Vertex Alpine GTX Approach Shoes - Men's

About this find

The Vertex Alpine GTX is an ankle-height, lace-up approach shoe for rock climbing and hiking. Its upper is made from CORDURA recycled PES, which is lightweight, durable and abrasion resistant. A PFCec-free DWR treatment has been added to the upper, and a toe cap gives extra protection and abrasion resistance at the front of the shoe.

A full GORE-TEX waterproof and breathable liner seals out wet and snow. The knit collar keeps debris out and joins with the tongue to create a secure, socklike fit. An integrated tongue pocket tucks your laces away so they are less likely to snag or come untied. Tuck the loose lace ends into that pocket after tying and you can walk without stopping to retie. Integrated carabiner attachment points make the shoes easy to carry.

Underfoot, the sticky Vibram XS Flash 2 outsole is built for grip in wet and dry conditions. Its ergonomically patterned 4 mm lugs are designed to hold when edging while still giving traction on the trail. The EVA and polyolefin midsole has a higher abrasion component in the forefoot for scrambling, and a TPU shank adds underfoot protection and stiffness for improved stability.

The offset is 8 mm, with an 18 mm stack height at the heel and 10 mm at the forefoot. A pair of these men's shoes weighs 1 lb. 8 oz. That pairs a recycled upper and waterproof liner with grippy rubber for the walk-in, the scramble and the rock itself.