Scarpa Rapid XT review: a classic approach shoe from the Italian mountain footwear giant

Few footwear brands boast Scarpa’s reputation for quality mountain footwear. Since 1930, the Italian brand has been crafting shoes for the peaks from its alpine home. It was founded by an Anglo-Irish businessman, Rupert Edward Cecil Lee Guinness, the second Earl of Iveagh. He named the brand Scarpa, a jumbled acronym for Calzaturieri Asolani Riuniti Pedemontana Anonima (the Association of Footwear Manufacturers from the mountain area of Asolo). However, anyone who speaks Italian will know this is a case of the tail wagging the dog, as Scarpa is also Italian for… shoe.

Scarpa’s range includes approach shoes, like these, plus mountaineering (arguably the brand’s forte), ski touring, climbing, hiking, trail-running and lifestyle footwear. If you're asking yourself, 'what are approach shoes?' – they sit in the middle ground between climbing shoes and hiking shoes, offering some of the precision and grip on rock of the former, with the comfort and everyday wear qualities of the latter. Mountain guides love approach shoes, as they allow them to comfortably take clients on easy climbs, without the need to swap hiking shoes out for climbing shoes.

The Rapid XT is a fast and light approach shoe, ideal for multi-pitch climbs and at the 'meeting point between hiking, running and climbing, taking the best from each category' according to Scarpa. It’s also been available as a Gore-Tex version in Europe for a while, and the mid cut version is a recent addition to Scarpa's range in the US.

First impressions

This immediately struck me as a no-nonsense, classic approach shoe, with the good looks we’ve come to expect from Scarpa. First wear reveals in the inside to be a little bit rough and ready, not as lovingly padded as something like the Zamberlan El Cap approach shoe, which is admittedly 100g (3.5oz) heavier per pair. However, if you’re used to plush comfort in your hiking and scrambling footwear, this might be a bit of a shock.

The rough and ready theme continues in the generous, wrap-around TPU rand, which is designed to provide high levels of protection against rock abrasion. This is an armadillo of a shoe, with its durable leather upper and protective features. If you’re looking for kitten-soft comfort, this isn’t the pair for you. But then, you're after something you can ram into a crack between rock faces, not something to tickle under the chin.

It's no surprise to see Vibram Megagrip put to use in the outsole. This rubber compound is a mainstay in approach shoes, providing excellent traction on both wet and dry rock. There’s also the usual climbing zone, a region of flat rubber on the outsole under the toes, designed for maximum grip when edging and smearing.

An impressive feature set

As well as the climbing zone, the Vibram Megagrip sole boasts a brake system at the back, featuring another flat section. Between the two are the kind of deep lugs you’ll see in all kinds of hiking shoes and boots. This means the Rapid XT grips a variety of trail surfaces well, from boulders to gloopy mud. The Megagrip compound is also extremely durable, so should last an age.

Moving up through the shoe we come to the EVA midsole, complimented by a TPU insert in the medial area and an Ortholite insole. This is designed to improve stability, which is also enhanced by the width of the sole towards the toes. The sole is around 4.3in (11cm) at its widest here, compared to 3.8in (9.5cm) in the Zamberlan Salathés that I reviewed last year. It’s also wider towards the heel too: 3.1in (7.9cm) compared to the 3in (7.6cm) in the Salathés. A wider approach shoe means more stability on the trails. However, it makes it less precise on the rock and less adept at squeezing into cracks on a climb. This points to an approach shoes that’s aimed more towards the hiking rather than climbing end of the spectrum.

This is backed up by the lacing system, which stops a little further short of the toes than many approach shoe designs, including the Scarpa Crux, a mainstay among mountain instructors. Climbers like laces that go right up to the toes as this allows for a tight, precise fit in this crucial area. The Rapid XT’s relaxed lace system is more akin to standard hiking footwear. Indeed, the shoe sits in Scarpa’s ‘Fast and light’ category, rather than its ‘climbing orientated’ category. This is further exemplified by a broader toe than on some approach shoes, a feature designed for comfort on the trails rather than really precise edging on technical trad climbs.

The gusseted tongue and the upper heel region are the most padded, a feature that’s lacking around the toes or along the sides. The gusseting stops pesky trail debris from sneaking in and causing havoc. Maybe a little more luxury within the shoe would have been nice. But then, they'd have been heavier, so it's perhaps a decent compromise.

On the rocks

I’ve been wearing the Rapid XTs throughout winter, spring and summer, testing them on some of the UK’s classic crags and trails. I've worn them as both my main pair of shoes for the day and as an approach pair before changing into climbing shoes or, in winter, my mountaineering boots.

As expected, they’re superb on rock. They’re protective and nimble in the same instance and, while they’re not quite as precise as some, they’re still very well suited to hard scrambling and easy climbing. In fact, they’re absolutely ideal for the kind of ground where scrambling becomes climbing – think easy multi-pitch climbs, sustained via ferratas or long days on dry rock where speed is half the battle. The Isle of Skye’s Black Cuillin, the Alta Vias of the Dolomites or Corsica’s GR20 spring to mind.

When it comes to grip, I found they provided confidence when smearing up slabby sections, the Megagrip holding dry rock with aplomb. The outsole is rigid enough towards the toes that it allowed me to plant my feet on the kind of smaller holds I’d think twice about when wearing trail shoes. Yet there’s flexibility too, so they didn’t feel as uncompromisingly stiff as a pair of mountaineering boots.

The Megagrip compound is renowned for its hold on wet rock and, while obviously not as strong as on the dry stuff, it provided reassuring hold during mid-grade scrambles in the rain (I’m not one to go too hard when the sunshine is of the liquid variety). If you’re often taking on objectives in wet weather, there’s also the mid cut Gore-Tex version to consider.

On the trails

Scarpas say the Rapid XT is suitable for ‘trail and light hiking’, so naturally I wanted to test where its limits were. There’s no doubt that it’s most at home on rock, though its lugs are more than capable when gripping soft terrain.

As mentioned, the cushioning isn’t the plushest and the interior of the shoe isn’t particularly gentle on the feet. Climbers will be used to footwear that shuns comfort for performance, and this seems to be the case here. To be honest, I found that they were fine for day hikes and the like but I wouldn’t want to take on a multi-day thru-hike in them.

I found that their relatively wide outsole, along with the design of the midsole, provided stability on rougher trails in a way that was lacking when I tested the Zamberlan Salathés last year. Movement in the Rapid XTs felt fluid where these kinds of shoes can sometimes feel clunky. Perhaps this was down to the propulsion provided by the midsole.

However, I’d take Scarpa’s assertion that these sit in a family of shoes at the midpoint between 'hiking, running and climbing' with a pinch of salt. While you could justifiably call them an example of hiking or climbing footwear, these aren’t trail running shoes. The sole is too stiff, the outer’s not breathable enough and they’re too heavy. Sure, you can break into a bit of a jog on your way between rock features, but no one is turning up to one of the world’s most legendary trail races wearing these. Maybe I’ve taken the claim too literally, but I’ve seen other approach shoes that are much closer to being running shoes than these.

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