Verdict from 5 user reviews
5 reasons to buy
- Pampering: Almost everyone who has reviewed the La Sportiva TX Guide Leather finds the shoe immensely plush. Some of these reviewers attribute this level of comfort to the hiker’s wrap tongue.
- Grippy: Just like most high-quality approach shoes on RunRepeat, this offering provides more than enough stickiness underfoot on a variety of terrain, including wet rock and frozen ground.
- Dependable midfoot: Senders find this shoe mighty supportive around the arch.
- Stabilizing: The TX Guide Leather has what it takes to keep your footing steady on rubbly terrain.
- Light: This approach hiker from La Sportiva will not weigh you down, even with a lightly loaded pack in tow.
0 reason not to buy
It rarely happens, but we haven't found any reasons not to buy this shoe.
Bottom line
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 can take 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 will not lead you to second guess your adventurous steps.
What the TX Guide Leather brings to the approach table
Marketed as more than just a leather version of the original TX Guide, the TX Guide Leather comes with features that make it its own shoe. These unique elements are as follows:
Mythos-inspired fit. The TX Guide Leather puts a stronger emphasis on climbing, thanks to its lacing system that is directly inspired by the Mythos. Once you get it laced up with the right tension—preferably one for the toe part and another for the instep—the shoe should be quite secure for trickier low-grade climbs.
Overlap tongue. This curious construction for a tongue provides twofold benefits. The first is better rearfoot hold, keeping your heel from sliding during lateral maneuvers. The second is the elimination of bunching, resulting in a comfier instep zone and allowing for quicker lace-ups, with or without socks on.
Anti-torsion shank. Returning in this model is the TX Guide’s TPU plate (shank). Its presence allows the sole unit to adapt to various ground conditions, upping stability as a result. It also provides extra rebound, boosting strides and preventing premature leg fatigue at the same time.
Alternatives to the La Sportiva TX Guide Leather
TX2
The lightest of the TX family of approach shoes, the La Sportiva TX2 is something you can opt for if speed is your top priority. It is also quite flexible, making it highly pack-friendly.
TX4
The La Sportiva TX4 is a piece that toughs it out on rugged and extended approaches without being too burly. It is also fully randed, which means you can be a bit more haphazard (or creative?) in climbing low-level boulders in it.