La Sportiva TX3 Approach Shoe - Men's reviews and deals for sale

Love it. Great for wide foot

I have a 3E wide foot and this shoe fits well out of the box and even better after it stretches a bit. I love it for its comfort and how fantastically grippy it is. Great for terrain with rocks and slabs. It's been up the Grand Teton, and has logged lots of miles in the White Mountains. It's so comfortable I even wore it on non-rocky terrain up Kilimanjaro. One poster mentioned… read more that they get wet easily. True, but they are super-breathable and dry very fast. As always, there are trade-offs. La Sportiva is discontinuing this shoe, but Backcountry still carries it. I just bought a spare pair for when my current one gives up the ghost. Maybe I should buy a second spare.

love this shoe!

I love this shoe so much, I'm on my fourth pair. It fits snugly on my narrow feet, almost like a climbing shoe. At the same time, it is so comfortable I can hike all day in it without any problem. The mesh upper breaths really well, so my feet never get too hot. The sole is sticky and grabs on slabby rock better than my climbing shoes. This shoe is my default for hiking, backpacking,… read more alpine climbing, and approaching on scree or rugged terrain, and I only switch to my mountaineering boots or climbing shoes when I absolutely have to. On more than one occasion I even rigged up my crampons to fit for a glacier climb and left the mountaineering boots behind.

well made but too narrow for my foot;

I really wanted to like these. Tried them as a hiking/ multi-day backpacking shoe. First impressions: incredibly well made, comfortable upper, nice lacing system, amazing sole and traction. Wearing around the house, I started noticing some numbness in the ball of my foot. I think I maybe tied them a little tight, but not so much that the upper was putting pressure on the top… read more of my feet. I wanted to test them out more to see if walking around might allow my feet to settle, so I got out separately for a walk and a 2 hour hike the next. On the walk, the numbness persisted, and they were less breathable on a hot day than I would have expected a mesh upper to be. On the hike, I really noticed the narrow toe-box putting pressure on my little toe. I don't have abnormally wide feet, so this was a little disappointing, though maybe to be expected in an approach shoe. Anyway, that aren't going to work for me. But they are a really well constructed shoe, which I appreciate. They seem to work well for many others!

Best all around shoe

Really a great all around shoe. From walking around all day to backpacking to scrambling on rocks, climbing walls, handling snow this shoe handles it all well. I’ve gotten to the point where unless I need crampons, I’ll wear this shoe.

Too Small / Frustrated / Returning Them

Ordered these shoes 2 days ago and they arrived quickly without incident. The quality and workmanship appears to be outstanding. Unfortunately pulling them out of the box I could tell right away they were going to be small/tight. Before ordering I read the reviews that said this shoe runs true to size. I wear size 9 or 9 1/2 dress shoe depending on the style. I wear size 10… read more New Balance and Brooks running shoes to accommodate swelling feet and I like a little more room in the toe box so my toes can spread. I also wear Lange Ski Boots in size 27.5-43-10. Size 10 in those shoes is a perfect fit for me. So I ordered this shoe in a size 10 or 43 for the same reason, I do not want a super tight shoes when exercising. Comparing this shoe to my Brooks side by side there was a significant difference in length. The Sportiva’s were visibly shorter. I tried them on and as expected they were tight, I could wear them but only with a very thin pair of socks….a thicker sock for warmth would have been impossible. My toes were tight against the front part of the shoe and the width squeezed my toes together, not the roomy comfort I was looking for when sizing up. Walking all day in these shoes and especially going downhill would have proven to be painful. Therefore, I will be returning them. What I find the most frustrating is I now must pay postage for the return and I really need to stop using companies that do not offer completely free returns. Unfortunately, I live in an area of the country where various technical styles of mountain shoes are unavailable for in person try-ons, so I am subjected to the hit and miss of sizing while ordering through mail order. This is not my first disappointment with ordering shoes on line. A year ago I ordered some Scarpa boots and they also ran small for their order size, actually they were even worse and again a charge to return. So this time I tried La Sportiva hoping for a better fit from a different brand but unfortunately it was not to be. Maybe it’s a European thing that they all run smaller but how do you know until you try them and then you go broke sending them back repeatedly trying to find your correct size for that particular brand. Frustrated!

I was suspicious at first...

