HikeArizona.COM

1. What is/are your favorite Approach Shoe(s)

2. For those who have had the privilege of wearing the 5-10 Camp 4’s (and LIKED them… cuz it’s probably NOT your cup of tea if ya don’t venture off trail or if you value light weight over breaking a toe), what other shoes (if any) did you find similar.

My answers:
TBD

@LindaAnn
I’m sure (or at least I hope) there is a shoe out there that equals or betters the Camp 4 in terms of the simple attributes I look for.

I did not twist an ankle in the Salewas and my leg muscles are insanely strong… it goes a little something like this: if you took two average citizens (in terms of roughly AVERAGE financial status and AVERAGE strength & athletic ability and designed a challenge (race style where fastest time wins) over poo mess terrain with ‘ankle breaking rocks’ such that the winner is awarded $1M, then you better believe that (if one were wearing the Camp 4’s and the other the Mountain Trainers, the person with the Camp 4s would win OR (if the person in the Salewas happened to win, their victory would come at the expense of twisted ankles… sorta like designing a race on a poo mess dirt road between a Subaru Outback and Jeep Rubicon. Assuming neither vehicle had any off road enhancements, the Rubicon is clearly going to be the more capable vehicle in such circumstances.

This is NOT a matter of ankle/muscle strength but a matter of physics. And not “just” my opinion but that of top notch shoe repair place that saw BOTH shoe.

Secondly… (sort of like relationships / jobs/ other areas of life), many people out there either:
a) Suffer in silence (with pathetic or mediocre); and/or
b) THINK they have found good/decent (spouse/job/product/etc) BUT in reality are sorely lacking because they’ve never been fortunate enough to experience GREATNESS. If they are either satisfied or happy, more power to them. But as someone who’s experienced true GREATNESS (in the Five Ten Camp 4), I’m not giving up and I’m going to call out the bullish!t in the process (in terms of where other shoes fall short). Some aspects are a matter of opinion (clearly!) but many are very objective and can be measured like protectiveness of a toe guard, tread depth, etc.

@LindaAnn
More simply stated:
Rocky poo mess terrain IS NATURALLY going to torque your feet to some degree and there is less shoe (in terms of the width of the bottom of the heel area) to buffer that torque (in the Mountain Trainer VS the Camp 4) and as such this makes the Mountain Trainer a lot more prone to resulting in twisted ankles.

I can see it now.

The new globally preeminent shoe brand "Experience Greatness", available at Big 5, Ralphie's Red Ryder, and other outdoor retailers.

The potential is endless!

@chumley
Theoretically I could but I'm sure you're heard of the 80/20 rule in business.

It's ALL ABOUT MARKETING (and the general 'grin & bear it attitude in general of the population). Sadly, MOST folks fall for a product that is superior only in terms of its marketing (which usually involves top $ put in) VS a truly SUPERIOR product.

I may not have the time or money to start my own shoe company, but you better believe I'll make enough noise to call out the $cum features / massive shortcomings while I search for a HALFWAY decent replacement.

@chumley
LOL! In terms of slogans, I already have a few that are catchy / brilliant but it will take a lot more than a catchy slogan to sell a great product...

@AZHiker456
This isn't about finding your soulmate, this isn't about choosing a house or vehicle, this isn't about choosing a career. This is about wearing some footwear for a few hundred miles then throwing them away.

I so wish I had never even commented that I liked a certain pair of shoes because now my name has been tagged in several word-vomit posts containing ever changing shoe criteria, all caps yelling, and colored font to make some inane point--all over some shoes.

Yeah, it's a hassle sometimes to find shoes you like, especially when something you like has been discontinued, but it's not that big of a deal. Everybody has the exact same shoe retail options available to them as you do, and most people find a shoe they like and not just because they are settling or don't know any better, but because they are just shoes and they know they don't have to wear them forever. The problem in this case seems to lie with only one person. Someone with supposedly "superior abilities" should be able to handle offtrail hiking up and down steep rocks in pretty much any shoe designed for that activity. Seems like everyone else is doing just fine. All of these mountains around here were climbed thousands or hundreds of years ago by Native Americans and early explorers without the benefit of fancy approach shoes.

Good luck in your search, but I am not the least bit interested in it, nor am I interested in being tagged in endless replies that are nothing but complaints. There are plenty of people out there who have to hike in their same shoes they wear day to day, or only have one cheap pair of hiking shoes they have to make last. I don't hear them complaining about every little issue. They are simply enjoying their time outside in whatever way they can manage.

LindaAnn

My partner uses La Sportiva TX4 mids for when we're going XC in the Sierra Nevada and they work really well. If we're doing a trip that will have some scree/talus she'll have them in the back of her pack while sticking with NB Minimus v1s when she can. They're a great balance of a being low drop, low cushion, super light, but still pretty robust and able to handle class 2-4 quite well. I go for heavier boots, but I have a bad ankle that needs the support if I'm doing elevation with a week+ pack.

LindaAnn
I rarely agree with you - but yes, thanks!

Kumbaya! Can we get toughboots in here?

@LindaAnn
Clearly one or a combination of things is going on here:
1. You are jealous that you're not able (for whatever reason) to engage in as hardcore and awesome adventures as I am... (AND then blow up when your feelings get hurt when I've set the bar straight)... EXECUTE THIS, SOLO, and record a GPS route to prove it: [ gps route ] Until then, you're seriously just all talk.


2. You're simply not as passionate as I am about hiking/off-trail adventuring and therefore don't understand.

@eru
Thank you for the suggestion!

It's a funny thing when you talk about shoes more than you do about actually hiking and backpacking experiences.
Just saying.....

@SuperstitionGuy
EXACTLY why I now keep 99.9% of my hiking experiences [nothing to talk about re: backpacking as I only do that if I'm talked in to it] to myself!

You can still buy camp 4's on ebay. some new shoes too depending on size. Don't know about the iterations of the shoe and don't really care. I've had a pair in the past and they were too low cut for me, I prefer mids in my hiking shoe/boots. For me off trail the best have been the Garmonts. I buy men's for the width. No longer made but I've hoarded a few pairs. Great grip even when wet.
BTW your confidence in yourself is admirable but off putting as far as accepting real opinions. Just remember there are always those who are more hardcore than you, and most of them do not brag about that, it is just a fact. And what does it matter anyway.

@RedRoxx44
Thank you for your suggestions; very solid! YES, as a matter of fact, the ONLY Camp 4's I've been able to score in the past 2-3 years have been off ebay.

I just ordered a pair of these.

https://imgr.search.brave.com/XzafKUAtF ... cwOTMuanBn

I have friends who put in a lot of off-trail Grand Canyon miles(including class 4 scrambles) in cheap New Balance trail runners. Just sayin'

@RedwallNHops
I used to do EVERYTHING in cheap Reebok RUNNING shoes...
You're totally missing the point

I actually am a fan of Sportiva Tx3 and Tx4 and use them for a variety of applications(off trail scrambling, canyoneering, caving, moderate backcountry climbs). The biggest reason I like them is the fact they're comfy(on me) on long mileage treks. Following because I don't like how long they last per the price. I actually do like New Balance trail runners but they're too squishy for me. I'm jealous of my friends who use them for everything.