The Coolest Approach Shoes To Buy In 2026

You recognise them from campsites and hiking trails, but now they’re cropping up on the commute and in your local coffee shop. Approach shoes are the latest piece of functional outdoor gear to have been appropriated by the fashion world, but while trail runners and technical shells are generally overkill for day-to-day life, this particular breed of hybrid hiking footwear actually makes a surprising amount of sense in the city.

While trail runners, such as Salomon’s iconic XT-6, tend to feature aggressive lugs and soft, tacky rubber outsoles that wear down quickly on hard surfaces, approach shoes have shallower treads and use much harder compounds that can stand up to pavements incredibly well. Add to that the fact that they’re designed for walking for hours on end (and look good with a pair of jeans) and you’ve got something that’s unintentionally perfect for the daily grind. Plus, if you do happen to take a wrong turn on the way to the bakery and find yourself on the north face of the Eiger, no biggie.

Sold? Us too. Here’s what you need to know about this trending style, plus the brands making the best versions right now.

What are approach shoes?

Arc’teryx

Think of approach shoes as the bridge between walking boots and climbing shoes. As the name suggests, they’re designed for the ‘approach’ to more challenging terrain – comfortable enough for hours of hiking, but stiff and nimble enough for grip and precision when tackling scrambles or via ferrata.

But given that you’re reading about them on a website called Ape To Gentleman, we’ll assume you’re more concerned with the aesthetics than the nuts-and-bolts stuff. In which case, what you should know is that they’re usually made from suede or nubuck, fit close to the foot with a relatively low profile, and tend to have a high rubber rand that runs around the outside to protect from scuffs and scrapes.

Why now?

Salomon

The fact that approach shoes are trending at this particular moment is, we’d suggest, the result of a perfect storm. They’re the natural point at which gorpcore and the prevailing trend for low-profile sneakers intersect.

If you’re looking for something with a functional, outdoorsy aesthetic, but without the bulky, oversized proportions of a trail runner or a boot, this is exactly where you land.

It doesn’t hurt that they look surprisingly good with a pair of jeans and add a bit of colour to otherwise basic outfits either.

The Best Brands For Approach Shoes

Salomon

Salomon may have popularised the trail runner as a fashion item, but its footwear offering doesn’t start and end with the XT-6. We’re talking about one of the most dominant names in alpine footwear here, so it should come as no surprise that approach shoes feature heavily on the menu too.

Models like the X-Alp blur the line between mountain equipment and everyday sneaker, pairing climbing-inspired details with the sort of clean, understated styling that works just as well with selvedge denim as it does with technical trousers.

Expect sticky Contagrip outsoles, protective rubber rands and styling that looks equally at home at basecamp or in the boroughs.

Shop now at END.

La Sportiva

If any one brand can claim to have defined the modern approach shoe, it’s La Sportiva. The Italian climbing specialist has decades of experience designing bomb-proof footwear for serious alpine terrain, and its TX series remains the benchmark for serious athletes and forward-thinking dressers alike.

Best of all, they haven’t quite reached Salomon levels of ubiquity in UK cities yet, so you can relax knowing you’re not going to be 1/100 people wearing the exact same pair of shoes in every pub you visit.

Shop now at La Sportiva

Scarpa

Even more under the radar from a fashion perspective is Scarpa. This Italian brand is beloved by those who spend the bulk of their time in the mountains, known for hitting the sweet spot between performance and refinement.

Its approach shoes retain all of the mountain-ready credentials you’d expect – Vibram soles, protective rands and supportive midsoles – but package them in silhouettes that feel considered rather than aggressively technical. The Mojito, for example, has become something of a cult classic, thanks to its clean lines, suede uppers and distinctive extended lacing.

Shop now at Scarpa

Keen

Keen approaches the category from a slightly different angle. Comfort comes first, with generous fits, cushioned midsoles and robust construction designed for long days on your feet. The styling is a little more utilitarian than some of its European rivals, but that’s part of the appeal.

If your version of the outdoors is less technical scrambling and more weekend walks followed by a pub lunch, Keen offers some of the most practical options around.

Shop now at Farfetch

Galibier

Galibier might not have the same name recognition as some of the bigger outdoor brands, but among footwear enthusiasts it’s something of a hidden gem. The historic French label, owned by the same people who have Paraboot, has been making mountain footwear since the early 20th century, and its approach-inspired models are making a comeback.

The range is small, but the few products it includes more than make up for it, such as the Super Varappe Low: a beautifully made approach shoe that mixes mountain-ready performance with striking good looks and quirky design details like wavy rubber side bumpers that look like mountain peaks.

Shop now at Galibier

Arc’teryx

Arc’teryx rarely does anything by halves, and its approach shoes are no exception. As you’d expect from the Canadian technical powerhouse, the focus is firmly on performance, but in recent years, the brand’s footwear offering has become one of the most aesthetically pleasing selections of any brand too.

Models such as the Konseal manage to look sleek rather than bulky, and minimalistic rather than overtly technical. This means that they’ll see you right in the great outdoors, but equally, they won’t look jarring when worn with casual clothing – quite the opposite, in fact.

Shop now at END.

Mammut

Swiss brand Mammut has spent over 160 years refining equipment for serious mountain use, and that expertise carries through into its footwear. Its approach shoes prioritise stability and durability, making them excellent companions for uneven terrain, while restrained styling keeps them from looking out of place on city streets.

They’re perhaps less fashion-forward than some of the newer names on this list, but that’s no bad thing. The brand has even leant fully into that fact in the past with its ‘not a fashion brand’ advertising campaign, which took a not-so-subtle jab at labels such as Arc’teryx and The North Face, who are often accused by serious outdoor consumers of watering down their product offering to appease the masses.

Shop now at Mammut

The North Face

Speaking of which, The North Face has become as much a streetwear staple as an outdoor brand, so it was only a matter of time before its approach-inspired footwear followed suit. Recent models strike an effective balance between technical performance and everyday wearability, borrowing cues from climbing shoes without feeling overly niche.

Your first stop should be the Verto, which is available in some great high-contrast colourways and features a nice tacky Vibram Megagrip outsole.

Shop now at The North Face

Diemme

Veneto-based Diemme comes at the approach-shoe silhouette from the opposite direction. Handmade in Italy using premium leathers and traditional shoemaking techniques, its approach-inspired footwear feels more like a luxury sneaker than a mountain tool.

The climbing DNA is still there – extended lacing, protective rands and Vibram soles all make an appearance – but it’s delivered with a bit of polish that sits comfortably alongside tailoring, workwear and outdoor gear.

Shop now at MR PORTER

ROA

Few brands have done more to drag the approach shoe into fashion’s spotlight than ROA. Founded in Italy, the label takes genuine mountain functionality and filters it through a distinctly contemporary design lens, producing footwear that’s become a fixture at fashion weeks and design studios alike.

Chunkier than many traditional approach shoes, they’re still unmistakably climbing-inspired, with technical materials, aggressive sole units and premium construction.

Shop now at Farfetch

Village PM

If you haven’t come across Village PM already, allow us to introduce you to one of the most interesting footwear brands to emerge in recent years.

The Parisian label isn’t producing approach shoes in the most traditional sense of the term, but their off-beat skate footwear borrows heavily from the style, with a high rubber rand, to-the-toe lacing and even climbing-inspired dual heel pull tabs.

Shop now at Village PM

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