Engearment

Kate Agathon

Of the myriad of footwear available in the outdoor recreation industry, the approach shoe most intrigues me.

A hybrid of a hiking boot and a climbing shoe, the approach shoe is designed for climbers who need a shoe to navigate rough terrain (including boulder fields, scree, talus and slick rock) that allows them to eventually reach their climbing destination.

I am not a climber and thus never considered wearing them (even though I absolutely love their minimalist design; they look so freakin’ cool).

 

However, that recently changed when I noticed a co-worker of mine wearing a pair of approach shoes.

Admiring her shoes, I approached (no pun intended) her and asked about them. She informed me she wears them when she is asked to participate in Search and Rescue missions with her cadaver dog. Grueling searches in the backcountry take her all over sketchy terrain and she often wore approach shoes, she told me.

 

Her explanation worked for me! I live in the mountains near several of the state’s highest peaks, and many trails nearby have paths full of obstructions where shoes with excellent traction are necessary. And sometimes, it is necessary to go off trail to reach my destination. It’s like she gave me the greenlight to try approach shoes even though I’m not a climber!

I was SUPER excited to finally try a pair of approach shoes that had so piqued my interest.

 

I asked for recommendations, did some research, and decided on the La Sportiva TX4 EVO. Winner of the 2021 REI Co-op Editors’ Choice Award and still making lists of top approach shoes in 2024, the La Sportiva TX4 EVOapproach shoes continually receive high marks for being the best all around approach shoe.

 

Another factor in my decision to try the La Sportiva TX4 EVO is that from my experience, La Sportivas tend to run small.

 

La Sportiva TX4 EVO fit

Most outdoor footwear companies do not carry US women’s size 5 shoes, which is problematic because I wear a size 5.

 

The smallest size the La Sportiva TX4 EVO is available in is a size 36 (the equivalent of a US Women’s size 5.5). To my delight, they fit. The first obstacle was overcome.

 

While there have been some criticisms that the La Sportiva TX4 EVO is narrower than past models, it was not an issue for me of the small feet.

Not only do they fit lengthwise, but widthwise, and I found them to be narrower than most. To be candid, if you have small, narrow feet and you need to find an approach shoe, you may want to consider the La Sportiva TX4 EVO.

 

Reduced Carbon Footprint
The eco-friendly nubuck leather La Sportiva TX4 EVO is constructed from recycled and environmentally responsible materials.

 

Eco materials come from recycled laces, tongue fabric, internal mesh, lacing harness and hooks, and rubber rands that are featured on the shoes, as well as the EVA midsole comprised of 7 percent recycled content.

 

In addition, the innovative and patented resole platform is designed for easy resoling by replacing the tread and compressed EVA ESS platform.

 

Performance

The La Sportiva TX4 EVO performs very well.

 

I hiked over jagged rocks, roots, and other obstructions with ease. Sidenote: I can’t wait to try these on some slick rock the next time I’m in Moab!

 

The approach shoes went over difficult terrain that would normally have left my feet in pain had I been wearing just my usual trail runners.

 

You’re familiar with the terrain I’m talking about: those rock fields with variations of rocks of all types, slickness and sizes, or those trails where rocks are lying in wait for unsuspecting hikers like partially hidden icebergs.

 

There were a couple of times where it would have been nice to wear a hiking boot for the ankle support, but for the most part, I was relieved to not be wearing cumbersome and heavy boots on a warm fall day.

 

I can see myself wearing the La Sportiva TX4 EVO on trails where the rugged terrain is too much for my trail runners and too little for cumbersome hiking boots.

 

I’m not the most graceful person in the world, and I accidentally stub my toes more than I care to admit when I hike. Therefore, I was thankful for the hard toe cap. That came in useful quite often.

The La Sportiva TX4 EVO provided fantastic grip on some sketchy terrain and surprising stability (a reminder this is the first time I’ve tried approach shoes), thanks to the Vibram® Megagrip™ compound and patented Impact Brake System™ block structure.

 

Just for funsies, I could climb up on a big boulder and down with no problem at all. I definitely liked how grippy they were.

 

Look

Even though trail running shoes have become more mainstream and infiltrated workplaces, there are still some workplaces where wearing brightly colored, super stacked chunky shoes are not a viable option. No sot so for approach shoes (look online, there are multiple threads discussing this)

 

Even though they are designed for a very specific outdoor pursuit, most approach shoes can be worn around town and are even appropriate in business casual settings.

 

Unlike trail runners, they look less sporty and more conservative. Wearing approach shoes to work, are in fact, how I noticed my co-worker wearing her approach shoes which sparked my curiosity and resulted in this review.

 

Overall impression

I was so happy to finally have the opportunity to try a pair of approach shoes. They just looked so freakin’ awesome! The La Sportiva TX4 EVO fit my small feet well and took me over some rocky terrain without issue. I look forward to wearing these to places where I know the sketchy terrain requires a little something extra.

Kate Agathon

Dr. Of Stoke

Freelance writer, bicyclist, outdoor recreation enthusiast, social justice advocate, and mom to her furbaby, Sansa.

A Colorado native, Kate considers the outdoors her mother ship. She brings her passion for bicycling, the environment, and issues of diversity to her writing. Her primary outdoor recreation activities are mountain biking, road biking, nordic skiing, alpine skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, and peak bagging Colorado’s 14ers.

 

Kate earned a bachelor’s degree in History from Colorado State University and later an MSEd and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Purdue University. In addition to her education, Kate’s background serving on the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee and experience working for non-profits and bicycle sales well position her to bring depth and understanding to the complex changes currently taking place in the outdoor recreation industry.