We brought the men’s Acrux TR GTX into Colorado’s San Juan Mountains for testing, but Arc’teryx also makes the boot in a women’s-specific version for the same price ($250). Like the men’s, the women’s Acrux is only available in a single black colorway, although the light blue laces add a pop of color. The women’s shoe is also considerably lighter at 2 pounds 1.2 ounces per pair (the men’s clocks in at 2 lbs. 6.8 oz.). Apart from these differences, the two boots are identical in overall construction, feature sets, and design. As we touched on above, Arc’teryx doesn’t make the boot in a non-waterproof version, but we found the Gore-Tex membrane to be sufficiently breathable for most conditions.
At $170, they’re almost $100 more than the Evolv Cruzer Psyche, but it is much more durable, more supportive, and better for hiking. For a do-it-all tank of an approach shoe, check out our Best Buy Award Winner, the La Sportiva Boulder X. The good news for climbers is that there are more quality products and styles to choose from than ever before. As an alpine rock climber and climbing guide, my feet frequent a great deal of trail, rocks, and snow—especially during the summer months. I took on the La Sportiva TX3 as my faithful companion throughout a season of testing, from high-mileage link-up…
The upper features stitch-less, thermoformed and laminated TPU and other space-age materials. The materials and technology were developed in-house at Arc’teryx and some of the construction methods are so new the company had to make custom production machinery to manufacture the shoes . The construction is innovative and functional, performance as an approach shoe is exemplary and the shoes fit well and are comfortable. Pair my grey samples with a nice pair of jeans and they pull off semi-casual very well, too. Maybe they feel too much like any other shoe out there, albeit with a whole lot more technology packed in? After a few outings, the shell softened up and felt like it moulded to my feet, and thanks to the liner-inside-shell construction there is absolutely no rubbing or hot spots.
While the midsole’s role is to cushion and support the foot while still providing flexibility and traction control, don’t discount the Acrux as capable in this role. It’s just less flexible than a typical midsole and that comes back to the purpose built nature of approach shoes. I knew I was officially a climber when I bought my first pair of approach shoes. A climbing-specific style of footwear, approach shoes offer a unique combination of hiking shoes, climbing slippers, and sometimes even mountaineering boots.
Cuprins
Arcteryx Acrux Sl Gtx Approach
While my pair of Acrux FL shoes were an advanced sample, I’m happy to say that the production shoe has some modifications that make it even better. Within the past two months, I was also sent a pair of the Acrux2 FL GTX shoes, which feature the removable liner. You may remember this feature from my write-up on the footwear launch last year. I’ve included notes on these in this analysis, but at the time of publishing, I haven’t had enough time in them for a proper evaluation.
Admittedly though, this is a very specific niche that I really liked the shoes in, and not one that I normally find myself in. This made the Acrux FL GTX more of a hassle to carry on long multi-pitch routes. I read some mixed feedbacks on these so I waited 6 months to write a feedback.
I’ve found thus far that removing my feet from the shoes while keeping the liners on is a bit of a pain. If I don’t make the laces extremely loose when pulling the liner and my foot out, it causes discomfort when putting my foot back in. This is due to the liner getting contorted during insertion and bunching up around the heel.
La Sportiva Tx4 Gtx
Only offered in a single colorway and not sold in a non-waterproof version. Light, exceptionally durable GORE-TEX boot for multi-day treks with a full pack. And speaking of porous, the shoe’s breathability is beyond anything else I’ve worn . You can actually see the holes in both the outer and inner sections of the shoe, and as these extend along most of the sides, heat simply doesn’t stay inside so feet are never sweaty.
Although I would like to see how they hold up to multiple seasons of use, the Acrux FL GTX is one of the more durable approach shoes I’ve worn. This balance of weight /and/ hiking performance is what earns it our top pick for lightweight over the Evolv Cruzer Psyche. On a harness, the Acrux SL has a low profile, and we were way more psyched to carry these shoes around than the more massive, bulkier La Sportiva Boulder X and the Salewa Firetail 3. Arc’teryx is known for their quality craftsmanship, and the Acrux TR GTX is exactly what we’ve come to expect from the North Vancouver brand. For starters, the thin, synthetic SuperFabric upper has proven to be extremely hardwearing and abrasion-resistant.
Stability And Support
But what’s most impressive is that Lowa managed to pack in this added support without incurring a weight penalty (the Renegade GTX clocks in at 2 lbs. 7 oz., or just 0.2 oz. heavier than the Acrux TR). That said, we did have some durability concerns during testing, including a separation developing between the toe rubber and leather upper after just two months of use (it’s worth noting the separation didn’t get worse over time). But in the end, the Lowa’s balance of weight and support is hard to match, which gives it the upper hand. And for those with harder-to-fit feet, the Renegade is available in a wide variety of sizes, including both narrow and wide widths. Easily the most surprising shoe I’ve analyzed, the Arc’teryx Acrux SL is an incredibly versatile technical approach shoe.
A very impressive shoe with a design unlike any other shoe I have used previously because of the unique inner and outer construction. I would highly recommend this shoe for anyone looking for a durable, light, and comfortable approach/hiking shoe. Bought half a size larger than my usual for my somewhat wider foot, used my orthotics, and they hug my feet as no other shoes have. These are beautifully made, and I expect years of use on all types of terrain.
The Arc’teryx Acrux AR have a removable liner but are as nimble as any super-gaiter boot. These boots kept our feet warm and dry on multi-night winter trips at altitudes above 14,000 feet . Our testers liked the velcro ankle strap which helped quickly dial in the fit of the boot for different applications. The Acrux offers features unique in this analysis, namely a no-tongue liner and molded one-piece upper. With its pared-down design, the shoe was also one of the lightest. Our tester dug the stretchy, tongue-free Gore-Tex liner, molded footbed, and mid-height ankle support, but did note that the seamless one-piece upper required break-in to flex with the foot.
Minimalist by nature, these aren’t your go-to, everyday hiking shoes, especially when carrying heavy loads. But when setting out for a day of climbing and hiking—especially when you’ll need to carry your shoes up the route—they’re an awesome compromise. The biggest test of the shoe’s sole, however, came while ascending Mount Sneffels, a Fourteener just north of Telluride, Colorado. Here, we crossed numerous rivers by shimmying across slippery, wet logs.
It will be interesting to see how this shoe performs during warmer weather when conditions will lead to more exposure to running and falling water. We have used this boot for six separate five-day trips over 14,000 feet in the winter. Both times our feet were warm for the whole trip, even summit day. That’s because each night we were able to pull out the liner and bring it into our sleeping bag to dry. With any lightweight, single, or super-gaiter boot, drying the boot out each night would have meant spending lots of time cleaning all of the snow off of the exterior before bringing it into our bag.
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