Wearing the wrong shoes or boots on the terrains can cause serious injuries and make your hiking venture a nightmare. When planning for hiking, buy the perfect shoes or boots that will support you on the terrains and provide comfort to the feet or ankles.
Boots or shoes used for hiking or mountaineering purposes have different names. We have curated this guide to explain the difference between approach and hiking shoes, i.e., Approach shoes Vs. Hiking shoes and when to use each one of them.
Approach shoes have got a weird name and a mysterious vibe. You may have heard the name and thought, where do I wear approach shoes? What does approach shoes mean? Climbers use approach shoes to reach or approach their destinations.
The mountain destinations you must climb vertically are difficult to get done with. Approach shoes have anti-slip and powerful grip outsoles that stick to the ground and are known best for scrambling. Scrambling needs shoes with sticky soles while being lightweight on the feet so you can hike within full range.
While hiking shoes are a lightweight alternative to hiking boots that will take you long distances without causing discomfort, they are good performing shoes for flat or steep surfaces.
Also, they are durable and have full traction on the trails so that you may not twist your feet while on a hiking venture. You can walk long distances with the utmost comfort and support from hiking shoes, and they feel as if you are walking barefoot.
If you’re confused between these shoes and don’t know which one suits you, should you buy approach shoes or hiking shoes? Then in the below sections, we will discuss the differences between approach and hiking shoes.
Approach Shoes Vs. Hiking Shoes – Which One To Choose?
A quick answer to your query is that hiking shoes are lightweight, durable, and comfortable shoes that will take you miles ahead on the terrains, while the approach shoes hail from the climbing category and are used for climbing steep surfaces or mountains.
Differences Between Approach Shoes And Hiking Shoes
The key points that differentiate the approach shoes and hiking shoes are to look at the
- Material and soles
- Weight
- Durability and traction
- Water resistance
- Stiffness of the shoes
Before telling the differences, there is a point to be mentioned here: the shoes have a spectrum and different models. For example, some approach shoes would be just like hiking shoes, while few of them may incline towards climbing shoes. The same goes for hiking shoes and any other category you’ll notice.
Many hiking shoes are more inclined toward the hiking boots, while some may overlap in characteristics with the approach shoes. Without further technicalities, Let us dive deep and understand the differences between the shoes and which one will suit you:
Material And Soles
Approach shoes are made from synthetic material, which makes them breathable. Rubber soles have small lugs, which are very good at sticking to dry rocks and providing traction while climbing the mountains.
However, they are not waterproof and don’t perform well in icy regions. They are mostly used in dry, rocky terrains or mountains where you must stick your feet to steeply inclined surfaces to move forward.
Hiking shoes are also breathable and meshed with synthetic material that provides breathability to the feet. The soles of the hiking boots are made of rubber but have large lugs rather than small ones because they don’t have to stick to the ground and provide vertical traction. In other words, you’ll need them to walk on the smooth terrains instead of climbing on the mountains.
Weight Of The Shoes
Since climbing in the mountains means that you need 4D motion and flexibility, the approach shoes are made to provide proper grip and support on the terrains. Therefore they are lightweight. However, they are not much durable or resilient to wear and tear because the flexibility and wide range of motion come at a cost. But, the boots are perfectly fine for climbers or people planning to go for steep surface hiking.
Since hiking boots endure wear and tear, they are made heavyweight compared to the approach shoes. The shoes are comfortable and durable to withstand harsh environments and trails while providing comfort to the feet and traction to the ankles.
Durability And Traction
Regarding durability and traction, hiking shoes take all of the points because you can hike for hours without feeling uncomfortable or exhausted. The rubber soles provide support to the feet, and they can withstand the weight of the backpack while also making you feel zero stress or pressure from the tiny rocks or bumpy terrains by being ultra durable.
Approach shoes are not very much comfortable, and neither are they durable. They wear off quickly, which doesn’t mean they will rip off between the trails. Rather they will not last for a longer time. Their traction is good on vertical heights, whereas, on smooth surfaces, they cannot provide traction as hiking shoes.
Water Resistance
Hiking shoes are breathable and lightweight, which is why they are not very waterproof. Some models provide water resistance, but then the other factors are affected. However, hiking shoes are better at providing resilience against water than approach shoes, which don’t have a waterproof lining. Still, they work perfectly if you are climbing dry mountains.
Stiffness
The stiffness of the approach and hiking shoes varies according to their models. Some models are made to provide a little more stiffness or support than others.
Many approach shoes have stiffer soles with small lugs to protect the feet against tiny rocks that come in between climbing mountains, while hiking shoes have some models with stiffer soles that provide great traction on wet or icy terrains. The hiking shoes are more towards the support and grip rather than having stiffer soles.
Which One Is The Best For Hiking?
Hiking shoes are the best shoes to help you on hiking terrains without hassle. They are extremely durable and comfortable so that you can hike even in harsh weather or on rough surfaces.
The rubber soles are thick to provide traction on the ground and to protect you from getting any pressure or stress from the slight roughness of the trails. The lightweight shoes make you feel like you are walking on clouds. Overall, performance-wise, hiking shoes are the best ones.
Approach shoes are also being used for hiking purposes, but they are not a perfect match for hiking on smooth or not-so-bumpy terrains because their rubber soles are thin, and they cannot withstand much hiking. If you are planning to wear them for climbing roughly to very rough mountains, then they will be perfect for you.
Final Thoughts
Approach shoes vs. hiking shoes, which one to buy? A question that is mixed up confuses almost every other hiker who plans to hike steep surfaces. The shoes have different purposes and are best at what they do.
So if you are planning to climb mountains, you must go for the approach shoes instead of hiking shoes as they have better traction and stickiness to the ground than hiking shoes.
However, if you are buying shoes for general purposes meaning for hiking on the smooth trails, then you don’t need approach shoes as they are not much durable and comfortable for waking for long hours.
Hiking shoes are lightweight, with thick soles to protect the feet against stress or pressure. Approach shoes also have stiffer soles, but since they have a different purposes, they can’t be replaced by hiking shoes.
Moreover, if you are more inclined towards scrambling, then we suggest that, in this case, you can grab a pair of approach shoes because they will be supportive to you on that kind of terrain. So, choosing between the approach shoes and hiking shoes is your choice and the type of terrain you will hike on.