This Week in Gear Great Slip-On Shoes for Summer The Best Watches to Take into the Backcountry The Right Fixed Blade Knife Your 7 Essential Apps of 2017 Somewhere between short day hikes in Yellowstone and forays above the tree line to bag a couple of Colorado 14ers last year, you probably realized your trail runners or light hiking shoes just don’t cut it on off-trail, gnarly terrain. You don’t need a full-blown alpine climbing boot or rock climbing shoe (note: don’t hike in climbing shoes unless you want your feet looking like ground beef), so what is the best shoe for your next miserable bushwhacking epic multi-day adventure? Technical approach shoes blend everything you like about your trail-running shoes — ankle support, beefy soles, light weight — with the sticky rubber and technical details of a climbing shoe or heavier boot. If you’re going to spend a few hours tackling slot canyons in red rock country or slogging long miles to your favorite local peak — or even if you just want a little extra support to stick on the mountain, these approach shoes will keep you on the trail.

The TC Pro Climbing Shoe When Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson proved that the Dawn Wall on El Cap could go free, Tommy was wearing his signature TC Pro climbing shoes. The mid-top design protects your ankles when jamming into cracks, and the stiff platform inspires ultimate trust and comfort on seemingly blank face climbs. ladies golf shoes south africaFrom 5-Easy to 5.14+, the TC Pros are ready to take you to the top.puma shoes online shopping best price Shop Now La Sportiva Apparel Designed with the same attention to detail as its award-winning climbing footwear and ski equipment, La Sportiva apparel is there to keep you comfortable and stylish around town and in the mountains.running shoe nike malaysia About La Sportiva For more than 85 years, La Sportiva has been handcrafting some of the world’s highest quality technical footwear for alpine pursuits.

Located in a small mountain town at the foot of the Dolomite Mountains, La Sportiva is a family-run business, and many of its employees come from families that have been with the company for eight decades. It’s a unique situation in the modern world of often disconnected, dispassionate corporations. Also unique is that La Sportiva manufactures more than half of its merchandise in a small, 150-person factory in Italy that’s owned and operated by the company rather than outsourcing production to cut costs. In 1928, Narciso Delladio began manufacturing boots and clogs for farmers and lumberjacks in Italy. During the Second World War, he provided custom mountaineering boots for Italian soldiers; following the war, Narciso produced his first ski boots under the name La Sportiva. During the ’70s Narciso and his son Francesco diversified production to include other growing mountain sports, including climbing and mountaineering. The ‘80s saw an explosion in the popularity of free-climbing, which provided another opportunity for growth.

La Sportiva introduced the revolutionary Mariacher shoe, the final evolution of a long series of groundbreaking designs, and it redefined the sport. Around that time, La Sportiva began selling abroad, and its boots and shoes became favorites of the world’s best climbers and mountaineers. Since then, la Sportiva has established itself as one of the world’s premier manufacturers of footwear for rock climbing, mountaineering, trail running, light hiking, and alpine ski touring. Regardless of their function, the company’s shoes and boots are renown for their support, durability, protection, and performance. In 1996, La Sportiva moved to its modern manufacturing facility in Ziano di Fiemme in the heart of the Dolomites. Manufacturing has expanded to include technical apparel, including shirts and jackets, but the main focus is―as it always has been―on high-quality handcrafted footwear. La Sportiva stands out as one of the few companies left that won’t sacrifice craftsmanship for lower production costs, and it shows in every item that leaves the factory.

This story originally appeared in the June 2016 issue of our print edition. Climbing shoe meets hiking boot meets trail runner—the approach shoe is one of the most versatile types of footwear out there. Getting to your chosen climbing destination can involve a five-minute stroll, talus-hopping in the high alpine, scrambling fourth and fifth class, hiking on a trail, bushwhacking, and everything in between. Add to that carrying a heavy pack and having some semblance of style for hitting up the bar afterward, and it’s clear that climbers demand a lot from our shoes. The Climbing testers traveled to four countries and dozens of crags to put these five models through the wringer, and they outperformed every other shoe on the market. Review: Adidas Terrex Agravic With good style, unbeatable comfort, and an airy weight and feel, these are perfect for trail and bushwhacking approaches, easy scrambling, trail running, and travel. Read the full review. Review: Five Ten Access

Approach shoe toughness with trail runner feel and fit, the Access is ideal for every type of terrain up to low fifth class. For approaches that involve a lot of scrambling, scree, or sections up to 5.8, the Gecko is the stiff, supportive, protective, durable, and burly shoe for the job.  Ideal for cragging, bouldering, or multi-pitching when you need a pair of descent shoes, these are lightweight but supportive for both trail travel and technical terrain.  Review: La Sportiva TX2 These slimmed-down approach shoes have a design and climbing-specific sole for approaches and objectives where weight and speed are the main concerns.  Which Approach Shoes Are Right for Me? “Approach shoe” is a general term for any type of footwear that transports the climber from car to crag, but some climbers can get by with sneakers while others might need full-on mountain boots. When picking your next pair, keep in mind the type of terrain you navigate most often. If you’re going to be climbing technical terrain, you’ll want something that’s semi-stiff with sticky rubber and a flat area directly under the toe for edging.