Black Diamond Technician Approach Review
Compare prices at 3 resellers Pros: Climbing specific construction, lightweight, affordable
Cons: Not a good hiker, narrow, rubber not the stickiest
Manufacturer: Black Diamond Equipment
Our Verdict
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Black Diamond Technician Approach | |||||
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| Price | Check Price at REI Compare at 3 sellers | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Pros | Climbing specific construction, lightweight, affordable | Lightweight, comfortable, supportive, climb well | Stiff for edging and standing in aiders, excellent for scambling, good hiking support | Awesome balance of hiking and climbing abilities, great support | Durable, great traction in dirt and mud, excellent value, workhorse approach shoe |
| Cons | Not a good hiker, narrow, rubber not the stickiest | Synthetic uppers not as durable as leather | More narrow than the rest of the TX line, expensive | Relatively heavy and bulky | Heavy and bulky, especially when carrying on your harness or in a pack |
| Bottom Line | A climbing-centric narrow fitting apporach shoe for those who value performance over comfort | These are our first recommendation for the majority of climbers due to elite all-around performance | A great shoe for climbing guides or anyone who needs support for hiking but also a precision fit for climbing | This model combines high performance with the ability to handle big loads | These durable shoes are well-equipped for miles of hiking and scrambling at a great price |
| Rating Categories | Black Diamond Techn... | La Sportiva TX2 | La Sportiva TX Guide | La Sportiva TX4 | La Sportiva Boulder X |
| Climbing Ability (35%) | |||||
| Hiking Comfort (25%) | |||||
| Support (20%) | |||||
| Weight And Packability (20%) | |||||
| Specs | Black Diamond Techn... | La Sportiva TX2 | La Sportiva TX Guide | La Sportiva TX4 | La Sportiva Boulder X |
| Outsole | BlackLabel | Vibram Mega-Grip | Vibram Mega-Grip | Vibram Mega-Grip with Trail Bite heel | Vibram Idro-Grip V-Smear dot pattern |
| Upper Material | EnduroKnit | Polyester mesh | synthetic TPU, PU | Leather | Leather |
| Weight per Pair (in oz) | 24.1 oz (size 10.5) | 20.3 oz (size 9.5) | 24.8 oz (size 9.5) | 26.2 oz (size 9.5) | 32.8 oz (size 9.5) |
| Width Options | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular |
| Mid Height Available? | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Midsole | EVA | Mem-lex/C2 Combo Cord | dual-density compressed EVA, TPU Torsion Shank | Traverse injection MEMlex | Micropore EVA |
| Sticky Rubber? Toe Rand? | Yes, Yes | Yes, Yes | Yes, Yes | Yes, Yes | Yes, Yes |
Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
Climbing Ability
Almost every design detail in the Technician is targeted towards increasing climbing performance. It's one of the best approach shoes for climbing available, and will surely produce some converts from other brands. Ultimately, any climbing centric shoe comes down to fit, and for some, this narrow shoe will have to be sized up at the cost of climbing performance.
Edging
The outsole on Technician has the largest climbing zone and climbing edge of any shoe on the market. The toe rand encloses the EVA midsole with a generous amount of rubber which aids in stiffening the toe area with the goal to increase power transfer through the edging platform.
The narrow last and the enhanced lacing system–which ties into the midsole of the shoe–work together to decrease unwanted movement in the forefoot when climbing. Unfortunately, for those with a wide forefoot, the narrow last means it's a tight squeeze and will require sizing up a 1/2 size or more from your street shoe. This could result in a decrease in edging performance from a resultant loss in sensitivity from a shoe that is now longer than desirable.
Smearing
The outsole itself is the most climbing-specific with its big climbing zone and tight circle-dot lug spacing. The shoe isn't overly stiff which allows for as much rubber-to-rock contact underfoot as possible. This combination should lead to top smearing performance. Unfortunately, the Black Label rubber is a bit less sticky than other well-known compounds and hurt it's smearing performance.
Crack Climbing
This is a great shoe for crack climbing. The generous rubber used in the toe construction optimizes friction in cracks, protects your toes and the midsole and upper from damage caused by repeated abuse in cracks. One drawback of the Technician's tight fit was less comfort when jamming in cracks since the toes are already squished together.
Hiking Comfort
After the Technician was built for performance, there wasn't a lot of literal wiggle room left for developing a cushy ride. For those with a wide forefoot, you'll want to size up a 1/2 size, and you can still expect a slim fit. It's another skate-shoe-like flat-soled shoe, so it lacks the heel-toe transition you'd want from a good hiking shoe. If you're after a comfy high mileage ride to the crag, you'll want to a different pair of kicks.
Support
This shoe is not terribly stiff nor supportive. It has less torsional stiffness than most other approach shoes, especially the beefier hiking-centric shoes we tested. The climbing-centric outsole design is less ideal for traction in dirt and mud. If you're after support for carrying heavy loads over uneven terrain, there are more supportive shoes than the Technician.
Weight And Packability
While not the absolute lightest shoe we tested, it's in the top 5 and makes a great choice for those who need a decent shoe that will be regularly clipped to their harness. Our pair of size 10.5 US Men's weigh 24.1 oz.
Value
The Technician is a nice shoe, but we tested other approach shoes that are more well-rounded and in the same or even lower price range. We struggle to find great value here considering what else you could buy instead.
Conclusion
Despite the Black Diamond Technician Approach being the most climbing-specific approach shoe on the market, it still wasn't the top performer in our testing. Ultimately, the climbing performance will come down to the fit for each individual, and for some folks a wide forefoot, this shoe will be a trade-off between hiking comfort and climbing performance.
— Sean Haverstock