Approach Shoes

Approach shoes at Sport Conrad

Cap and sunglasses on, rope bag packed and ready for the wall? The best climbing spots are often found on rough terrain, narrow paths or unpaved trails. On unpaved terrain, injuries can easily occur due to slipping or twisting, so you should always choose shoes that have the right grip. To ensure that you always get to the via ferrata safely and can fully concentrate on climbing, we offer you a wide selection of high-quality approach shoes.

What are approach shoes?

Approach shoes are designed to facilitate the approch to the climbin crag or via ferrata. Unlike a climbing wall in a hall, a via ferrata or rock can usually not be reached via a flat and level surface. On the contrary, the path to the via ferrata is often rocky, uneven and quickly becomes dangerous without the right grip. Therefore, approach shoes should not be missing in any equipment.

Approach shoes have several advantages over other climbing shoes, as they are optimally equipped for their area of use. These shoes are a kind of hybrid of climbing shoes and hiking boots. However, the shoes can be used not only for the approach, but also for via ferrata and for climbing on the rock, if this is not yet so technically demanding that securing by rope is necessary.

Lacing

It is very important that your approach shoes provide you with optimal support during all outdoor adventures on the mountain and rock. To ensure this support, the approach shoes have a lacing (also called a climbing lacing), which reaches all the way to the front to the toe area. This long lacing allows you to adjust the low shoes perfectly to your foot, and it offers you the best possible stability and support - even when it gets rough.

Heel construction

In some shoes, it is the case that special heel constructions have been developed to further optimize the support of the shoes. For example, you can find it in the Salewa Wildfire Edge and the Salewa Wildfire Edge GTX shoes. Here, the lacing of the shoe is connected to the heel by steel cable, which means that when the lacing of the approach shoe is tightened in the toe area, the heel is also fixed. 

Sole

The sole of your approach shoes are especially important, because how good the grip of your shoe depends on the sole. Your shoes should maintain stability on any surface, so many approach shoes have a high natural rubber content in their soles. This ensures the shoes grip on any surface, from woods and meadows to rocks. The sole structure of approach shoes is often relatively flat, so that the sole does not get caught so quickly in the rocks. Which sole thickness you prefer, whether you want to take advantage of a slight cushioning in the front area of the low shoes, or whether you prefer a high flex (flexibility of the approach shoes), depends on your individual preferences.

What should you look for when buying?

Which shoes are right for you, you should decide individually. When looking for the right approach shoe, it is therefore important to pay attention to several things.

• The right size: your approach shoe should fit neither too tight nor too loose. To make your approach as comfortable as possible, you should choose shoes that fit your feet perfectly.

• Sole: Whether hard or soft sole, or a sole with a lot of flex - this question you should ask yourself while buying your approach shoes. According to your individual preferences, you should try out what kind of sole feels best for you.

• Fabric: The question of the right fabric should not be ignored. Depending on when and where you use your approach shoe, you should consider whether you need a waterproof shoe. Therefore, when searching, consider whether your shoe should rather be made of synthetic fabric or leather and also whether your shoe needs a waterproof membrane or not.

No matter what brand, size or type of approach shoe you choose, a comfortable wearing experience should come first in such a movement-intense sport as climbing and the associated climb.