REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight but still comfortable
Decent climber
Can be used as a runner
REASONS TO AVOID
Doesn't edge well
Expensive
Arc'teryx Konseal FL Review
A lightweight do-it-all approach shoe designed for moving swiftly thru the mountains
Credit: Arc'teryx
RELATED: Best Approach Shoes of 2024
Our Verdict
The Arc'teryx Konseal FL is a sleek approach shoe that performs well on the trail and holds its own on the rock. The lightweight design, yet surprisingly stiff and comfortable midsole, and sticky Vibram Megagrip outsole, make this shoe a great choice for a fast romp out to your favorite backcountry scramble without the need for a change in footwear. This shoe leans more towards trail runner than hiking boot for those who prefer agility and light-footedness over comfort and support. While it's not the best technical climber we tested, it scores well in all climbing categories.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
The Konseal FL is a versatile shoe that seems to cross multiple categories of footwear in one, from approach to hiking to even running shoes in a pinch.
Credit: Sean Haverstock
Climbing Ability
The Konseal is great for scrambling, smearing, and crack climbing. It's protective and supportive in cracks, and the Vibram Megagrip is sticky when smearing up exposed slabs. The 360-rubber and beefy toe cap improve durability from repeated exposure to climbing.
On the sharp end of approach shoe testing. This 5.10+ route features a great mix of climbing to test each shoe's edging, smearing, and jamming ability.
Credit: Sean Haverstock
Edging
This shoe is our not first choice for those planning to spend a lot of time on their big toes. The thick toe cap is a tad clunky for an otherwise streamlined shoe and decreases sensitivity more than we like for optimal edging. There's also a fair bit of rocker in this shoe, particularly in the toe, which means you must raise your heel higher than desired for the toe-edge to lay flat on the rock edge. This is the opposite of what we find in our high-performance climbing shoes that feature downturned toes. The negatively affects balance and weight distribution when climbing. For those looking to optimize climbing performance size at least a 1/2 size down from your street shoe. This shoe runs long and could leave unfilled space in the toebox decreasing sensitivity and performance.
The heel has to raise high for the rubber under the toe to make optimal contact with a flat edge underneath it, which doesn't promote balance or even weight distribution.
Credit: Sean Haverstock
Smearing
The Konseal smears very well despite its more traction-oriented outsole. The rocker, or more turned up outsole under the ball of the foot, keeps the shoe in ideal shape for smearing. Maximum rubber contact is easily made and its attendant friction from the Vibram Megagrip outsole makes the shoe great for lower angle slabs found on many approaches.
A peek at the outsole of the Konseal.
Credit: Sean Haverstock
Crack Climbing
The Konseal sports 360-degrees of rubber for durability for repeated abuse in cracks. The toe rand is one of the thickest of the shoes we tested. The rubber rand provides great protection and comfort to your toes when jamming.
The uber-thick rand helps protect our feet when shoving them into cracks like this one.
Credit: Sean Haverstock
Hiking Comfort
This shoe provides a great ride, especially for its low weight. The Konseal provides less cushion and comfort than you'd expect from a heavier approach shoe or straight-up hiking shoe but is a great ride to those who prefer less weight on their feet for nimbler footwork when hiking and scrambling. The generous heel-toe rocker provides a smooth ride and the ability to double as a trail runner in a pinch. We ran our local sub-hour trail run multiple times in this shoe without protest from our feet, knees, or hips. The polyester upper doesn't provide any waterproof protection, but it does dry out faster than organic uppers should you submerge your feet in water, sweat profusely, or plan to travel across snow.
The Konseal doesn't offer plush comfort, but its lightweight nature and rockered outsole make them nimble and swift, positively affecting their overall hiking comfort.
Credit: Sean Haverstock
Support
If you plan to put high miles with heavy loads in your approach shoes, other shoes provide more support. While it's designed for the mountains, it's targeted towards fast-and-light users. For the heavy-and-slow among us who pack the extra snickers and boxed wine, and favor support over light footwear, there are other approach shoes which score higher in support and comfort. That being said, the shoe is quite stiff torsionally and supportive enough throughout to be considered for any approach you could throw at it.
Weight And Packability
For the weight conscience among us, the Konseal is hard to ignore. While not the lightest shoe we tested, it's within 4 oz of the lightest model we tested. This is a great option for those looking for a shoe to clip to their harness, while not wanting to completely sacrifice comfort and support on the way to the climb.
Value
This is an expensive approach shoe. That said it has many endearing qualities and is a potential one-stop-shop for your next approach shoe. The Konseal does many things well, and the quality Arc'teryx craftsmanship is evident. This shoe will deliver more than enough miles in the mountains to deliver on its premium price.
Many approach shoes tend to focus their great performance in one area. The Konseal does a pretty good job at rounding all corners, providing a versatile shoe that doesn't stand out in any given metric.
Credit: Sean Haverstock
Conclusion
The Arc'teryx Konseal FL is a great all-around approach shoe. It's a great option for long approaches, scrambling, easy technical climbing, clipping to your harness, and using as a backup trail runner in a pinch. And, unlike a lot of approach shoes on the market, this one actually has some aesthetic appeal.
—
Sean Haverstock
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