Arc'teryx  Vertex Alpine GTX Approach Shoes - Men's

I've trail-tested my Vertex Alpine Shoes at Stawamus Chief and found them comfortable with great traction on slippery boulders. They have stability and comfort, making them great for hiking and trail running.

This is my second pair of Arcteryx footwear, my first pair were the Aerios 2 FL. This pairs upper split where a crease developed just behind the toe. A replacement could not be supplied so I was refunded and I purchased this model. Unfortunately after just a couple of months infrequent use, the rear pull tab (which is essential to pull this design on, due to the internal sockets style design) just pulled away from the upper breaking it's stitching. I've always been a bit fan of the brand, owning numerous items of clothing and back packs but I think I need to search for an alternative footwear brand.

Great alpine grippy shoe. The sock/gaiter keeps snow, debris out of your shoe surprisingly well. I love how well they work on rock. The Achilles heel has been the front and rear pull tabs. First the fabric separated below the front pull and over a few uses the rear pull tabs has started to separate. This may have been resolved with newer versions of this show. The back sock area at the heel pull is now starting to separate. I have filled out a product service request today. I'm sure Arc will fix or resolve this issue. I'm sure this issue has been needed up in newer models.

Bought these around 8 months ago, I'm a postman in scotland so I have covered hundreds of miles in these trainers. First 2 months, great no problems at all very comfortable and weatherproof. 3rd month of wearing started to notice wear on the inside of both trainers where the toes crease. And gradually over the next few months they got worse and worse. They are no longer weatherproof.

Painfully uncomfortable shoes. I have had Arcteryx hiking shows for several years and they were very comfortable. I bought these as a replacement and they felt fine initially walking around the house. Went on my first outside hike in them and less than a quarter mile from home I started to feel a lot of pressure and pain on the top of my foot just over the ball of the foot. Continued walking and by the end of the 2 mile hike everything was hurting everywhere. Returned them after that. Thankfully REI's return policy is amazing. Will try something else I guess.

Love the design, sock like fit and how light these are! A unique shoe for sure. Although they have some conns; After about 10km they started cutting in right below my ankle making it painful to walk, I resolved that with rising my heel by inserting a thicker insole. Another one is the stickiness, someone mentioned they are sticky but for me I thought these are probably the most slippery shoes I've had on in a while. Perhaps the rubber needs some breaking in.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] at first, these show felt a bit strange, but once you realize just how stick the sole is… they are a game changer for scrambling up the mountains near home!

Waterproof? I think so. Sticky? yes! sometimes a bit too much. Short approach? yes! Long approach? Nooo ... I've used them for objectives at the High Sierra Nevada and at El Chalten Massif, where approaches are at least 6 hours and up to 10 hours long, and on the way back they are torture. Too hard landing with a heavy pack. Gaiter useful? I'm not sure. It is a pain in the neck to get them on. Specially an issue when you need to get out of the tent in the middle of the night and it's cold; requires a special body position to pull them with both hands and avoid fighting to put them on. On the trail they seem to provide protection specially on scree, preventing pebbles to get inside, however, once inside, as with any other shoe, you need to get them off to remove the dirt, but we go back to needing a special position to put them back on, which might require to get your backpack off or finding a good rock to aid with the maneuver. Lace pocket helpful - yes. Light? - Yes. Durable? - Yes. Super rugged.

Very comfortable. I prefer a narrower toe box and this box is very comfortable, similar to most Adidas versus Nike which in my experience runs wider. Lots of support throughout the shoe to carry the load while on the trail. And really like knit collar. I enjoy many brands when on the trail and was a little skeptical about trying Arc’teryx. So glad I gave it a try and it is quickly one of my favorites. Looking forward to putting many miles and adventures with the GTX.

These are realistically a great pair for a mix of trail/hiking/approach. The added details from a more traditional trail runner are a nice touch, but the biggest issue is just the stiffness of the upper material. Even though the front toe box is nice and wide, especially if you have some wider feet (I am a size 8E), the stiffness of the upper material can create pretty severe pressure/hot spots on the top of your foot. Although this may not happen to everybody, there are enough reviews at this point regarding the same issue that these should be redesigned with a softer upper entirely. Sure you kind of get the best of both worlds with what is essentially a trail runner and approach shoe combined, but with the potential amount of discomfort these bring, it would be worth it instead to bring a pair for each respective terrain.