“Getting to the crag is half the fun!” said no one, ever. Approaches include everything from sopping-wet sufferfests in the North Cascades, to dusty scrambles across North Mountain, to rolling out of the car at Rifle. Fittingly there’s a shoe to get every woman to her proj and back. These are my picks for the best women’s climbing approach shoes that make getting to the crag if not more fun, then certainly more stylish and comfortable.

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The Arc’teryx Konseal FL 2 shed some weight and let off some steam with this updated, better-ventilated second edition. I love these shoes for approaches of any distance, even when carrying a heavy pack or slogging over uneven terrain. The running-shoe-inspired design feels great when putting in miles on trails. The easily cinched round laces with a stiffer toe box provides enough support for modest slab-ineering or short technical rock sections. They’re also well cushioned and flexible for long belay sessions at sport crags. These shoes are my favorite all-around approach shoes. If I had to pick just one pair, this is it.

Specifications

L

All-around approach shoe for a variety of terrain

L

Running shoe feel that can still hold an edge

L

$145

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The Mammut Hueco Knit Low are the closest I’ve come to the comfort of a sandal, without the crappy-belay inducing side effects. The woven uppers are super breathable on hot days, while the flexible lugged soles provide enough traction to get up short, loose trails. These flip-flop wannabes are even comfortable without socks, and easily slip on and off without untying, for ultimate between-goes ease. Best for shorter strolls, these aren’t the choice for long walks with a heavy pack, but they’ll be your best friend for low mileage approaches on hot summer days.

Specifications

L

Lightweight, highly breathable, woven uppers

L

Grippy, flexible soles

L

$119

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The Scarpa Rapid Women’s takes the best parts of all the shoes piled by your front door, without ever sacrificing performance too much in any one area. They run, hike, and scramble up that little tower over there to get a better view.

I choose these for days involving a little bit of everything while covering ground in the mountains. They’re light and nimble enough to take it up to jog, and I could also move decently well on rock without feeling like I was standing on marshmallows. The Rapids kept my feet happy and cool on hot days and dried quickly after stream crossings. This wonder chimera of a shoe is my pick for those multi-sporty mountain days that are as likely to include a summit as a crag.

Specifications

L

Nimble trail runner feel with some climbing ability

L

Super light and fast drying

L

$149

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Feeling fine in the BD Prime. The Black Diamond Prime approach shoes have around-town worthy looks, with enough technical features to hold their own in the wild. The low profile treads, and minimal midsoles make the Prime insanely grippy and sensitive on off-kilter and rocky terrain. I choose them on short, scrappy approaches, the likes of which you might find at Joe’s Valley. But my feet got fatigued on longer hikes with a heavier load. The wide flat edging area beneath the big toe gave them enough climbability to wear for some mellow warm up moves. They pull on and off easily, and the suede uppers are durable making them great for places with mean little jaunts on crappy trails.

Specifications

L

Sensitive, grippy soles

L

Durable leather uppers

L

$124.95

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For long days on rocky or loose terrain, and all the foot pounding, ankle twisting, heavy packing that comes with it, the Salewa Wildfire Edge is my top pick. These are the burliest shoes I tested, with beefy lugs, to-the-toe laces, and tough leather uppers with a plastic grid fused on top, they shielded my feet from miles of abuse. The Wildfire deftly mixes a flexible and plushly cushioned mid-shoe that’s comfortable on trail, with a stiff, and surprisingly precise, toe box that edges quite well. They were great on rocky ridge scrambles as well as loose, knee bashing descents. The laces can be cinched down tight to activate a heel tensioning system, but I didn’t feel a major increase beyond what I’d expect from just tying my shoes tighter. Multiple footbed options are a nice addition to fine tune the fit if you have unusually finicky feet.

Specifications

L

Well cushioned, technical shoe

L

Sturdy leather uppers and aggressive lugs

L

$169.95

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