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!

Performs well, while it lasts. I experienced the issue where the leather upper tears just above the attachment to the sole. That being said, the lacing tensioning system, the rubber outsole, and the foam midsole are not particularly durable either. The Evo is not as sensitive as the original TX2 leather either, so it is mostly a downgrade in climbing performance, despite the softer rubber on the outsole. I am not a fan of soft EVA foam midsoles in approach shoes. I would prefer a thinner zero drop midsole and made of the firmer PU material used in the TX4 Evo.

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 bought this as a very light weight approach shoe for multi pitch climbs where I have to carry my shoes for the descent. I have large feet, 46, and a guide approach shoe is too heavy and bulky for me. These I can hang off the back of my harness. They climb well too for sketchy fourth class approaches and descents. However the light weight and climbing ability have trade offs with comfort and support. I would never use these for a long approach or heavy pack. Your feet will get beat up and hurt! I have regular approach shoes and boots for that.

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.