Comparative review
Mountain Leader Kirsty Pallas and photographer James Roddie put best feet forward with a roundup of footwear to take you onto steeper ground with confidence
SOME OF THE MOST enjoyable days in the mountains are when we combine walking with scrambling or rock-climbing. Think of the Cuillin ridge traverse, or a long scrambling enchainment in Snowdonia: you will be moving between a wide variety of terrain, from well-made trails to challenging moves on steep rock. This is where approach shoes are the ideal choice of footwear. These are a hybrid of trail shoes and climbing shoes, allowing you to walk long distances as well as negotiate technical rock comfortably and safely. They negate the need to carry dedicated rock shoes for those days when trail shoes won’t quite provide enough grip on the most technical sections.
How do they differ from dedicated hiking and climbing footwear? Approach shoes generally have a rubber rand around the toe and heel to protect against abrasion on rock. They have lugged soles, but the lugs will normally be shallower than found on trail shoes. Grip on wet vegetation or mud will often be less than in dedicated trail shoes or boots. The soles are often made of ‘sticky rubber’, similar to or the same as that found on climbing shoes. There will normally be a dedicated ‘climbing zone’ on the toe – aflat area allowing grip and precise foot placement on rock. The uppers are more cushioned and breathable than found in climbing shoes, and they will often omit a waterproof lining in order to save weight.
By their very nature, approach shoes are a compromise. They are not designed for the longest, roughest trails, or the most challenging rock climbs. They hold the middle ground, and some lean more towards one discipline than the other. Consider your intended usage carefully. Precision and excellent grip are crucial if you are tackling long, technical mountaineering routes, particularly on compact or slabby rock. On the other hand, a shoe with a waterproof lining and slightly deeper lugs may be preferable if you have a fondness for remote Scottish scrambles with boggy approaches.
