This New BD Approach Shoe Is Lean and Mean

As for me and my pair, the mountains are calling. My first days of testing involved long approaches, big routes, and torturous descents in Red Rock, Nevada. One day included a 2,000-foot approach, a 900-foot climb, and a nearly 3,000-foot descent during which the Tag LTs were either on my feet or on my harness for nearly 11.5 hours. For as light as they are (7.5 ounces per shoe), the midsole felt more supportive than I expected. My feet were sore at the end of the day, sure, but they could have done it all again the next day (my feet could have, not the rest of me…). I had no blisters either. I tried both thin and thick socks on long days and I found the thicker ones greatly improved comfort by adding more padding inside the shoe—almost like an extra “midsole”—at little cost in terms of weight.