I’ve had a number of Scarpa products over the years however I think these must be my favourite approach shoes so far. These are great for hiking or technical scrambling and with a good fit which is on the narrow side. They use Vibram Megagrip which is a rubber type I always go for in my footwear as its a very sticky rubber compound and the resulting grip is something I can put my trust in when my ass is literally hanging off a mountainside. The sole type is ‘Vibram Vertical’ which seems pretty appropriate considering. I recently tested these over Crib Goch and can say I confidently put my faith in the grip these have. The sole also features a flat edged climbing zone which is pretty effective for small footholds. The rubber rand on the front of the shoe is great when placing your feet onto sharp weathered rock and offers some good toe protection. They have a bit of flex and I find they are far more versatile than a boot. I do wish they had a few more colours available but the shark/tonic colour combo looks pretty cool regardless. Also apparently these can be resoled which is nice, though I have a feeling the use I’ll put them through they might not survive to a resoling, which is no comment on the quality of the shoes just I intend to work them to total failure! The upper is 1.8mm water resistant suede so pretty tough and also breathable.

Overall a great approach shoe, fit wise unlike some other scrap shoes I’ve had I’d say they are quite true to sizing and it’s worth just getting your exact size. I’d highly recommend them.

Rating: I think it’s going to be a 9/10 purely because I’d like a lot more colour options.