Review – Scarpa Crux 2

Scarpa have taken an archive classic, given it a full redesign whilst keeping the legendary toughness and supercharged it for modern scrambling, climbing, and alpine approaches.

Approach shoes seem to be having a moment. Even design titans LOEWE and Prada have got in on the act – although I’m not sure whether you would want to be foot jamming with the £820 price tag! On a more sensible footing (pardon the pun) Italian legends Scarpa have given their iconic Crux approach shoe a rinse through the design mill to offer a more practical and affordable option.

For those new to approach shoes the concept is pretty much straight forward – they were originally designed for steep, technical approaches to rock climbs. It wasn’t long before they became popular for mountain scrambling and then into street/casual wear.

The new, updated Crux 2 brings what was already a great approach shoe bang up to date with a sleeker design, lighter weight (392g/per shoe for a EU 42) and added durability. So let’s get down to details:

Construction

 The Crux 2 is made using premium suede that has been treated to make it water repellant. There is a GoreTex version if you prefer a more waterproof version (if you are moving over wet ground often, for example) but that adds more weight and cost. For most climbing situations then the Crux 2 is going to be perfectly suitable. Structure is added by the vertical stitching and tape that extends down from the top lace tube. The heel is well stiffened with a heel cup, sewn suede strip and a reinforcement patch on the back. This tidy’s up the design and makes it more streamlined that the original Crux’s. 

There is a full textile lining that is great at absorbing sweat and keeping feet locked in position for technical climbing. There is also plenty of lightweight padding around the heel and a padded tongue. It’s worth noting the tongue isn’t bellowed so would leak water. Lacing is climbing shoe style so you can tweak the fit to suit your foot shape as well as cinch the shoe up for this tech smears. The lacing is one of the the tweaks in this new version, again improving the style and making it more attractive for casual wear. The tongue is finished with a pull tab to help get the tongue into the correct position. They have been comfortable out of the box and have needed next to no wearing in, although they will continue to become more worn in over time and I’m expecting them to develop into a super comfortable shoe.

The Toe Box

As I said earlier one of the main differentiators between a hiking and approach shoe is that the latter has been designed for technical mountain days. The toe box is the area where this is most evident. The toe profile of the Crux 2 has been narrowed slightly to help with those smaller footholds and precision footwork. The generous toe rand has a rougher finish and sleeker profile but still burly enough to give you confidence when foot jamming. The last still offers a fairly narrow profile but that is to be expected in this type of shoe, so if you have a wide foot I would advise trying a pair on before you hike out to a mountain crag in them.

The Sole Unit

The first thing to say here is that the Crux 2 is a ‘cushioned’ trainer style shoe. They have a dense foam that Scarpa call Active Impact Technology, this offers reasonable cushioning but if you are used to wearing Hoka style trainers you will find these much firmer on the rebound. That said they are cushioned enough for a decent days hiking on mixed ground and more than enough for hiking to and from a crag. I like the sole style as it makes them much better for casual wear and they look great with jeans with a down jacket.  

The sole pattern hasn’t changed since the original Crux shoes and still uses Vibram Megagrip – cos’ if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. The compound is sticky enough to offer excellent confidence when moving over technical rock but durable enough to last a good length of time before needing re-soling. Talking of that Scarpa offer an excellent resole service and the Crux 2 are resolvable. The shoe has a generous climbing zone (a smooth section at the toe) for climbing and is 5mm lugs to aid traction over dirt and grass. So, a classic approach shoe sole that will cover all the types of terrain you are likely to encounter hiking and climbing.

Finishing Touches

As you would expect from a premium Italian climbing brand, Scarpa have some great finishing touches to the Crux 2  including: stretchy, stay tight laces, a heel tab big enough to fit a carabiner in (for attaching to a harness), Scarpa branding on the heel and tongue tab and a removable insole to help the shoe dry out.

So, the Scarpa Crux 2 is a great update to what was already an iconic approach shoe. It has all the features you need to get you to and from that super long, multi pitch alpine route in comfort and with security. It’s a great looking shoe so even if you are not a climber and want a rugged, comfortable shoe that looks great with jeans the the Crux 2 is definitely worth a look at.

The Scarpa Crux 2 comes in sizes Eu 40 – 48 and two colour options. There is a female version, the Crux 2 WMN that comes in sizes EU 36-42 and two colour options. There is also a GoreTex version the GTX which comes in the same size options and just one colour option.

The SRP is £145 and they can be purchased form Scarpa UK and specialist retailers.