A pair of TX2s bundled and ready to carry

The approach shoe: worn by so many of us and so seldom to actually approach a climb.

But what if you are walking in to that multi-pitch climb before you pull on your rock shoes for the vertical stuff? What do you do with the approach shoes in which you approached?

La Sportiva’s new TX2 shoe has a neat solution. The shoes have a stretchy cord built in to the heel, which then hooks over the other shoe to bundle them together. The pair can then be attached to your harness by a loop to slip back on when you top out.

When in use, the cord sits neatly round the heel of the TX2.

The shoes have a ballistic nylon upper with a rubberised and printed rand. They sport a Vibram Megagrip outsole and will retail for £100 a pair when they hit the shops about April next year.

The strech cord parks neatly in the heel when not used

We can see them being useful to multi-day walkers too, who might want to slip on the TX2s on dry days on suitable terrain and hook them on to their pack when they need to switch to boots.

La Sportiva’s TX2 will come in sizes 41 to 47, including half sizes.