I used to wear trail running shoes for every day use but then I switched to approach shoes a year or so ago and i have tried them all, scarpa, vasque and now la sportiva. I'm really hard on my footwear, I wear them everyday, city walking, construction and back trails with the dog. These are sturdy but light, really happy so much so that i got other la sportiva shoes because of… read more the quality. The previous reviews helped me buying these as i was 'iffy' about the color and logo at first!

ok I guess

these things fit me perfectly and are comfortable and light. i can climb comfortably w them clipped to the harness. but... Not very durable. only takes a few crack climbs and the mesh rips. Even when not ripped, the mesh allows dirt/sand to pass through, scree surfing sucks in these. your socks and feet get super dirty Think about stepping anywhere near mud or water and your feet… read more get wet These things suck in snow. yea they are not made for that, but even the smallest snow field crossing and your feet are soaked and freezing and these things soft sole can't dig in at all so when it's steep snow it's real treacherous.

not to bad

The shoes are of good quality, but not suitable for people with wide feet

Bliss for the feet!

First of all, the stock insole is pretty weak, so toss it and put something in like Soles or Superfeet, whichever you like. With Sole Medium (rubber bottom version) insoles that I cut to shape and heat molded with the oven, I can use these shoes for mostly anything I would have used heavier boots for in the past. They also cover my scrambling and beach use as well. Here's a list… read more of all the different modes I use with these shoes: 1. Standard mode with Sole insole and Smartwool PhD Light socks with the laces tied just tight enough to pull in any loose areas. Perfect for walking around town, driving, and easy trails with any weight of pack. 2. Easy trail, hot weather mode. Same as #1 but with laces untied and loose all the way to the toes. Wears like a flipflop and airs out well. 3. Rainy day mode with same setup as #1 but with oven bags or silnylon booties over socks. 4. River fording mode with socks removed, and possibly insole. Drain and either walk to dry with or without socks back on in addition of oven bags. 5. Cold water and/or sand mode with insole removed and sock replaced with 2-3mm thick neoprene bootie. Insole may be retained if room to spare. 6. Snow mode using dry neoprene booties, oven bags, and wool socks together, with insoles removed or swapped for thinner insoles. 7. Mountain mode using same as #1 but with ultralight gaiters and tighter lacing for scrambling and scree thrashing. 8. Mountaineering trail-runner mode of any combination combined with strap-on crampons for low angle slippery stuff.

Awesome!

The other reviews say it all! I was really impressed with these shoes! They feel fantastic and look great! Incredibly comfortable!

Great stiffer shoe

I really like the extra support these give for hiking compared to many other hiking shoes. They are stiffer and more supportive through the toe area which makes them great for hiking up steeper/rocky areas. I love to use these to hike up Snowbird in the summer and hitch a ride down the tram. When I wear these all day sometimes by the end of the day my feet get a bit sore since… read more they are bit stiffer than your average hiking shoe but they are designed to be an approach shoe so it is to be expected.

My new dancing shoes

The night I picked up these new shoes, i took them to a concert to break them in. Little did I know, that these shoes are insanely fun to dance in! Nimble, grippy, and lightweight. Perfect for busting a move, either on the horizontal or vertical dance floors. The shoes perform great on approaches, making talus look less like ankle busting minefields. I took these up a climb ive… read more done many many times before, and they climbed crack pretty well and edged nice for an approach shoe. Im excited to use them on long multipitches

Breathable Performance

I picked these guys up as more breathable alternative to some of my other approach shoes. I not only wear approach shoes on trail or at the crag but throughout my daily life and was really looking for something that was a bit lighter, more breathable and more comfortable than some of the other approach shoes that I currently wear. The TX3's fit the bill perfectly for what I was… read more looking for. The integrated tongue (much like some of Sportiva's climbing shoes) is perfectly padded and the shape of the shoe really works well to fit comfortably without loosing traction. Initially the only complaint I had was the stack height seemed a bit taller than what I was used to but after wearing them for a few days I no longer noticed it. I find that they also fit true to size and went with my normal shoe size. I have a narrow lower volume foot and the extra width is nice for some added comfort comparatively.

Some may call my bouldering.. erratic.

