My New Favorite Approach Shoe Is Currently On Sale

It’s been a long time since I’ve worn an actual “approach shoe” to a crag. Whether I’m hiking quickly along a dirt trail or boulder-hopping through talus, I find the average approach shoe to be overbuilt, heavy, and awfully sweaty.

I wear a lightweight trail runner to the cliff instead. Compared to an approach shoe, a runner’s sole is rockered and heavily cushioned, its upper is highly breathable, and it’s a fraction of the weight. Trail running shoes are not, however, known to have incredible durability nor climbing performance.

The Vertex Alpine bucks that trend.

The basics

Arc’teryx’s Vertex Alpine is an approach-runner hybrid, similar in design to Scarpa’s Rapid—but with more of a climber’s bent. The Vertex’s rockered sole propelled me across long Cascadian approaches last summer and its Vibram XS Flash 2 outsole rubber let me smear confidently through Red Rock canyons and Squamish chimneys. It has a drop of 8 millimeters (18mm heel; 10mm forefoot) which both cushioned my stride while pounding down the Stawamus Chief’s walk-off descent, and kept me close to earth while soloing fifth-class approaches.

The Vertex is a true “climber’s running shoe” because, shocker, you can actually climb in it. A stiff Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) shank and the outsole’s lug-free “climbing zone” toe provides decent edging support on terrain up to 5.10-. And unlike flimsy mesh shoes like the Rapid, the Vertex’s upper is made of burly Matryx fabric—a breathable product found in hard-wearing items like harnesses and soccer cleats. Crucially, this fabric lets the Vertex jam the occasional hand and fist crack without tearing.

Watch Anthony Walsh test the Vertex Alpine on a long ridge traverse in British Columbia:

Field testing

These features—sticky outsole, stiff midsole, durable upper, cushioned platform—have all conspired to make the Vertex my new quiver of one summer-alpine shoe. While testing in Washington Pass last summer, I walked through thickly wooded forests, lush alpine meadows, and ball-bearing scree for two hours to reach the base of the South Early Winters Spire. I left the Vertex on for Southern Man’s (5.11d; 900ft) first two pitches, then swapped into rock shoes as August’s blistering sun burned overhead. The sun quickly sent us packing, but we salvaged the day with comfortable feet while soloing the mountain’s South Arete (5.5) in the Vertex.

That autumn I packed light on a 10-day climbing trip to Las Vegas, bringing just the Vertex, the TC Pro, and Qubit for all my footwear needs. The Vertex delivered in all areas you’d expect: I went for long runs across the limestone escarpment of Mt. Potosi, I scrambled through cavernous sandstone canyons in Red Rock, I walked off tall multi-pitches, and I climbed some low fifth-class terrain.

But I also somehow lucked into a spot on the guest list at the Marquee Nightclub, a club with a definite dress code and vibe, and of which I was pretty sure I had neither. I was frankly stressed looking at my feet, comparing my matte-black footwear to that of my friends, who all brought outfits for the Strip, and who all, on any regular day, look objectively better than I do. Somehow, after a pat down and two metal detectors, a behemoth of a bouncer looked me over and waved me in. The Vertex passed the vibe check.

At 336 grams (12oz) the Vertex Alpine is certainly not a hefty shoe, but, even so, this spring Arc’teryx released an even lighter model called the Vertex Speed. The Vertex Speed is just 230g (8oz) with a pared down, minimalist design. The Vertex Speed has actually become my go-to multi-pitch walk-off shoe since it packs down to peanuts in a pack or clipped to a harness, and saves me an extra 100 grams. The Vertex Speed is available with either a low- or high-cut fabric gaiter, the latter of which is a huge bonus while pounding down scree. It’s a feature I wish the Vertex Alpine came with as well.

Sizing

Arc’teryx has dubbed the Vertex Alpine with a “precision fit” which means that, if wearing your normal Arc’teryx size, the shoe will feel quite snug and short across the forefoot. If you are planning to climb or scramble a lot in the shoe, I’d recommend buying your normal street shoe size. If you plan to do equal amounts of running and climbing in the Vertex Alpine, bump up a half size.

Durability

Before I began testing last spring, I was concerned with how—or if—the Vertex Alpine would hold up in the field. Lightweight, runner-esque approach shoes appear comfortable and attractive on paper, but I gave the shoe 50/50 odds for staying in one piece.

After well over 100 miles (160km) of distance and nearly 10,000 feet (3,000m) of vert, the Vertex has shown zero signs of premature wear. The Matryx upper has no scuffs or holes, the rand is firmly adhered, the Vibram sole has all its 4mm lugs. I can’t wait to use the shoes again this summer.

Buy Vertex Alpine (men’s) for $165 (25% off)

Buy Vertex Alpine (women’s) for $230

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