Over the last year, approach shoes have become a new wrinkle in the gorpcore cycle.

Fleeces and shells are now well past their precipice in men’s and women’s wear, but outdoor gear has had more staying power in footwea r, particularly through trail runners but also to a lesser extent with hiking boots and sneakers. Approach shoes offer some of the same benefits as those categories — durability, grip and often varying levels of water resistance — as well as a distinct look driven by their very specific purpose.

Aimé Leon Dore and The North Face’s collaboration on the Verto (below).

What Is an Approach Shoe?

From a visual standpoint, the standout feature of an approach shoe is the rubberized toe tip, also called a rand, that almost always seems to be rendered in black.…