Ah, the age old debate: what exactly IS an approach shoe? To what are we approaching while wearing this shoe? Traditionally, the answer is “the crag” but that still doesn’t explain the difference between a snazzy, official “approach” shoe and a regular old hiking shoe. This grizzled old gear tester doesn’t even know. When I go to the crag I wear hiking shoes. I suppose that approaching a rock route would be a reasonable inference; after all you need rock shoes to climb a rock route and it is SO not fun to hike in rock shoes. I know, because I have tried. What can I say, I hate carrying stuff. If I were to approach anything bigger, say, an alpine route, I sure wouldn’t want to bring along an extra pair of shoes just to approach the route, because then I’d have to carry them UP the route, unless of course I just discard them.

No chance of that with these babies; they are just tooo sweet to cast aside. Their value as an “approach” shoe is going to be dictated by the wearer; if you want to use them to approach something you go right ahead, they’re made for that. They have a climbing-boot look to them though they don’t have the beefiness of tread that climbing boots offer; most likely to up their “sticky” factor. They are nicely stiff which is a cool feature if you’re approaching anything steep. They’ve got enough padding for long hikes and enough stiffness/support for carrying loads. The sticky soles cling to steep inclines which I guess is a good warmup since you’re allegedly approaching a crag where you’ll don even stickier shoes. The fit is nice thanks to a longer-than-usual row of eyelets; you can really dial in the fit from arch to toe. The rubber sole extends up along the toe piece to keep your tootsies dry if you’re gauche enough to step in the mud in these high-class hoofers.

As usual with La Sportiva offerings, the Boulder X excels (ironically) on the downhills; the Impact Brake System footbed nicely cushioning your footsteps. I thought the steep-walled heel piece would be tricky and lead to ankle rolling, but so far so good. La Sportiva makes a really stable shoe and these are no exception. I’m sure the sticky rubber excels on red rock-type terrain, but we don’t have any of that here so I’ll just take La Sportiva’s word for that. In Alaska, we have razor sharp unstable choss piles for crags; that’s about the same thing as red rock, right? Shh, let me maintain my delusion that rock climbing in Alaska is a reasonable pasttime.

Though I love the looks of the Boulder X too much to abuse them as much as I could, I can recommend them as a light hiker. I’d even like to see a mid or high version of these for more burly, er, approaches. Fair warning; they do require a bit of a break in period so don’t go hitting the PCT on your first weekend in the Boulder X. Give it a few wearings and you’ll be happy as a well-shod clam. Quite a visual, that.

Other approach shoes I’ve tried tend to be on the heavy-on-style, low-on-function side, but the Boulder X covers all your bases. For once the women get a better-looking version than the men; the grey/sage looking nicely understated which my readers know I like. I do looove grey. Ooh, I even got some great grey bike shorts this week so I can wear a grey shell, grey bike shorts, and these lovely grey approach shoes. What? I can rock that look, just watch. But seriously, this is a great looking shoe with oodles of function, if you’re into that type of thing.

Every time I think La Sportiva has created the ultimate shoe, they go and create something even better. I replaced my precious Imogenes with the Wildcats this year, and although I still love the Imogenes, I think I love the Wildcats even better (”love them better” – sounds dirty, but I’m going with it). This might be because they have a big more padding and cush, which is very noticeable in the heel. Somehow, though, they retain an impressive amount of feel for the trail beneath, and are so wonderfully neutral that it’s hard to put a foot wrong.

In my Imogene review, I mentioned that I’ve never before worn a truly neutral shoe, but now I have TWO neutral runners in my arsenal. This is unprecedented. Most of the time I have zero good shoes, and now I have TWO pairs. I really must have done something right! The running goddesses are pleased with me and have blessed me with shoes.

Most running shoe manufacturers seem to be aiming towards those with inward-rolling feet (pronators) so us high arched runners are left with “cushioned” shoes which are better than nothing, but still leave us prone to twisting ankles and having to awkwardly adjust our strides to compensate for unbalanced shoes. So I’m not sure how La Sportiva does it but they really get it right. The Wildcats are so nicely neutral that it’s easy to place one’s feet on the trail.

The Wildcats are nice and light, yet strong enough for those burly, rugged trails. They are incredibly well-ventilated; I can actually feel the breeze through the mesh. Even so, they stay put and don’t let my foot slide around. They haven’t stretched or compressed yet, though I expect with that much mesh they probably will end up stretching. One thing I’ve found about La Sportiva is that when their running shoes are done, you really feel it. You can’t tell by looking at them, because they don’t seem to ever visibly wear out, but when the sole is compressed, you can tell. Which is a good thing because it will remind you to replace your shoes when appropriate, which is also recommended by orthopedic surgeons everywhere.