For the last year and a half these have been my go-to shoes for getting my turns outside Winter. The mesh toebox will get your feet wet easily in any stream crossing, but they will dry out fairly quickly down the trail. Spring stream crossings may need you to go knee deep, so you might as well get something that dries--never again Goretex for the BC. Just wear a good lightweight… read more wool sock with them to prevent blisters. These work great for minor edging and scrambling across scree and talus fields, but I wear lightweight (think thru-hiker type) gaiters to keep the volcanic bits out. I feel really stable on rock with in these, but they're sketch across some exposed-slopes on snow in drainage/avy paths. Avoid it if you can or have your Whippet/axe ready. The inserts are ok for light hiking and scrambling, but if you have a heavier pack, rip the inserts out and replace it with something good (I used SOLES) --like mountaineering boots, I think they expect you to do this from the start. I can carry 50lbs over 12 miles and these shoes feel fine. These are light (but not quite trail running light) and they have some pretty solid loops in the back to crab to your pack.

Best Approach Shoe I've found yet

The La Sportiva TX3’s served as the perfect shoe to help get me out of my winter slump and into full-on, hardcore, spring sendage mode. Through several climbing trips to the around the Midwest and Southeast, around town, and even during a weekend in New York City, the TX3’s provided a great fusion of function, fashion, and comfort. Thanks to the Midwest’s ever-changing weather,… read more I was able to put the TX3’s to the test in mud, snow, ice, concrete, rock, and sand. I used them as approach shoes for hour-long mud jaunts through the Red, for scrambling up ledges and around boulders in the New, and as my daily street shoe between sends. As an avid climber with five years of global climbing experiences, and as a local climbing guide, I’ve cycled through various approach shoes with mixed results. Some performed well in mud but the rubber was too hard for decent scrambling or easy climbing. Others performed almost as well as some of my rock shoes, but were too stiff to comfortably wear on an approach. The TX3’s – though not perfect – are the most well-rounded approach shoe I’ve worn yet. "I wrote a longer review you can see here -http://bit.ly/2MFR0Nb"

What's not to like?

This is the most versatile approach shoe I've worn in a long time. It hikes, scrambles, and climbs (low grade) very well. It is also supportive without being over burly. I give the TX3 my unqualified recommendation. A note about sizing: my normal shoe size is US12 (Brooks, Merrell, Oboz, etc.), and I size up to a 46.5 in the La Sportiva Wildcat and Ultra Raptor. The TX3 has… read more a roomy toe box and I find the TX3 45.5 fits me well - enough room to be comfortable without compromising performance.

Best do it all shoe

Canyoneering with a pair of 2 mil neoprene socks, mt bike, trail running, backpacking, or climbing, this shoe will do it all. Comfortable, light weight and durable. Sticks to steep rock like glue. Hands down the best active shoe I’ve owned. I wear an 11.5 and the fit was spot on.

Comfortable and grippy

I go through a pair of approach shoes every year working as a climbing instructor. I'm in my mid 40's so I like to spend as much time in my approach shoes versus my climbing shoes as possible. I like the lighter weight and flexibility of the TX3 compared to other shoes I have had and they still allow me to climb many of the routes I do with clients and move around a wide variety… read more of terrain with confidence. The clip in loops on the back feel strong and secure for the times I do need to hang them on the back of my harness. Love these shoes. They have held up as well or better than previous Sportiva approachies I have owned. Looking forward to another pair.

Fantastic Shoes!

These shoes are fantastic approach/light hiking shoes. They are super supportive, the rubber is sticky, and the upper is light and breathable. Whether its technical rocky approaches, sandstone slabbing, or just wearing around camp these shoes are awesome! They do have a wider toe box than is normal with LaSpo running shoes, but I still felt that they were true to size.

Synthetic approach monster.

I like this sportiva model as an all synthetic approach. Well built with a solid vibram sole and climbing style toe. Just what the doctor ordered.

Given the last on these, would these fit more similar to the Boulder X's or to the LS trail runners (Ultra Raptor, Helios, etc.)?

I see several good reviews of these but no one mentioned their typical US size shoe to compare with the euro size they bought. Can anyone comment i.e. I wear US 12 and a 45.5 was perfect. Thanks

How do these climb? It seems like they wouldn't hold up to crack climbing or big walls... anyone have experience? Do those lace loops blow out right away?