7 Best Approach Shoes For Women, 60+ Shoes Tested in 2023
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Reach your climbing destination with more comfort and ease in these best-rated women’s approach shoes. These specialized footwear are specifically designed to fit a woman’s unique foot shape, build, and muscle movement – perfect for walking to the crag or a multi-day slog.
From a great combination of hiking shoes, mountain running shoes and mountaineering boots, this comprehensive list of approach footwear is a diverse bunch. Well-known brands like La Sportiva, Salewa, Scarpa, Five Ten, and Arc'teryx offer their top quality releases that suit your needs.
To make our recommendations, we’ve rounded up 60+ of the best women’s approach shoes available in the market. From lightweight models for speedy jaunts to waterproof footwear, we’ve tested and ranked all pairs for your convenience. Here are our top picks:
Table of contents How we test approach shoesBest overallBest SalewaBest Arc'teryxBest ScarpaBest Five TenBest valueMost popularComparison
Overview
How we test approach shoes
We double-check the quality and technologies present in the shoes. After vetting all the pairs with care inside the RunRepeat lab, we take the shoes to multi-day hikes, bouldering, and cragging to see how their commercial features translate in real-life performance.
Here’s our approach:
- We use our own money to purchase the women’s approach shoes for the tests. We strictly adhere to our policy of 100% independence and bias-free reviews and rankings.
- We assess each pair by embarking in easy-to-moderate climbs such as hiking to the crag to scrambling moderate class or ridgelines in the alpine, to tackling demanding mountain objectives. We take note of each shoe’s comfort, traction, breathability, edging prowess, durability, and more.
- We subject all the shoes to some tougher environments and challenging approaches.
- We also consider the feedback given by other outdoor experts and casual weekend warriors.
In the end, we finalize the overall ratings and rankings of all the women’s approach shoes in the database. From 0 to 100, we display on the CoreScore the respective ratings of the models.
Best women's approach shoes overall
La Sportiva TX Guide Leather
Amazon
Prime & free shipping
$169
Backcountry
Free shipping
$169
REI
Free shipping
$169
Outland USA
Free shipping
$169
Pros
- Immensely plush
- Grippy
- Mighty arch support
- Steady on rubbly terrain
- Lightweight
Cons
- Narrow fit
- Long break-in period
What makes it the best overall?
Sporting the TX Guide Leather means arriving at your rock destination with less tired feet and more smiles on your face. Yes, wearing this comfy yet secure La Sportiva shoe takes you where you need to be as it makes serious hiking challenges a lot less worrying along the way. It is an approach conqueror that does not lead you to second guess your adventurous steps.
Best Salewa approach shoes for women
Salewa Wildfire Edge GTX
Amazon
Prime & free shipping
$122
Moosejaw
Free shipping
$123
Outland USA
Free shipping
$137
Zappos
Free shipping & returns
$200
Corescore
Pros
- Mighty grippy outsole
- Runs true to size
- Incredibly polished construction
- Eye-catching looks
- Comfy yet sturdy
Cons
- Narrow fit
- Extremely bad to tie
- Too pricey
- Long break-in period
What makes it the best Salewa?
Donning the Wildfire Edge GTX equates to fleshing out your technical footwork on more treacherous approach routes. Reflecting the Dolomites mountain range (where jagged rocks abound), this Salewa shoe helps you ascend with boosted control without sacrificing protection. While it may not be for everyone price-wise, the Wildfire Edge GTX is a boon where the tough gets tougher.
Best Arc'teryx approach shoes for women
Pros
- Spider-Man-level grip
- Quite light
- Excellent on edges
- Incredibly durable
- Very precise on talus rock
- Scaler of easy cracks
- Exceptional breathability
Cons
- Too stiff for long hikes
- Unruly laces
What makes it the best Arc'teryx?
A conqueror of shifting terrain—this is the Konseal FL 2 in a nutshell. Engineered stiffer than usual, this approach shoe from Arc'teryx does not cower at the face of various rocky obstacles, be they ledges, cracks, or smooth boulders. There's also its amazing lightness, which translates to bigger steps and easier foot swings.
Best Scarpa approach shoes for women
Scarpa Crux
Outland USA
Free shipping
$139
Zappos
Free shipping & returns
$149
Backcountry
Free shipping
$149
Moosejaw
Free shipping
$149
Pros
- Comfortable
- Grippy outsole
- Remarkably durable
- Fine option for smearing
- Offers security
- Breathable
Cons
- Not ideal for edging
- Tongue keeps sliding down
- Quite expensive
What makes it the best Scarpa?
Outdoorsy individuals who require comfort and traction for approach trips may discover satisfaction with the Crux. Its sturdiness and smearing performance receives outstanding remarks from professional reviewers. But the shoe’s flexibility is seen as a detriment by those who have used it for edging. All in all, the Scarpa Crux still offers a set of advantages that users may find handy for trail adventures, scrambling, and easy climbs.
Best Five Ten approach shoes for women
Five Ten Guide Tennie
Backcountry
Free shipping
$54
Eastern Mountain Sports
$120
Zappos
Running Warehouse
Corescore
Pros
- Comfortable approach shoe
- Supportive midsole
- Excellent smearing ability
- Awesome flexibility
- Durable
- Excellent ankle padding
- Cool look design
Cons
- Blister-inducing break-in period
- Does not excel on wet terrain
- Poor walking performance
What makes it the best Five Ten?
The Guide Tennie is a highly recommendable approach shoe, thanks to its amazing supply of comfort and support. It is also something that people can appreciate in the areas of mobility and style. And this is without mention of the shoe's remarkably tough build yet. However, despite these satisfying features, a couple of criticisms still hound it.
Best value
Adidas Terrex Swift Solo
Adidas
Free shipping and returns
$55
Backcountry
Free shipping
$110
Zappos
Running Warehouse
Corescore
Pros
- Fantastic comfort level
- Exceptionally grippy
- Quite durable
- Protective toe cap
- Among the cheapest approach shoes
- Supportive on long walks
- Eco-friendly
Cons
- Stiff at first
- Narrow forefoot
What makes it the best value?
Where the lead-up to your rock climbing spot is strewn with low-lying boulders and rocky inclines, you can turn to the zestful Adidas Terrex Swift Solo. Built with a wide climbing zone and ridged heel, this pair of approach shoes will help you ascend and descend rugged terrain with extra-sticky steps. And if its hundred-dollar price tag doesn't reel you in, perhaps its magnetizing sneaker-like design will.
Most popular approach shoes for women
Salewa Wildfire 2
Amazon
Prime & free shipping
$104
Zappos
Free shipping & returns
$160
Backcountry
Free shipping
$160
Outland USA
Free shipping
$160
Pros
- Superb stickiness
- Long-lasting comfort
- Fits wide feet too
- Doesn't get hot
- Incredibly lightweight
- Durable outsole
- Surprisingly water-resistant
- Fences out debris
Cons
- Quite pricey
- Not for those with a high instep
What makes it the most popular?
Pure performance bliss is something that you'll get while sporting the Wildfire 2 from Salewa. From trails to boulder-filled valleys, this featherweight approach shoe cuts through the terrain with mind-blowing tenacity, all while pampering your feet for hours on end. And on warm days, the Wildfire 2 is a must-have despite its rather high asking price.