The Wildcats are here to stay, in my esteemed Closet of Favorite Shoes. I don’t wear them for ANYTHING but running because I want them to last. You can ask the Gearguy; once he put a pair of shoes ON TOP of my Wildcats in the closet. Oh, let me tell ye, hell hath no fury like a Geargal whose favorite runners had some stinky old boy shoes dumped on top of them. I protect them like a mama bear, because they are equally at home pounding the pavement and climbing steep terrain, and the cushy heel makes descending at speed almost feasible for this creaky getting-older runner. As a matter of fact, the Wildcats are my favorite shoe for speed work and sprinting, because I can let it out without feeling the sting in my feet. This is a good thing because my (imaginary) competition gets younger every year and I keep getting older. But you know, that’s OK, because I keep getting faster – and I hand a portion of the credit to La Sportiva for making shoes that don’t make my feet fall asleep or make me twist my ankle all the time. I know I am supposed to be neutral, myself – I’m a gear tester and I’ll test shoes no matter who makes them – but just a warning: the bar is set high, now, indeed.

Today we are celebrating our 100th post by featuring something from our tried and true La Sportiva line. I’m such a La Sportiva fan. I’m kind of surprised they keep sending me stuff, as if I’m ever not going to like it. After burning through last year’s Sandstone GTX-XCR hiking shoes, I was thrilled when they sent their new FC 1.1 (which evidently stands for Flex Control 1.1. I don’t know what the 1.1 is all about) low hiker. A solid, reasonably stiff, waterproof hiking shoe, it’s light, comfortable, and strong enough for multi-day trips. La Sportiva says this shoe has a highly adaptable fit for all types of feet, and I have to concur that it really will adapt itself to your feet, and quickly. I was kind of unsure about the FC’s when I first put them on, but an hour later I kept saying “I really like these shoes!” and they’re the ones I reach for now on reflex.

The FCs feature my favorite IBS system, too! Yes, I love IBS! I can’t stop making that joke. IBS, in La Sportiva terms, stands for Impact Brake System, and it’s meant to reduce impact forces on the legs of wearers of IBS-equipped shoes. As an impact-forces sufferer, I think it really does work. These shoes grip really well and can be counted on to descend the loosest of screes and the slickest of wet rocks. It also makes going up, as in up a mountain, much more pleasant, since it doesn’t slip on the up or the down.

Once again I’m left short on words to describe a La Sportiva offering, because there’s simply nothing else to say, other than “These are great! You’ll like them.” Sheesh, good thing I’m the boss around here, or I’d get some serious nagging about my word count.

I looooove to go ice climbing. Something about wielding dozens of very sharp things on all of my appendages makes me feel empowered. I mean, if people give you a wide berth because you might accidentally skewer them, imagine how much room they’ll give you if they think you WANT to stab them? So I guess it’s not really ice climbing I love, it’s intimidating other people. From now on, I will refer to intimidating other people as “ice climbing”.

My love of “ice climbing” had of late been tempered by struggles with uncomfortable boots. A day in ice climbing boots meant a day of blisters and numb feet – and usually not numb with cold. Pressure points and strangely shaped boots meant to accommodate men’s strangely shaped feet would lead to nerve irritation, giving me that weird tingly sensation that seems innocuous but really is my feet crying out for mercy.

My feet ceased their whining once I got my hands (and feet) on (and in) these La Sportiva women’s specific mountaineering boots. Many people don’t truly understand the importance of making footwear women’s specific, and think that “unisex” boots should be just fine as long as they are the right size. I think most of these people are not women, because unisex boots are the bane of my existence. The Nepal EVO GTX from La Sportiva are made for women’s feet, which means they don’t shift and rub like those roomy unisex types. The ankle is slender to account for women’s smaller bone structure, eliminating the hot spot that usually develops on the back of my heel. Beefy and substantial, these boots are stiff and serious – meant for big mountain climbing and technical ice. But they’re versatile: for lack of a better boot option, I wore these boots on a 4 day shoulder-season backpacking trip. I did end up with blisters after four days, but only minor ones, and since my feet stayed warm and dry the entire time, I was seriously impressed.

For technical ice, I had a little trouble finding crampons to fit these boots. The toe bail of my regular crampons is too wide for these delicate ladies’ boots (hint: that is sarcasm) and I ended up with my boot slopping around in the crampons. Not conducive for “ice climbing” success – tripping and falling while menacingly approaching your opponent is more likely to make them point and laugh than quake in fear and run away. So make sure to find crampons that are compatible with the boots before you try your hand at my special “ice climbing” techniques.

