How to Choose Hiking Boots and Shoes

These approach shoes take on rugged backpacking, 4th-class climbing and water crossings. They're stiff and stable even with a heavy load. Dual-purpose soles smear up slabs and descend softer ground.
Imported.
View all Arc'teryx Men's Hiking Shoes| Best Use | Hiking Rock Climbing |
|---|---|
| Gender | Men's |
| Upper | Nubuck leather |
| Midsole | Compressed EVA |
| Outsole | Vibram XS Flash 2 |
| Footwear Height | Ankle |
| Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
| Weight (Pair) | 1 lb. 14.68 oz. |
| Waterproof | Yes |
| Type of Waterproofing | GORE-TEX waterproof/breathable membrane |
| Sustainability | Fair Trade Certifiedâ„¢ Factory |
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After one week of use, I have observed noticeable surface changes on the upper, particularly on the nubuck/suede panels near the eyelet area. The material appears to show uneven discoloration and texture breakdown, giving a worn or degraded appearance despite minimal wear. From visual inspection, this does not appear to be superficial dirt or typical staining. Instead, it looks like the surface finishing or material itself may be deteriorating or inconsistently treated. This is unexpected for a product designed for durability and rugged outdoor use.
The new design and fit are good but very disappointed in the comfort and the Vibram sole. It's the hardest plastic boot or shoe sole I've ever seen. Wishing it was the mega grip type from previous versions. Not sure how this is going to even grip and the tread is very shallow. Seems like it was designed for looks and less comfortable and effective. I do like the top of the shoe and new design features. The bottom half is just disappointing.
Am a volunteer with SAR on the north pacific coast of BC. I bought these shoes as a rugged stiff soled shoe for hiking my SAR bag up steeper inclines. The waterproofing is a must in the coastal rain forest and these shoes have not disappointed. I took them for a few light hikes during a break in period where they were less then comfortable, but now that they are broken in I could not be happier. The stiffness is great for navigating the rooty swampy hills and the traction is amazing! This shoe is not a one tool for every job, but for what I am using it for, it is perfect, well thought out and a confidence boost.
The previous konseal FLs were spectacular. These are extremely stiff, heavy and large. To clip them onto a harness feels so awkward. These are so wildly stiff that I developed raging metatarsal pain after a long approach. They are OK to jam in, but that slight rocker makes getting your foot back out of the crack unsettling. Also - sizing... I sized down almost 2 full sizes and they still feel large. Seeing some delam from the rubber around the medial arch. Lacing system is epic and the sole is definitely grippy on rock, but these are not an upgrade to the FLs or ARs. Good looking shoe, it would make sense if it was named differently. Please bring back those approach shoes :(
The look and fit of this shoe are great, super happy in that respect. The soles are too hard though and I’m having a hard time figuring out what the are meant for. Trying to climb over deadfall and they don’t grip, any sort of moisture in the soil and they don’t grip. They get even worse when the temperature drops, zero grip whatsoever on snow. They also sound like tap shoes on concrete just to add to everything else.
Solid durable shoe- good grip on rock surfacesthe new Konseal felt a little bit stiff with a harder sole when I first started wearing them. Â Over the course of a couple weeks I wore them in and they felt more comfortable. Â I feel like they will last a long time with the stiffer sole and get better over time. Â The grip has been great on wet rocks and perfect for the coastal hiking I do, a little slippery on logs though. Â I feel the grip got better as I wore them in and the shoe became a little more flexible. Â Size 10 fits well but they are slightly narrow in the toe. Very solid shoe. Â
Unfortunately the fit has been changed with these shoes, which was one of the best things about the old shoes. The original shoes had laces right down to the toes but with these they've sewn the tongue into the shoe towards the end of the laces, meaning the shoe cant relax around the toes, it only gets tighter. Maybe if you have really narrow feet this works, but having 4 pairs of the old konseals and being excited to see them come out again it's very disappointing as they're genuinely unusable (unless they fit you, then great, enjoy!).
My third pair of Konseal shoes, they just keep improving the design! I wear these around town whenever it’s raining as they are super minimalist. They take a day to break in but are super comfortable now.
I love the new shoes. They were a little tight though. I even got a half size larger. As I have seen with your products they always run small. Wish you guys would fit true to size better!!!!
I got these shoes for this winter and the snow in the city. So far they are great, definitely feel solid and well made. Definitely solid for the reasoning I bought them