La Sportiva  TX2 EVO Leather Approach Shoes - Men's

This could be a great shoe but sadly this model has major durability issues. I’ve had three pairs all replaced under warranty, and every single pair has started to fall apart (completely tear) where the leather meets the outer sole within 1 month. It’s funny because I recently saw my friend who has the same pair and sure enough his was completely torn open at the same spot. The last TX2 Leather model I had lasted 3 years and a resole without ever tearing. Please fix this issue with the TX2s La Sportiva!

Bought because I liked the idea of an approach shoe that can be resoled, I've had La Sportiva's in the past and my only complaint is how fast the soles wear down. This seemed like a great option but now 3 month after purchase the right sole is falling off and REI has no idea how to get the resoling done, La Sportiva has nothing about having it done on their website and the climbing shoe resoler I've used in three past would cost almost as much as the shoes. Would love to love them but aside from comfort they've been a let down at every step.

This is almost a full blown climbing shoe. Not the shoe for big approaches or loose stuff. Great for technical approaches and down climbs. The sole is super sticky and will wear out fast. Can be resoled at major climbing shoe resolers, e.g., Tahoe Gripworks, for about half the cost of new. Me likey.

I find the shoes are both comfortable for hiking long distances on packed trails and for scrambling/climbing low fifth-class terrain. I love that I can jam these shoes in cracks without destroying them. The shoes are less sensitive than the previous versions of the TX2, but still more sensitive than the TX3 / TX4. I find the slightly stiffer sole is a little bit better for edging, but worse for smearing than the previous TX2 model. The toe box is wide enough to allow my feet to splay, without any pain. I have a relatively low instep and low volume heel, and I have not had any issues cranking down on the laces to get a snug fit. While I like the relatively thin midsole in the forefoot, I do wish the midsole in the heel was thinner. I would love to see La Sportiva reduce the heel drop in these shoes, especially since the TX4 Evo covers the folks that want a thicker midsole. The combo cord is not very useful, in my opinion. The heel cup doesn’t collapse when you strap the shoes together with the combo cord. I prefer to carry the shoes in a pack, while climbing. While I haven’t used these in wet conditions, I have seen other people report that the hole used to attach the combo cord allows water ingress. I cannot comment on the durability yet. The lugs under the ball of the foot will probably wear more quickly than I would like, but they should hopefully be easy to resole.