But in all seriousness, these boots really do climb well. They are super stiff and precise, and the fit is perfect – very unusual in a big-mountain boot for women. Sportiva put some thought into this design and fit, and for that my feet thank them.

La Sportiva was really asking for it when they posted an adline for these shoes reading “Built For Abuse!” I just have no choice but to abuse the hell out of them, clearly.

At first I tried to come up with some riff on abuse for this post, but I really couldn’t get it right without inevitably offending someone, somewhere, so let’s all just accept that I’m not going to make any off color abuse jokes. Accept it you must, because I limited my mistreatment of these shoes to the standard muddy, slippery trails; sharp chossy rocks; long, punishing hikes, and various other means by which to establish just how “built for abuse” they are. And I have to admit, they seem to be fairly abuse-worthy, as I couldn’t even crack the waterproofing until I’d been wearing them several times a week all spring and summer. They held out through weeks of mud holes and it seemed that they were a match for my abuse skills. Had I not worn them in a serious downpour while stomping through chest-high wet grass for three and a half hours, I think they’d still be shedding the elements. That particular trip really was tatamount to dunking the shoes in a river, so the fact that they lost their waterproofing at that point really isn’t a black mark against them.

The Sandstone XKC/YR/Magnum, PI (whatever, I haven’t cracked the code yet) low hikers feature a tread pattern that Sportiva calls Impact Brake System (note the unfortunate acronym); intended to make descending a little easier on the joints. As you may have noticed, I’m not too techy, so I didn’t bother trying to figure out how it works – but work, it does. The Sandstones won’t slip for anything, and I really do notice a difference while descending. They feel really solid and trustworthy; not too shabby for something I’ve been abusing for months. Speaking of long-term abuse, my aging joints have of late been objecting to steep descents, so every little bit helps.

Before I tried the Sandstones, I was never big on “low” hiking shoes. It was either running shoes or hiking boots for me. Hiking SHOES? What is that about? But these, I love. I love them so much I have barely even worn the hiking boots Sportiva sent me to test. Er, sorry, Sportiva, I’m a little behind. I’ll get to the boots soon, I’m sure, just wait until I’m done thoroughly abusing the shoes first. It’s not my fault you make shoes that just won’t give up!

[Readers, you should take this tester's comments to heart. She recently went out just to "improve her time" in a marathon-length mountain running race, and instead went ahead and won the women's championship. So she knows a thing or two about mountain running. Just thought you should know. -Head Geargal]

In the garage we have a 6ft x 6ft book case filled with shoes. No, I am not Imelda Marcos, we use a lot of specific athletic footwear, like running shoes. Trail runners are really close to my heart, because I want them to fit well, last at least a month or two, and give me the sensation of light feet that can feel what is underneath them. I stumbled across La Sportiva Slingshots in my size at a sale section of local mountaineering store and, since there were a few inches of extra space on my shoe shelf, I bought them without even trying them on. It was not until the first trail running race that I realized what a treasure I had just stumbled upon. There was no heel lift, they fit like a glove (well, not literally but you know what I mean). And they weighed nothing [again, not literally - HG], yet gave enough traction and support for on mud, rocks and roots. Because I’m a bit worried that such a light race shoe won’t last through all the training miles, I have dedicated these shoes for racing only, which works out perfect since as soon as I put them on I feel like a pro of sorts. They just make you feel fast! My first Slingshots are just starting to show wear and tear after a full year of trail racing. Time to get a new pair!

I think this must be a Geargals first: a sarcasm-free post. I really want to deliver the message, here, and it’s too important to be lost in smartass comments.

As you can probably tell from my other shoe posts, I am very picky about footwear. It’s really difficult for me to find shoes and boots that fit right, and most of the time I’m left with something just “okay” because I can’t find anything better. Pretty much every trip ends with foot pain, blisters, numbness, and various other discomforts. I’ve learned to live with it, because it just didn’t seem that I had a choice. And then the universe smiled upon me, and La Sportiva sent me a pair of Imogenes to review.

These shoes are incredible. I never realized that I didn’t have to finish every run with numb and tingling feet, and that trail running didn’t always have to include twisting my ankle every few steps. Thirtysomethingmumblemumble years it took me to figure this out – well, all those years and these shoes, that is. The Imogene is billed as a neutral, well cushioned shoe, and let me emphasize that I don’t think I’ve ever worn a truly neutral shoe before no matter what manufacturers have claimed. This shoe is so well balanced that I knew within a few steps of starting my run that I was in for a great experience.

