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Black Diamond Technician Men Approach Shoe
  • Black Diamond Technician Men Approach Shoe
  • Black Diamond Technician Men Approach Shoe
  • Black Diamond Technician Men Approach Shoe
  • Black Diamond Technician Men Approach Shoe
  • Black Diamond Technician Men Approach Shoe

Technician Men

Rating

My vote: None ( 5 avg )

Description

Engineered for precision, the Black Diamond Technician is ultralight, super sticky, and durable, making it the clutch scrambling approach shoe. Featuring our signature EnduroKnit breathable upper, the Technician has superior temperature control, while remaining ultra-durable for abuse on the rocks. The lightweight half-bootie tongue allows for easy on and off at the crag, and a TPU midfoot strap and lace lock adds security while the graduated lace system goes all the way to the toe for a lockdown fit. The Technician's tuned EVA midsole consists of a strategic stiffness-to-comfort ratio, allowing for high-performance precision where you need it, and comfort in just the right spots. The last is ideal for technical climbing, as the name implies, and the shoe's BlackLabel-Mountain rubber provides super sticky, ultimate grip on terrain that demands precise edging and smearing you can trust your life to. Finally, the Technician's multiple webbing loops offer various tagging and stowing options for when the approach ends and the hard climbing begins. The Technician has a narrow, flat last and a close-to-foot performance fit when compared with traditional athletic shoes. If you are using the Technician for climbing and technical approaches, buy your measured Brannock size. 
  • Rubber toe protection
  • Toe shape and upper construction ideal for technical climbing
  • Lightweight half-bootie tongue allows easy on/off at the crag
  • Graduated fit system for lockdown (all the way to the toe)
  • Lightweight, molded TPU midfoot strap and lace lock
  • Multiple webbing loops for various tagging options

Retail price

US$ 134.95
Weight

Half Pair - size 10
315 grams (0 lb 11.1 oz)

Full Pair - size 10
630 grams (1 lb 6.2 oz)

Style

Style

Running

A running inspired shoe, designed to excel on technical trails. These shoes may have less rubber lasting and a smaller climbing zone on the sole but tend to be on the lighter and less bulky side of the spectrum, similar to a classic technical trail runner.


Casual

Great for flat ground, short approaches, and slabby scrambling. Casual approach shoes are great daily wear for folks that find themselves scrambling and hiking a lot in between trips to the crag and the grocery store.


Technical

A more rugged shoe with more lasting and typically a thicker sole. Made to handle the most technical terrain and talus fields. Technical shoes can also have more ankle coverage and waterproof coatings.

Casual Technical
Volume

Volume

Size vs Gender

Volume refers to the overall sizing of the shoe in relation to the size of the foot from top to bottom and side to side. Many brands make a Mens/Unisex shoe and some have both a Men’s and Women’s model. Brands are slowly updating their language away from gender to Low/High volume -- recognizing that any person may have a high or low volume foot.

High (men/unisex)
Closure

Closure

Flat Laces

Flat laces are found most often on casual or running shoes, as their low bulk helps with aesthetic and having a lower profile.


Cord Laces

Cord laces are found on the majority of approach shoes. Their rounded shape makes them more durable than flat laces and their woven structure makes them much stronger.


Webbing & Buckles

Though fairly uncommon, some approach shoes are made to be closed via a combination of threaded flat webbing and a tightening buckle.

Cord laces
Rise

Rise

Low vs Mid

The rise of an approach shoe mostly affects the support and coverage of the ankle but can also limit articulation and range of motion. Most approach shoes have a low rise. A mid rise should be chosen when scrambling through large loose scree or boulder fields is a regular need or when in wet or snowy environments where slippery surfaces can benefit from more ankle support.

Low
Features

Features

Climbing Zone

The climbing zone is a quintessential part of an approach shoe; without it, we consider a shoe a hiker or trail runner. The climbing zone is a flat or flattened area of the sole directly beneath the toes on every approach shoe. This zone is specifically designed to not have lugs for grip and instead is intended for smearing and edging on rock during an approach to a technical climb. Some manufacturers add splits or shallow texture to this zone, but it is not lugged as in a traditional hiker.


Foldable Heel

A foldable heel is designed to flatten into the shoe so it may be slid on and off easily similar to a clog or a croc. This is becoming more common with newer models and is most likely to be seen in casual shoes than hiking or running.


Low Toe Lacing

Low toe lacing is a feature where the closure of the approach shoe extends greatly towards the toes as compared to traditional hiking shoes. This will most usually be an extra 3-5 extra lacings across the shoe that are usually partially across the knuckles of the toes. The advantage of lacing extending this low is that it allows a greater tightening of the shoe around the toes when terrain requires technical footwork like slab climbing or crack jamming.


Stowable

An approach shoe with this feature either has a built-in elastic or webbing or an accessory strap or band that is designed to connect the shoes to each other when they aren’t worn. This allows them to be hung from a harness or bag on a multipitch climb. This is fairly uncommon and usually found on light-weight shoes.


Vegan

Since there is no standard in the shoe industry for what exactly qualifies a shoe as ‘Vegan’, we only list this if the manufacturer has stated it in the product description.


Waterproof

Refers to an applied coating or material technology that either makes a shoe resistant or impervious to water. Not every manufacturer tests waterproofing in the same way so this can be difficult to compare. We list items as ‘Waterproof’ when the manufacturer states they have one or more of these technologies.

Climbing Zone
Low toe lacing
Sizing US Men: 6 - 14 (half sizes)
Tips: If you desire a casual fit or have a wide foot, you may want to size up½ size.
Materials & Construction Upper: Polyester 'Enduro Knit'

Midsole: EVA midsole with molded TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) midfoot strap ­­

Sole: BlackLabel-Mountain rubber

Last: BD Flat Camber Approach

No reviews yet.

Outdoor Gear Lab Gear Review rating 4.5/5

Despite the Black Diamond Technician Approach being the most climbing-specific approach shoe on the market, it still wasn't the top performer in our testing. Ultimately, the climbing performance will come down to the fit for each individual, and for some folks a wide forefoot, this shoe will be a trade-off between hiking comfort and climbing performance.

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