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Super light and versatile, these amazingly comfortable approach shoes from Arc’teryx will quickly become your go-to shoes for both crag and office adventures.
PROS
- Great technical features
- Vibram Megagraip sole is perfect for rocky approaches
- A fantastically light shoe
CONS
- You can have any colour as long as it’s black
- Quite a stiff midsole
We’ve been featuring and wearing Arc’teryx shoes for quite a while now, Kev and Rich have highly rated the Norvan trail running shoe and we have also featured the Acrux hiking and approach shoe. We featured the forerunner of the Konseal, the Acrux 2 as far back as 2015 and found them excellent.
The Arc’teryx Konseal FL 2 is an updated version of the 2018 Konseal FL shoe, the updates offer a more streamlined look and some minor technical improvements. If you haven’t used Acr’teryx approach shoes before they are well worth considering and not badly priced if you compare them with other popular shoe brands such as Scarpa, La Sportiva and Black Diamond.
The updated Konseal FL2 offer an improved sole and better rand. They still enjoy excellent stability and precision.
The shoe is an excellent approach shoe and is perfectly adapted to being used on rocky, technical ground. I found them a little stiff for ‘straight out the box’ hiking but after a couple of weeks they have broken in nicely and I have been able to use them for hiking. With the black colourway and sleek design I have also been using them for commuting, indoor climbing and occasional meetings so they would be fine for work and would blend in fine with most modern office dress codes (as long as you’re happy with a Gorpcore look of course – but these aren’t overtly Gorpcore in look). There is a leather version for the Tech Bro types who want more urban wear out of their adventure shoes.
The stiffened sole of the Konseal FL2 made for a surprisingly good cycling shoe – a dreary November commute to the climbing gym.
For climbers, the main plus is the stiffened midsole and climbing-specific toe profile. Although the Konseal FL 2 isn’t super narrow in fit they do have a precision feel to them, the fit can be adjusted using the climbing shoe style lacing and the Vibram Megagrip sole offers high friction on rocky terrain; which further places them in the approach shoe category. Arc’teryx has designed the shoe for fast and light rocky Alpine terrain and I would agree, that they will excel in these situations. I am usually a size UK8 in approach shoes and I would say that the Konseal 2 is true to size, I had a little room in the tow box but that just means I can wear thicker socks if I’m enjoying a mountain day.
Pretty much perfect for autumn boulder days.
The toe box is precise with a full rand that not only protects toes when defending but allows for the occasional crack move when scrambling up technical ascents. The rest of the rand is thinner which offers some protection and helps deliver water resistance when moving through puddles or streams. The tongue is gusseted which also helps keep water out as well as dirt and grit. The upper consists of a tight weave of Polyamide and Polyethylene material which is super robust, the weave is tight enough to keep mud out and feet warm but is still breathable. You’ll need to note that the Konseal 2 shoe is not waterproof, if you want that you will be better off with the Aerios FL2 GTX shoe or the mid version for extra ankle protection.
As stated earlier the sole is Vibram Megagrip, you will often find this on high end climbing shoes and boots so it’s super sticky on rock of all types. The downside is that this type of rubber is that it isn’t as durable as a normal Vibram sole. So far the sole has worn well and I haven’t seen any significant wear, the extra friction for crag approaches is worth it. RESOLE OPTIONS REQUIRED. Lancashire Sports Repair (UK only) also resole approach shoes but the lead time is quite long so you would want to wait for winter perhaps. The sole now has a more traditional cleat than the dotty style of the original Konseal
The TPU midsole chassis is very supportive, I found the heal strike to be firm but with enough give to cushion a steep descent and offer some relief to my knees (which after 45 years in the mountains are beginning to show signs of wear!). The shoes do not offer trail running shoe cushioning but are closer to a technical approach shoe such as the Scarpa Mescalito or the La Sportiva TX4, which is exactly what you want when scrambling – that sweet spot that offers enough stiffness for technical rock moves as well as heel cushioning for descents and a rockered forefoot for hiking comfort. The Konseal 2 shoes deliver that in a lightweight package. The stated weight is 310g and the trusty CGR scales came in at 315g
Finishing touches include a discreet Arc’teryx logo and shoe model, well-sized heel loops that are big enough to take a carabiner and a 100% recycled EVA heel liner and tongue to offer some cushioning around the heel and Achilles.
All in all the Arc’teryx Konseal FL2 are a great update to the original Konseal shoes. They are amazingly light, and comfortable and perform outstandingly on technical rock approaches as well as long mountain days for hiking. OK, they’re not waterproof and the colour options are limited but on the plus side, they are very well priced against other approach shoe brands so you can have premium Arc’teyx product for the same price if not cheaper!
The Arc’teryx Konseal FL2 shoe comes in sizes UK6.5 to 12.5 in Black. The women’s version comes in sizes 3.5 to 8.5 and 3 colour options.
They can be purchased directly from Arc’teryx or specialist retailers.
Disclaimer – CGR reviewers and writers are never paid to provide a review and the website does not take advertising or link to affiliate sales. We are a bunch of keen climbers and travellers that accept sample products and offer an honest and independent review of the item.
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