Scarpa trail shoes? Best trail runners?

hello greetings. getting used to retirement.

i'm looking at a good shoe for the trail. Scarpa Zen and Epic seem to be interesting hybrid of a trail runner and a rock climbing shoe! i see it's called an approach shoe. anyone had experience with either of these? or perhaps would mention your favorite shoe?

i'll be just climbing nearby jay mountain, it's 4-5 miles i think, and it climbs 3600 feet. it gets to be pretty steep and your typical mountain trail, i guess.

i tried to find a search feature without success, to search this topic in the forum. best shoe?

Approach shoes work very well for hiking and easy grades of rock climbing, generally 5.5 and below. They are low cut hiking shoes with a closely trimmed, sticky rubber sole. Near the inside edge of the big toe you will usually see flat areas, useful for edging.

They work for me, since many of my hikes seem to involve scrambling and the occasional need for precise footing. I have not used the specific model you are looking at, so I can't help you there. The most important feature of any shoe is how well they fit your feet.

The best shoes are the ones that fit you!!! Feet are so individual that you'll have to try lots of shoes and discover the ideal pair for yourself.

Most of the folk on this site use some sort of trail runners. The ones that fit me perfectly were discontinued, so I'm out looking again. Suggestion--when you find the perfect shoe, buy several pair. I wish I had!

O.M. is spot on. What works for me may not work for you. Every foot is different, even when two of them are on the same person!!!

In general, I avoid leather. Takes too long to dry. I'm a horrible overpronator so my shoes must have solid medial support. I need a big toe box because my big toe is really big. Shoes with those features work for me, but not necessarily for you.

Unfortunately the place where you really find out if your shoes are right is several miles and several hours down the trail, not in the store.

Great advice on buying a few pair when you find a shoe that fits. I am also on the regret train!

good definitive advice. i'll probably a)spin the wheel, b)throw the dice, c)close my eyes, and d)pick one. i'm doin lots of reading of descriptions, reviews, etc, right now. i'll try to narrow the field down to 3 or 4, and see which is available when i'm ready to buy. have had a NB 767 for two years, well past its supposed useful life, and it's still doing me good for just walking on the road. but it's not real stable on an uneven trail. there's nothing up front, and too much under the heel. i'll check out the new balance trail running shoes, maybe even buy a pair next month. i'm going to do a new topic, on my backpacking goal for this year.