La Sportiva TX4 Review

The heaviest shoe in La Sportiva's Traverse X series, the TX4 is a great hiking shoe that happens to climb exceptionally well. The wider-than-average-Sportiva toe box makes for a comfortable approach to your next adventure, whether deep in the backcountry or just a stroll through the woods to the sport crag. Thanks to some sticky Vibram rubber and just enough stiffness, the TX4 can still handle low-angle slabs and easy crack climbing should it stand between you and the technical climbing part of your adventure.

Performance Comparison

Climbing Ability

Our testers are psyched that a comfortable shoe can climb almost as well as the stiffer, narrower models out there. The sensitive “climbing zone” located at the toe of the TX4 makes it easier to feel smaller edges down to a quarter of an inch, and the shoe is just stiff enough to make use of them. The TX4 smears almost as well as the best approach shoes on the market.

Due to the softer feel of the toe box, the TX4 doesn't perform as well as others in hand cracks and flares. But it's still stiff enough to stand on as you shove your leather-protected feet in low-angle cracks from two inches on up. Plus, the tongue is padded and will keep your feet comfy, even after hundreds of feet of crack torquing.

Hiking Comfort

The TX4 is our tester's favorite shoe for long approaches with heavy packs. The lacing system offers the same heel wrap-around style as other popular La Sportiva climbing shoes. The result is a highly adjustable system that allows you to dial in the tightness of this shoe easily, all the way down to the toe. This means you can cinch it down for more security when venturing into technical terrain, but still keep things loose higher up on the shoe if you've got high arches and high-volume feet.

We enjoyed the full toe box at the end of long hiking days when our feet started to swell, and found the TX4 to more comfortable than the traditionally narrow cut of other La Sportiva shoes. The Traverse-injected MEMlex midsole kept our testers stable and comfortable as we descended hundreds of feet of talus and scree in the Sierra. A visual inspection of the sole reveals the fat lugs that provide superior traction in slippery mud and ball-bearing-like gravel.

Weight & Packability

If the TX4 has a weakness, it's weight and bulkiness. Weighing in at 26.2 oz, this shoe is not as comfortable or light on the back of our harnesses as the ultralight and lower profile models. However, the comfortable and supportive TX4 is still lighter than some less supportive options.

Easily clip-able loops on the heel of these shoes make for secure clipping when it's time to rope up and put on actual climbing shoes. We had some questions about the durability of the pull tabs, as they are a part of the ankle lacing system and stretched out the more we used them. But after hundreds of times of pulling them off and on, the pull tabs still haven't broken.

Support

When you're carrying big loads into the backcountry – to the base of El Cap, for example, or while guiding – support is key, and the TX4 offers loads of it.

The stiff midsole is one of the more supportive soles of any shoe in our lineup. Combined with its hiking comfort, we feel this is the best approach shoe for carrying heavy loads into the backcountry. If it still doesn't have enough support for you, you may need to wear heavier hiking boots instead of approach shoes.

Construction Quality

The construction quality of the La Sportiva TX4 is excellent, and we have observed supreme durability in this shoe over our many years of testing. The thick Vibram rubber sole can take a beating, and the leather upper can jam into cracks and be dragged across grainy rock again and again without showing much wear. Unlike some other popular shoes, there is no exposed foam that could degrade easily.

With rubber wrapped around the bottom part of the leather upper, this shoe is a fortress against sharp rock and pokey branches. Metal eyelets protect the top three lace holes, which are the most likely place to blow out if a user cranks down on their laces. Overall, these shoes are bomber and should last for years of heavy use.

Should You Buy the La Sportiva TX4?

The TX4 is one of the most durable and supportive approach shoes on the market and has been for years. If you expect lots of hiking, hauling packs, and even aid climbing, this shoe can't be beaten. However, if you are looking for a lighter, more nimble shoe for technical climbing and shorter approaches, we recommend looking elsewhere. They represent a great value, thanks to their reasonable price and long-lasting construction quality.

What Other Approach Shoes Should You Consider?

The La Sportiva TX4 is time-tested for support and durability. The La Sportiva TX3 is a very similar shoe to the TX4, with mesh uppers instead of leather. But suppose you're looking for a similar shoe that can do it all with even better climbing ability. If that's the case, we recommend either the La Sportiva TX Guide if you have narrow feet or the Scarpa Mescalito Planet if you have wide feet. If you want the comfiest shoe for long trail miles, the Arc'teryx Vertex Alpine is a supportive trail running shoe with sticky rubber. And if you are looking for similar performance at an even better price, the Scarpa Crux is a great option.