Wide and Cushy Approach Shoes

CD Transporterwrote:

I have had the same struggle finding a replacement for my old FiveTen Camp Fours.

I prolonged them quite a bit by gluing the soles back on (a half dozen times or so). If you want to give that a shot, clean well, apply contact cement to both sides, allow it to dry (longer than you might think), THEN press the two side together to form a bond. My first couple repairs lasted for six months each, but as the foam has broken down more, the repairs have become less and less effective.

But yeah, the foam below the rubber broke down enough now that a replacement was the only choice.

After trying on many pairs, the LS Boulder X is what I have settled on. I haven't worn them in the mountains yet, so fingers crossed. My feet are EE, so the laces going all the way to the toe of the shoe are good to see. They are laced in the same style as the Mythos climbing shoes. Hopefully that will allow good adjustment as they break in.

Maybe I should try again with some barge cement, but it seems like cleaning the area will just cause all the foam to flake away. Thanks for the tips; I'd really hate to throw otherwise perfectly good shoes away!

There is a serious durability problem with the lacing system of  the Sportiva TX3.  The lower lacing “eyelets,” are simply made of thin cord, which quickly abrades. Really bad fatal flaw on an otherwise excellent shoe. I THINK the TX4 is the same. Caveat Emptor.

I don't care about the laces on the TX 3-4, you can easily change them. The shoe is wide & works well.

Brandon, those shoes are not savable.

Mark Frumkinwrote:

I don't care about the laces on the TX 3-4, you can easily change them. The shoe is wide & works well.

Brandon, those shoes are not savable.

 

It isn’t the shoe laces that are the problem. It’s the eyelets for the laces. The eyelets are thin cord, which wears out quickly. If this cord is easily replaceable, please do let me know.

I have never worn the eyelets out on any of my TX 3-4 and I've gone through several pairs of high tops & low tops. 

Peter Lenzwrote:

It isn’t the shoe laces that are the problem. It’s the eyelets for the laces. The eyelets are thin cord, which wears out quickly. If this cord is easily replaceable, please do let me know.

I replaced the cord on mine. 20 minute job?

My TX4s are the widest approach shoes I've tried and the leather upper gets you ever more room with time. But do your joints a favor and get a good insole for it in you're carrying any sort of load.

^ I was extremely disappointed that the eyelets on my TX3s blew out after wearing them for only about 10 -15 days total. I sent La Sportiva a photo, as I expected to be able to replace this myself, or that at least that they could. LS replied that the shoes were “unrepairable”, but they would cover them under warranty. They didn’t have any more TX3s at the time, so I asked for a pair of Guide Leathers. They made a mistake, sent Guides, which were way too narrow, and finally sent the Guide Leathers, which I had requested.

I have extremely wide feet and the Guide Leathers fit me much better than the TX3s ever did.

Edit - a big plus, in addition to fitting my wide feet better, is that the Guide Leathers have an ordinary lacing system. I think the weakest link on the TX3s are the eyelets. If they break, the  shoe is useless.

I'll second the guide leathers. No way I'll ever fit into the synthetic version but the leather version is now my daily driver. Most comfortable approach shoe I've owned, and the best climbing too. It took a little longer to break them in and they're very warm but worth the effort.

I started wearing altras but wore them out kind of fast. Now I have the scarps ribelle xt. I feel like these meet your requirements. I find true “approach shoes” to be overhyped

I have a wide forefoot.  TX3s and TX4s work well for me as a true approach shoe.  

If you want something extra cushy try the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II wide trail running shoe.  They started making a wide version, which can be kinda hard to find, but I purchased some on Sportiva's website.  I generally go 1/2 size larger than my usual running shoe size for Sportiva trail runners.  They're quite comfy, very plush/cushioned, but they still has good rubber for scrambling.  The only drawback is that there isn't a heel loop for clipping to your harness, but for hiking they're sweet.

Montura Yaru have been amazing for me! I was in Italy earlier this year and tried to find a pair of la sportiva to replace my tx4s, but the person at the store who was helping me said "your foot shape is a terrible fit for any of these. You need a different brand." Ended up getting these Monturas after trying on a couple pairs and they've held up just as well as the tx4s, if not better! 

So far I've worn them 8 days straight every other week since March, and they've done amazing. Super comfortable, and very stable. Other pro, the laces are ten times better than la sportiva!

US Site I found selling them

https://www.tradeinn.com/trekkinn/en/montura-yaru-goretex-hiking-shoes/139095693/p?utm_source=google_products&utm_medium=merchant&id_producte=16825613&country=us&gclid=Cj0KCQjwuZGnBhD1ARIsACxbAVghPYTBSvfTyq7kwkSQPZjn_JxRiqc7XelD_M7DcSvDHiCUmeS7NXMaAh0JEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Can anyone comment on pre/post addidas camp fours?

I know the guide tennies are much were post addidas, wondering if the made in china camp fours are any good?

Altras all day, every day if you need wide shoes. Lone peaks are my go to. 

Altras are awesome for trail running but I can't imagine doing any real approach in them. Very soft, no rubber. 

Another vote for TX3 and TX4 for the Op's description. 

Nértovk Sklimnerwrote:

Altras are awesome for trail running but I can't imagine doing any real approach in them. Very soft, no rubber. 

Another vote for TX3 and TX4 for the Op's description. 

I do "real" approaches in them all the time. 

grug gwrote:

I do "real" approaches in them all the time. 

I have a pair of Altra Lone Peak 6s, which are one of the few shoes that fit my very wide feet. The uppers wore through super quickly though and I’ve worn them in rough terrain for only a few days total. I’m astounded that they are so widely used by thru hikers as I’ve found them not very durable. My guess is they are a lot better on trails than in loose scree and heavy brush. Great for driving though. I don’t think I will be buying another pair.

same as this thread https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/126547545/cushioned-approach-shoes

Altra Olympus 6 has vibram mega grip rubber, like many approach shoes. Upcoming Altra Lone Peak 9+ (spring '25) is supposed to have vibram rubber.

grug gwrote:

I do "real" approaches in them all the time. 

Enlighten us with what you so authoritatively consider a real approach without context. I am talking about scrambles in the alpine up to 5.6. And if you do those in Lone Peaks, congrats, I tip my hat. 

I think climbers really want to be seen in approach shoes. Unless you need to scramble for long distances, I have developed a hate for approach shoes in the last 20 years. A burly running shoe with Vibram rubber almost always out performs, is far more comfortable and allows my feet a reprieve between climbs. 

I still prefer approach for aid climbing. Walking up and down death slabs with haul bags, and big days in the mountains where the climbing is easy.

I wont be wearing them to the gym, or on a hike to the crag. 

Cole Lawrencewrote:

I think climbers really want to be seen in approach shoes. Unless you need to scramble for long distances, I have developed a hate for approach shoes in the last 20 years. A burly running shoe with Vibram rubber almost always out performs, is far more comfortable and allows my feet a reprieve between climbs. 

I still prefer approach for aid climbing. Walking up and down death slabs with haul bags, and big days in the mountains where the climbing is easy.

I wont be wearing them to the gym, or on a hike to the crag. 

A bit of an over simplification. Shoes and how they fit is a very personal thing. If approach shoes fit and feel good, there is no reason not to wear them multipurpose. Also, not every climber has the budget or interest to own a different kind of shoe for every activity. I own two types of shoes: trail runners and approach shoes. Because I can wear my approach shoes to work without having to buy something else. And my work doesn't take any life off the rubber. 

So if you've found that a burly running shoe works for your cragging, awesome. But that won't work for everyone. My trail runners slop around when I have to do the scrambles at my crags, so I still find them useful there.