It really was the most amazing feeling to run along and feel that every step resulted in a solid, flat foot placement, even on mud, snow, ice, roots, and rocks (all in one run – that is trail running in Alaska in the spring, folks). I am a high-arched underpronator, which means that my foot takes an enormous beating when I run because my arches don’t distribute the shock forces well, and being an underpronator makes me tend to run and push off of on the outsides of my feet. I twist ankles all the time, especially to the outside, and it’s kind of amazing that I’ve continued trail running all these years, because uneven surfaces are really difficult for me. Not in these shoes. They allowed my foot to actually land and push off flat, in any trail condition. This made for a very relaxing run because I didn’t have to constantly worry about twisted ankles – and this was my first real running workout after knee surgery. I actually had to make myself stop when I was done with the route, because I was having so much fun I wanted to keep running. I really didn’t have any idea that a shoe could make this much difference.

Another welcome change was that I didn’t have to mess around changing insoles. The insole that comes in the Imogene is nothing particularly groundbreaking as far as I can tell, but the design and balance of the shoe eliminates the need to replace it with a “better” insole. Also a first for me.

The incredible cushioning is no joke. It was like running on a very firm trampoline. Even on pavement the Imogene absorbed every step without feeling mushy or spongy, which I never thought could truly be accomplished in a running shoe. Other runners with high arches should take note: these shoes will change your life. I don’t know what laws of physics La Sportiva bent to create this shoe, but whatever they’re doing, they’re doing right.

I did appreciate the flat sole, which made belaying while wearing the shoes tolerable (I’m one of those squeamish people who can’t stand running around on the stinky, germy, climbing gym mats barefoot, so I’m constantly changing footwear to give my feet a break from pinchy shoes) which was a nice change. It was also a nice change to not have to dance around frantically after every climb, desperate to pull my shoes off because of the toe-crimping pain that comes with the territory with curved-last shoes, but I felt that the performance of the Mythos left me a little cold. It seemed really mediocre, with kind of blah edging and not a lot of grip for smearing. I didn’t understand the appeal – and I guess I still don’t, for people who only climb indoors.

Well, I don’t care to climb indoors much. Frankly I don’t like it at all. So, when I headed to the crags, I brought these shoes along just for the hell of it. I had already made up my mind that I didn’t care much for them, but lo! When I applied the sole to the famously chossy Chugach crud that makes up our local crags, it stuck like a fly to, well, flypaper. The smearing was sublime. I could edge on tiny cracks and had no problem with foot jams. And when I got to the top of the crag, my feet still had feeling! They weren’t numb, they didn’t hurt! Amazing. I climbed in the Mythos the rest of the day, and now they are a permanent addition to my outdoor climbing gear. They are the only shoe I wear for climbing outside, and my feet don’t kill me at the end of the day! NOW I understand why so many people wear them.

I still dislike them at the climbing gym, but who cares? The climbing gym sucks anyway. I’d much rather be outside in the elements, free from gym mats crawling with athlete’s foot and other nasties, and have comfortable feet to boot. There is something about the La Sportiva rubber that just works on real rock and not on gym plastic. I think it is a conspiracy from La Sportiva to get people outside – and I can get behind that kind of conspiracy. I kind of wish they came in a velcro version for easier on/off, but then again, I didn’t have to take them on and off all day like I have to with other rock shoes, so it’s a fair trade.

Because of the “unisex” (bleah) sizing, the fit of this boot is not great. I’m left wondering whether the boot itself fits weird or that it’s just designed for a man. Not sure. Anyway, the fit is what keeps this boot from being a shining star. Everything else about it is great. The grip is incredible, it has just enough flex to make walking decently comfortable, and it performs well on technical ice. Takes crampons easily and is stiff enough for front-pointing all day long. The synthetic material is warm and requires little maintenance, which wins it extra points for me because I don’t like the maintenance associated with leather. My feet stay nice and dry, which, again, isn’t the case with leather.

The lacing system could be better. I’m constantly fiddling with the laces, but again, that probably comes back to the poor fit.

I wore these boots for technical ice climbing at about 6 degrees Farenheit, and my feet froze, but for mountaineering the boots stay warm down to zero – as long as you keep moving.

I realize that this review has a bit of a boring tone, but the poor fit of these boots leaves me cold (ha!) and I can’t bring myself to rave, which these boots would fully deserve had they a better fit. I can see that I’d love these boots if they fit me better. So, to stop babbling and sum up: great technology if your feet happen to fit, but if they don’t, you’ll be squirming.