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Favorite hybrid running/scrambling shoes in 2025?

Chuffer in Chief · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2016 · Points: 25
MauryB wrote:

Nnormal Kjerag, they blew me away.

Arc LD4 is also great, but as mentioned cushier and therefore less precise. 

I have fully settled in the "give me Megagrip or give me death" camp. 

Approach shoes don't run for shit, and all the attempts at hybrid run/approach shoes do neither well.

I have been eyeing those but they are hard to try on locally somewhere.  Do they size narrowly in the toe-box like La Sportiva?

Shay Subramanian · · Denver, CO · Joined Apr 2017 · Points: 0

Just wanted to pop back in here after a couple weeks in the Arc'teryx Vertex Speed Lows! The break-in period was a little rough - felt like a weird fit and achey, didn't feel so grippy, and the pressure was on because the Arc'teryx store in Boulder doesn't take returns and these bad boys are $190...but I'm super happy with the shoes now. Since I got them I've trail ran/hiked 50 miles (mostly around Boulder, with the longest single run around 10 mi), gotten probably around 25-30k vert, approached the Petit as well as soloing the first pitch, and done a fair amount of scrambling in the flatties (Freeway, Freeway downclimb, Stairway to Heaven, Baker's Way, DEF on the First).

The good: 

After the initial break-in these are great scramblers, especially for slab. I felt very solid on DEF, especially on the first pitch - probably more so than in my old TX2s (which were tbf quite old). No sketchy moments or slips or anything. I'm not planning on making a habit of soloing anything harder than DEF in trail runners so very happy with that! 

They are much more comfy to run in than approach shoes for damn sure.

The mid:

Definitely less comfy to run in than Prodigios or something. Not very cushy if you're primarily a trail runner doing phat miles on a regular basis, but that's not what I bought them for, and this is a rock climbing site.

The bad:

Not very good at edging. Pretty obvious as it's a hybrid running shoe but there were several edging moves on the first pitch of the Petit, and the soft sole that allows the Vertex to run also prevent it from confidently edging. That being said, it did fine, just not exactly a winner here compared to a classic approach shoe. If I was fully rock climbing or leading approach pitches or something, I'd just take TX2s.

The price. $190 is...not cheap. And while these are getting the job done, I can't say if they're $30-50 better than Bushidos or Mutants or any of the other classic running scramblers. They also seem durable enough but time will tell on that.

Overall though the shoe seems perfect for what I bought it for, which is trail running around Boulder with a good mix of scrambling in the Flatirons, and chunky alpine 5.easy. They don't run as well as a running shoe, and they don't climb as well as an approach shoe, but they do both well enough.

MattH · · CO mostly · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 1,354

I'm surprised the LS Kaptiva hasn't come up. They fit a lot like the pre-EVO tx2 in the toebox with a bit of a narrower outsole in the heel, but obviously run better and scramble a bit worse. 

I haven't found friction to be an issue and the lateral stability on technical terrain is commendable for a trail runner. IDK why they never seem to have caught on.

Ryan Marsters · · Golden, CO · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 1,436

I have a couple pairs of the Kaptiva and the Karacals. Decently sticky rubber new, but the slots in the sole are sketchy as it wears down. The glue wears out, sections of the sole separates easier, and the shoe slides around too much on Flatirons.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Colorado
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