Morgan from our Exeter store has been exploring the UK’s toughest trails in the all-new Scarpa Rapid XT GTX—a highly capable technical approach shoe built for challenging conditions.
The Scarpa Rapid XT GTX is a great approach shoe for getting you to the crag. But it does so much more than that. It’s a versatile shoe that is comfortable to wear all day on the most technical terrain in the UK.
For the last few weeks, I’ve been putting the Scarpa Rapid XT GTX approach shoes through their paces, taking them up mountains, across moorland and on multi-day stretches of coast path.
They belong to the Scarpa Rapid family, with the original Rapid being a cross between a trail running shoe and an approach shoe. With the XT variant, Scarpa has tipped the scales towards a highly technical approach shoe by introducing their new Agility XT sole. Which includes an EVA midsole with varying densities which greatly improves cushioning and comfort.
There is also the abrasion-resistant all-around TPU rand that offers good stability and protection.
The GTX (Gore-Tex) membrane, Agility XT sole and Vibram Mega Grip outsole are the components that make the Scarpa Rapid XT GTX a rugged workhorse of a shoe.
Fit-wise, the toe box is relatively wide, which makes them comfortable to wear as your feet expand through the day. These shoes will suit people with medium-wide feet, or people who prefer a little bit more wiggle room up front while remaining secure in the rest of it.
To kick off my testing I went on a camping trip in the Lake District and the Scarpa Rapid XT GTX proved their mettle and solidified how versatile this piece of footwear really is. On my first day in The Lakes I climbed Jack’s Rake, a famous grade 1 scramble seemly carved into the face of Pavey Ark which overlooks Stickle Tarn in the Langdale Pikes.
The scramble has some serious exposure and some steep, narrow chimney sections. It had rained overnight, however, the approach to the starting point was relatively dry, comprising of classic well-trodden hill paths with a mixture of granite steps, loose rock and grass sections. The shoes are well suited for that type of terrain and feel comfortable and stable when gently ascending the hills. Where the Scarpa Rapid XT GTX really come into their own is when you push them.
On the scramble itself, I felt glued to the rock, the Vibram Mega Grip rubber is tactile and responsive. The toe protection in the front of the shoe allowed me to jam my feet into tight holds and apply enough pressure to make some demanding moves.
The Rapid XT’s have a climbing zone that sits underneath the toe area, a flat spot of rubber designed to give you maximum grip on small ledge holds – it works! In fact, it blew past my exceptions and at times I felt I had the grip and precision of a trad climbing shoe.
The scramble zone is well defined and allows you to really apply pressure into the front of the shoe, and keep yourself stuck to tiny edges. Some tucked-away sections of the scramble held water from the rainfall overnight and the Vibram Mega Grip rubber performed brilliantly on slick rock, my foot placements never felt unsafe or insecure.
At the top of Jack’s Rake we were met with stunning views across Great Langdale and the reality of making our decent via a gentler gradient. The other side of the hill hadn’t dried out and underfoot was a mixture of wet rock and sodden, muddy paths. I found myself striding through puddles and shallow streams, protected by the water-resistant suede upper and Gore-Tex membrane on the Scarpa Rapid XT GTX, and my feet happily stayed bone dry.
There is also a ‘braking system’ below the heel designed to add traction when making technical descents, I never needed to heel in anywhere because the rest of the sole is incredibly grippy. But it’s nice to know it’s there if I need it.
I’m currently a trainee volunteer member of North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team and I was able to test these shoes in some gnarly conditions on the moors. From steep valleys carrying 16kg+ in my pack, to muddy farmland, to scrambling up Tors, the Scarpa Rapid XT GTX can stand up to some abuse. They are structured and fairly stiff, so help you carry heavy loads well, reducing fatigue on your feet. The lugs on the sole unit are deeper than most other approach shoes which is welcomed when using them in such varying UK weather conditions.
They’ve also been my daily commuters into work for a good number of weeks, they stand up to city parks, long days spent on my feet and rainy walks home. I’ve done a few technical approaches to the pub in the Scarpa Rapid XT GTX and I’m happy with the way they look. My only slight criticism about these shoes is that the women’s colourway in grey and blue is more appealing to me. Although the men’s colour isn’t an eyesore, the orange accents look similar to other Scarpa approach shoes.
I’m a keen coast path walker and I know many customers come into the shop looking for something they can wear every day and also bash out a strenuous day hike on the South West Coast Path.
I decided to test the shoes on a multi-day stomp, walking from Minehead to Ilfracombe. I dealt with torrential rain, infamous undulating elevation, swampy marshes and muddy paths while carrying a 10kg pack. At the end of each day my feet were surprisingly fresh (and always dry) thanks to the cushioning in the XT sole, but even when fatigue did set in and my stepping was less accurate, my toes were always protected by the tough TPU rand.
All in all, the versatility of the Scarpa Rapid XT GTX is what makes them a fantastic pair of shoes. Adding a waterproof technical approach shoe packed with this much technology to your footwear arsenal is essential. They shrug off weather, deal with mixed terrain incredibly well and are comfortable to wear all day long.
I’ve proved that you don’t need to be scrambling every weekend to make the most out of these shoes, it’s just nice to know that you could if you wanted to. Scarpa’s new Agility XT sole unit makes all the difference and I’m impressed by how comfortable they’ve been to live with. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with them and they’ll be staying on my feet long into the future.
