I have to say, I am not unbiased when it comes to approach shoes. I’ve worn various pairs of Scarpas, 5.10s, AKUs, Salewas, etcetera, etcetera, but I come back to my faithful old La Sportiva every time. I had beef with the Boulder Xs, but the TX2s, the TX4s, TX Guides, TX4 EVOs… gold one and all. When I heard that La Sportiva was launching a new version of the TX4 EVO, the STs, I wanted to get my hands on a pair. They’re my favorite TX yet.

La Sportiva TX4 EVO ST Features:

• ECO materials come from upper yarn, recycled laces, tongue fabric, internal mesh, lacing harness and hooks, rubber rands and an EVA midsole with 7% recycled content
• Wide forefoot fit for excellent all-day comfort and stability
• Innovative and patented Resole platform designed for easy resoling by replacing the tread and compressed EVA ESS platforms
• STB Control System™ delivers torsional rigidity and support without encumbering the cushioning underfoot
• Climbing Zone Platform, Impact Brake System™, and Trail Bite™ heels provide enhanced stability and traction on uneven terrain
• Vibram® Megagrip™ outsoles offer excellent grip on both dry and wet terrain while maintaining a high level of durability
• Weight: 840 grams (as weighed on my scale, full pair, size 45)
• MSRP: $179

Near Perfection

Before anything else, I want to start with my view on approach shoe durability. Some other reviewers have had the mesh edges of the TX4 EVO STs’ sole fray and peel a bit over time. I don’t consider that a significant issue. When I think about durability for approach shoes, I think, “can I keep wearing this and have it do its job?” The things that concern me are blow-outs in the uppers, peeling soles, broken eyelets, and so on. Ultimately, I’m not taking my wife out to a fancy Italian dinner wearing these shoes… probably. I plan to kill them. I won’t let them off the hook until they have nothing left to give.

Now that that’s established, I think the TX4 EVO STs have great durability. Testing on this front was somewhat unorthodox. I began with the more run-of-the-mill drills like hiking a ton, climbing cracks in them, and using them for slab and edging. As I typically do when testing approach shoes, I opted to climb in approach shoes at higher grades than I typically do, just to get the extra mileage and test performance.

All of that is standard, and they fared well in every respect. Purely for the sake of science and continued durability testing, I crashed my motorcycle while wearing them, giving them a big ol’ rub against the asphalt. I’m okay… though the scrape on my hip was larger than the scrape on my shoe’s sidewall. I just have to say, I’m blown away that the TX4 EVO STs are still kicking after that crash. Yes, they have a hole in the side now. And yes, I had to replace the lacing and loop eyelets in order to keep them in the game, but come on. That’s an incredible outcome. That high tenacity TPU mesh that La Sportiva is talking about is truly high tenacity. I’m impressed.

One unexpected take-away from it all is this: It’s a bummer to change the loop eyelets on TX4s. They’re not really made to be easily replaceable, and that’s an unfortunate aspect of the design. In order to make my hacky fix work, I had to tie a tiny stopper knot at the bottom of the tongue to fix one side, a spot which is stitched into the shoe body for the original eyelet loops. On the upper end, I tied my thin replacement cord to the original eyelet loop. Threading it all the way through the heel would be nigh impossible without some specialized tool. Still, they can be fixed when they break. And if you plan to milk the last drop out of your pair, you may find yourself getting similarly creative.

I have one more minor gripe about the eyelet loops. They connect all the way around the shoe and ultimately make up the pull loop on the heel. That’s not quite right though. It’s not a pull loop. There’s nothing to keep the loop at the heel taught or fixed, so when you pull on it to assist in getting the shoe on, it slips and pulls cord from the eyelet area. Effectively, you don’t get a heel tab pull. That would be easily resolved with a couple stopper knots at the top eyelet, but it’s not a change folks can make post-manufacturing. Minor miss, if you ask me. That said, the heel loops work just fine for clipping your shoes to the back of your harness.

Okay, I want to talk about a couple more things before I call this a wrap. One big topic yet unaddressed is grip. The TX4 EVO STs have it like nobody’s business. Vibram Megagrip does the trick all around. The climbing zone of the sole is sufficiently sized, and the lugs are appropriately deep to both provide traction on looser ground while not giving a wobbly feeling when you’re on stone. Beyond the sole, the full-wrapped rand makes for excellent traction when foot jamming, even in the weirder sizes.

I care about grip a lot in an approach shoe, but I can’t overstate the importance of comfort. It’s one of the primary reasons I keep coming back to the TX lineup, and the EVO STs live into the legacy. They provide great cushioning under foot, have a sufficiently padded tongue, lace securely and comfortably, and have security at the heel. All of those things together make walking in them all day a joy. Many times at the top of a route when I shift from my climbing shoes back to approach shoes, I’m almost giddy. Yes, my climbing shoes do hurt, and that’s a contributing factor.

The thing that the TX4 EVO STs bring to the table that I haven’t seen executed nearly as well with any other TX is breathability. My old TX2s were good, but the TPU mesh of the TX4 EVO STs just let air flow naturally. That’s especially noticeable when you’re riding a bike. I nearly felt barefoot. Hiking yields the big benefit though: preventing bogginess and sweaty socks. That’s worth loads to me, and you can get it in a shoe that is stable and durable, not just in minimal weight-shaver shoes like the TX2s. If you’re riding the line between weight savings and durability, but you want great airflow, you’re probably looking for something like the TX4 EVO ST. I was. I’m going to wear these suckers for a long, long time.

Fit: I typically wear a size 44.5 or 45 in approach shoes, depending on how technical I think I’ll end up getting with them. I opted for a more hike-friendly fit, and sprung for 45s. They’ve been perfect. They walk well, and they edge well. I’d recommend a half size up, if you’re on the fence.