Rapid XT Men's

Instead of water resistance, I'd go look for a shoe that can drain well and dry quick. I used an all black low cut Arc'teryx Aerios non goretex version for a while before switching over to the Scarpa Rapid XT. I found the leather upper to be a bit too hot for SE Asia so I'm going to try the Scarpa Rapid LT (essentially a mesh upper) for my next trip.

Scarpa Rapids have been my shoe to bridge the gap between trail runner and approach shoe. They have an edging zone under the big toe and sticky rubber (pretty sure it's Vibram) on the forefoot. I used them for a bunch of stuff in the Wasatch, Tetons, and Winds. They were perfect for things like the Cottonwood Traverse or West Slabs

Scarpa has most of their shoes in 14US. I’ve the same size and have Rapids and Ribelle Run 2, as well as a couple of pairs of boots and casual sneakers, made by Scarpa. They do tend to fit narrow, which is exactly what I need, but not everyone

I had Scarpa Rapid and the upper was thick but not very durable (current Matryx uppers are much better) and overall the shoe wasn't performing that much better than 100% trailrunner. Not worth the worse running performance in my opinion. Great on paper but so much in rela life. Have a look at Arcteryx Vertex Alpine - I didn't try them but similar concept.

I've been looking for the perfect trail running and scrambling shoe for many years now - something that runs well and climbs well, to support long link-ups between Flatiron scrambles. Finally unseating the LaSpo Mutant and the Scarpa Rapids in my book: the Arc'teryx Vertex Speed. They're super light, with firm but reliable foam in the forefoot and a bit of squish in the heel. They have a fantastic Vibram outsole and a solid forefoot lockdown for climbing. And the built-in gaiter is...pretty decent, I guess. Now, this isn't the most comfortable shoe I have ever run in. Far from it. In fact, it absolutely brutalized my ankles on my first run, and continues to be a bit uncomfortable over the top of my foot unless I get the lacing pressure just right. But for how well it climbs, it's now my favorite highly technical trail shoe of all time. Anyone else out there give it a go?

I ran in the SL3 for a while - I found it similarly uncomfortable but it was worth it for the light weight. I used them as approach shoes and short, fast run/scramble linkups. But they also felt so unforgiving! My experience is similar to yours - I like the added cushion of the Vertex Speed, and it's well worth the bit of extra weight in my book. I never see sales on VJ, but I've heard good things!

Ehhh depends on what you are going to use them for. Prioritizing hiking comfort for long approaches/descents with 3rd/4th terrain - your favorite trail runner Long approaches with a lot of slab or easy 5th class - a trail runner last shoe like the La Sportiva TX line or Scarpa Rapid Moderate technical climbing - a stiff shoe like the TX Guide (lighter) or the Scarpa Mescalito (burlier) Multipitch - a light collapsible shoe like the TX2 Summer and water crossings - a light mesh upper shoe like the TX2 Evo Winter or gnarly ground with a lot of bushwhacking - leather uppers like the TX4 Leather or the Rapid Mid Most casual approaches - Chacos tbh IMO the TX4 EVO ST is a decent all rounder though.

Option 3: trail running shoes 😁 You’ll need something to give you “stability” and dont be always putting “weight” on your knees when you come down from hills. I did it with some Scarpa, Salomon (worst shoes for me) and I’m planning to do it with ASICS Trabuco.