pretty hard, not what I'd call "comfy", but it does climb well. 

TX 3 or TX4 (they are the same just the TX4 are a leather version, so SLIGHTLY stiffer). They hike better than the Guide tennies for sure because of the deeper heel lugs and larger drop letting them put more EVA in the heel. 

Doug Chism wrote:....hiking/scrambling with the SoIlls today....the company is just too new to making shoes to make anything durable. 

LOLOL if only you knew who was actually making their stuff. 

That being said I definitely would not buy their glorified puma that has climbing rubber on it. 

I'd look for hiking shoes you can approach in.

Another vote for TX3; I've backpacked, hiked, run trails, canyoneered, and climbed in them. The mesh is actually quite durable, no fray whatsoever yet. Sucks on scree and loose stuff though.

Max Rausch wrote:

Those So I'll's look like they would suck at hiking. Flat shape with no tread. 

I've tried many different approach/hiking shoes, and my current favorite is the 5.10 Camp 4's. They're burlier than the tennies and have more of a hiking shape. Much more supportive feeling. They kick ass on wet/ snowy terrain too. I've climbed lots of 5th/5.6-5.7 in them as well and they feel great. A bit heavy, but an all around good mix of approach and hiking shoe.

https://www.backcountry.com/five-ten-camp-four-shoe-mens

+1 to this.  These are essentially a refined light hiking shoe with some sticky rubber and a toe box that tapers just enough.   I use these for scrambling in the Cascades, some low 5th, everything except cases where I think I'll be doing a material amount of running.  

Concerning the Scarpa approach shoes, I've had the old Gecko Guides, the Vitamins, and the current Geckos.  The best climbers were the old Gecko Guides; the best overall shoes were the Vitamins.  The current Geckos are a step back with respect to the Vitamins in several respects.  They have a bulky toebox, they are much less comfortable.  They are in the same price bracket as the Vitamins, but they feel a lot cheaper.

yo, fk "approach" shoes..they are heavy, clunky, and just another way to flex on others how much of a climber you are.   Go with trail runners/ultra runners, Solomon is my favorite brand...I've put well over 1K  miles on a few pairs (snow, ice, tech terrain, etc) and they hold up better then  La Sportiva's light weight shoes...but...if you like the extra weight go with your standard approach shoe..don't forget the capri pants and tank top if you do.

Doug Chism wrote:

I just picked up a pair of soill approach shoes and they seem pretty nice. Not as stiff as guide tennies but more supportive than a sneaker. They are high tops, but not hiking boots, think slightly stiffer evolv cruser but in high top with lots of rubber. Laces go down pretty far, I was able to get a snug fit by adjusting them. Plan to try them out next weekend. 

look like sweet trad shoes...but too much for hiking/scrambling