{"id":183244,"date":"2025-08-28T22:45:18","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T22:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/183244\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T22:45:18","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T22:45:18","slug":"the-la-sportiva-tx4-evo-approach-shoes-stable-footing-that-adds-security-in-risky-terrain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/183244\/","title":{"rendered":"The La Sportiva TX4 EVO Approach Shoes: Stable Footing That Adds Security in Risky Terrain"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

MSRP: $189<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you are looking for a spacious, sturdy, stiff and weather-resistant approach shoe for challenging hikes and scrambling, the La Sportiva TX4 Evos could be the perfect choice for you.<\/p>\n

\"\"Mike Lewis smears his way up an approach in the Italian Dolomites. The La Sportiva TX4 Evos blend the strengths of a stable hiking shoe with the stickiness of an approach shoe.<\/strong> [Photo] Ian Fowler<\/p>\n

For many years, while climbing and guiding, I undervalued how important approach shoe selection is in the chain of outdoor safety. That changed in the blink of an eye in July 2023, when a client and I were descending a rocky trail after climbing in Eldorado Canyon, near Boulder, Colorado. A thunderstorm rolled in, shaking the canyon walls, and a downpour began to drench everything. The rock in Eldo is a conglomerate sandstone that varies from red and white, grippy and grainy when dry, to shiny red or black and really slick\u2014like oil\u2014when wet. My last memory was chatting with my client about some baby ducks that seemed to be having difficulty in the creek. I don\u2019t remember slipping, just waking up in Boulder Community Hospital with a throbbing headache.<\/p>\n

\"\"Author Ian Fowler descends the Vinatzer on the Third Sella Tower in the Dolomites.<\/strong> [Photo] Mike Lewis<\/p>\n

With my newly developed appreciation and heightened hypervigilance regarding the quality of approach shoes, I found myself nervous about testing a new pair of shoes on an upcoming climbing trip to the Italian Dolomites. I\u2019d be climbing with my buddy Mike Lewis, a fellow Alpinist gear tester, before a couple of weeks of guiding. After scrambling in my new shoes around the Boulder area determining that they ticked two necessary boxes\u2014Was the rubber sticky? and Did they have a performance fit?\u2014I packed the La Sportiva TX4 Evos for my trip, along with a lighter pair of La Sportiva\u2019s TX2s as a backup in case I wasn\u2019t feeling it. In short, they were fantastic and I didn\u2019t need to resort to my backups, though of course no shoe is perfect in all situations.<\/p>\n

An approach shoe\u2019s climbing or scrambling capabilities can significantly alter stress levels, up or down, and are highly linked to the two factors mentioned above: the fit and the sole. The La Sportiva website describes these shoes as having a \u201cwide forefoot fit for excellent all-day comfort and stability.\u201d I found this to be true with my narrow feet; I was able to cinch the shoe laces to get a good fit for blocky and smearing scrambles, but I would have been gripped on edgy holds. In contrast, in customer reviews on the company\u2019s website, multiple individuals with wide feet discussed this new model of the TX4s to be much more narrow in fit compared to previous versions. My climbing partner Mike, who was also testing a pair of the same shoes, stated that they fit his mid-sized foot perfectly. <\/p>\n

The Vibram Megagrip sole features a diamond-patterned design that offers effective grip on most terrain. On rock, it did not feel as sticky as other La Sportiva models that have the softer round dots on the soles, but the TX4 Evos were much better on loose scree, chunky gravel, and slippery grass, primarily due to the stiffness of the sole and possibly the patented Impact Brake System which gives the sole a slightly more incut heel without increasing foot height. On the descents off long multipitch routes, we encountered short snow crossings and polished, smeary down climbs, where I was able to securely kick steps and smear without failure; the shoes also paired really well with microspikes, thanks to the stiff, secure sole.<\/p>\n

\"\"IFMGA Mountain Guide Ian Fowler crosses a snow field on the descent of the Tofana di Rozes in the Italian Dolomites. The TX4 Evos provide much more stability than your average approach shoe, which helps when kicking steps in snow.<\/strong> [Photo] Mike Lewis<\/p>\n

The durability and stability of the TX4 Evos can be advantageous in many situations, but they come at a cost\u2014weight. On difficult climbs where you need to carry your approach shoes along for the descent, every ounce counts. My go-to shoe in this situation is La Sportiva\u2019s TX2, which individually weighs 10.6oz (301g) for a size US 9 (measured on my kitchen scale). The TX4 EVO weighs 13.7oz (390g for a US Men\u2019s 9). The difference of 6.3 ounces for a pair may seem insignificant, but when you are responsible for guiding someone up thousands of feet of runout and sometimes loose Dolomite stone, and the last six months of ski guiding and forecasting have left your forearms a bit undertrained, every ounce counts.<\/p>\n

\"\"A sturdy approach shoe has its obvious upsides. The downside is the weight and the reduced breathability; they make hiking and scrambling in loose scree and rock much more manageable, but carrying them in your pack on a multipitch will add a little extra weight. <\/strong>[Photo] Ian Fowler<\/p>\n

A couple of other minor points of awareness are related to the clip tag and the full leather upper. When climbing multipitches in Eldorado Canyon and carrying the TX4 Evos clipped to my harness for the descent, the thin heel carry cords made me nervous. I often use a ski strap to clamp my shoes together to reduce bulk and provide an extra clipping point\u2014this adds a little extra security and puts my mind at ease. On hotter days, the full leather upper made my feet feel swampy and moist, though that was to be expected. You have to weigh the pros of durability and weather resistance to the cons of added weight and reduced breathability.<\/p>\n

The TX4 Evos I tested featured a traditional grey leather with trimmed red; they also come in bright colors for those looking for a little more visual spice. In the future, these will be my go-to shoes for longer alpine approaches in rough terrain. If I plan to carry my shoes on my harness in hotter environments and on more challenging routes, I will probably reach for a cooler, lighter shoe.<\/p>\n

Pros:<\/strong> Stiff, sturdy construction, weather-resistant leather upper, durable, sole pattern that offers a balance of climbing performance and hiking comfort, color options<\/p>\n

Cons:<\/strong> Skinny carry loop, on the heavier side of approach shoes, reduced breathability<\/p>\n

\"\"Author Ian Fowler finishes his Dolomites trip with a rappel off the Cinque Torre. Three weeks of testing the well-made La Sportiva TX4 Evos left Ian feeling safe and secure. <\/strong>[Photo] Marley Hodgson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MSRP: $189 If you are looking for a spacious, sturdy, stiff and weather-resistant approach shoe for challenging hikes…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":183245,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5123],"tags":[1582,276,2961,224,5337],"class_list":{"0":"post-183244","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-california","10":"tag-la","11":"tag-los-angeles","12":"tag-losangeles"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115108821580518774","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183244"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183244\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/183245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}