Product Review: Salewa Wildfire GTX Approach Shoe
In need of a new approach shoe, I recently decided to purchase the Salewa Wildfire GTX. This shoe is designed to be low profile, fit your foot like a glove, and climb 5th class rock.
This shoe is made specifically for climbing. It features a custom, super sticky vibram sole and gore-tex to keep your feet dry.
Note: Both men’s and women’s versions have been tested, and are reviewed in this article.
Performance
Since this shoe is made specifically for climbing, hence to provide shoe sensitivity for climbing, there isn’t much mid-sole cushion. So if you’re on a hiking trail for hours they do make the bottoms of your feet tired. It’s a speciality shoe that performs best on rock. The shoe crack climbs and wedges very well, like most approach shoes.
The Vibram Tech Approach Evo sole is designed specifically for climbing and has excellent grip.
Traction
The grip of this sole is very good – I’ve taken the shoe on a number of lower 5th class climbs and scrambles, and I am very impressed how it performs. The grip is solid and inspires confidence. The shoe does well at descending gravel.
The shoe sticks to rock like no other, even on wet limestone slabs. Thanks to the Gore-Tex, your feet will stay dry when hiking in the mud, but the traction on the wet ground is not very good.
The cushioning on the heel is good, but stiff throughout the rest of the shoe.
It’s snug fit and flashy colours don’t lend well to casual wear, and I wouldn’t wear it on a trail that didn’t require some more technical rock scrambling. Like most approach shoes, the soles wear fast on pavement.
Durability
The shoe is quite durable even though of it’s light weight. An impressive set of features work together to make this shoe quite durable, for example the sticky rubber toe cap extends further back than other shoes, a hexogonally-textured band extends all the way around the shoe and protects the lower portion of the mesh upper. A layer of polyurethane rubber protects this mesh from abrasion such as cutting on rock.
The shoe even has a silverized antimicrobial treatment to keep out bad smells.
Feeling comfortable and secure on an airy ridge. The shoe is made for rock.
Fit
The fit of the shoe is also impressive – they hug your foot like a glove with no hot or sore spots. There are few seams on the inside, and the latest version of these shoes comes with a customizable footbed that can be cut based on your foots shape.
The lacing extends all the way down past the rubber toe cap, making for a superb climbing fit. The rubber toe cap is great for being jammed into holds on rock and provides superior hold.
Salewa Wildfire GTX Side view – moments before hitting the trail. This is the last minute these shoes were so crisp and clean!
It performs on the trail just fine, but if that is mostly what you are doing, you should probably opt for a more comfortable, less aggressive shoe, such as the Keen Targhee 2 or The North Face Ultra 109 GT which are recommended primarily for hiking and light backpacking.
The shoes are also available in a non-GoreTex version, which makes them a lighter trail shoe that still performs the same on rock and is slightly less expensive.
The Wildfire fits average to narrow feet quite well. Five traditional eyelets continue to the top of the shoe, and the seventh eyelet is unique: it’s connected to thin webbing that extends around the heel and down to the arch. The shoe comes with a custom footbed that you can cut to the shape of your foot, and makes it even more comfortable than before.
The mostly mesh upper allows the Gore-Tex to breathe better than most. It’s one of the cooler shoes out there, recommended for warm days.
They are light, they weigh 2.2 lbs per pair.
Best Application
A true approach shoe, it’s recommended for climbing and scrambling. The rubber does not perform well on snow or ice, or wet muddy trails. Best performance on dry rock.
The price for these shoes varies from $89 to $159. These shoes occasionally go on sale.
Conclusion
This shoe is a great climbing shoe and overall quite comfortable on the trail for a climbing shoe. It’s got just enough support for some light backpacking. The non-GTX version, the one without a gore-tex liner, is even lighter and more breathable. It’s not recommended for snow or ice, as the vibram sole becomes stiff and very slippery.
Where to Buy
The Wildfire GTX is a very popular shoe and is available at many outdoor retailers. Here are the best prices from reputable sellers.
The Wildfire Pro is the next generation of this shoe. It has a few improvements, such as the 3D “cage” upper for snug fit, and comes in even brighter colours.
- How to experience the world while isolated at home - April 21, 2020
- How to prevent and treat hypothermia - February 21, 2019
- How to layer with your down jacket - November 28, 2018
We write rarely, but only the best content.
