Black Diamond Technician Leather & Mission XP | Approach Shoe Review

I found both models to be very comfortable, and break in periods were short (though as noted above, slightly longer for the Technician Leather due to the stiffer upper and narrower, climbing oriented forefoot). The fit of the Mission XP seemed wider in the forefoot than most other shoes, which is good for me as I have relatively wide feet. The lacing system – particularly on the Mission XP, wraps quite wide around the foot meaning that a good fit can be achieved by adjusting the lacing. On the Technician Leather the lacing also extends down to the toe meaning that tweaks can be made to tighten the shoe around the toes – which is something you might do when switching into scrambling or climbing mode.