Frankenstein Shoe Combines Runner, Hiker, Climber: Salewa Wildfire NXT Review

I reached a foot out over the airy gap below me to the rock face a few feet away, dangling from an iron rung. My shoe stuck to the opposite wall as I applied pressure. I swung my body across the abyss to the other side, my other foot joining on the slabby rock as my hands transitioned across the via ferrata’s iron rungs with a hundred feet of air below me. 

Sure, I usually had the option to climb North America’s highest via ferrata like a ladder, but I tried to keep my shoes planted to the route’s chilly granite as an experiment. I was trying Salewa’s new Wildfire NXT, a shoe perfectly matched to the route at hand.

As I jammed my feet into cracks, smeared on blank granite, hiked up steep dirt, and eventually jogged to the summit, they stuck out as something far more versatile than most dedicated approach shoes.

I put the new Wildfire NXTs to the test on A-Basin’s via ferrata, trail running on my local routes, and on a local class 4 scramble that’s notorious for eating lesser shoes. They stuck out to me as far more than an approach shoe, but rather some kind of climb, approach, run, hike hybrid. It’s a quickly growing footwear category, but there are a few elements that put these new kicks from Salewa a few steps ahead.

In short: The Salewa Wildfire NXT is a purpose-built approach/hiker crossover that holds its own on fast-paced hikes, technical ridgelines, and via ferratas alike. The sole is made of grippy rubber, has minimalist lugs, and a cushy heel. A tenacious upper with added ankle support and climbing shoe lacing gave my feet precision. And while the Wildfire NXTs wouldn’t be my first choice as a trailrunner, they’re adequate for aerobic approaches to rocky objectives. 

Salewa Wildfire NXT Review

As we reclined in the sun at the craggy perch at the top of the route, a quick summit push idea surfaced. I stuffed the rest of my Clif Bar in my mouth, sprang to my feet, and started jogging to catch up to the others. The Wildfire NXT responded naturally with a precision sufficient for navigating the mix of scree and boulders on the peak’s summit ridge.

Within a minute, I was lightheaded and doubled over. It was the Clif Bar stuck in my throat and lack of breathing at 13,000 feet, rather than the shoes, that slowed me down. It felt natural to jump between the boulders, landing on the Wildfire NXT’s sticky rubber soles. The shoe adhered akin to climbing shoes. 

Sole & Grip

Outsole

Wildfire NXT’s story is told in the sole package. The outsole, like any good approach shoe, is a strategically designed and relatively sticky rubber. Vibram All-Terrain Megagrip in this case, which balances stick with durability. Any softer and they’d wear out quickly. Any firmer and they’d slide off steep granite like a running shoe. 

The rubber’s tread design is divided into three distinct zones. A climbing toe looks like the underside of a climbing shoe. The flat, smooth rubber is raised to the height of the other lugs for maximum surface area on rock. I found myself using this zone in smaller cracks and steep slabs where I couldn’t land my whole foot flat on the rock. 

Moving backward, the tread transitions to diagonally oriented mini-lugs with flat tops for the remainder of the forefoot. The uniform lugs offer a balance of grip on rock and dirt. They form an adequate surface area for smearing, but the channels between them give the shoes a light bite into softer surfaces. It’s a good balance. Any further lean into the climbing realm would compromise some hiking traction and vice versa.

The tread under the heel is a reverse chevron pattern designed for braking on dusty downhills. While still flat-topped for traction on rock, they lean into grip on dirt above all else.

I noticed the solid grip while descending the Via Ferrata’s down route, characterized by a lot of loose dirt, slabby rock, and loose dirt on slabby rock. I felt confident walking down the rock without my feet slipping out from under me.

Midsole

The front half of the midsole is standard fare for an approach shoe. It’s somewhat stiff with enough cushioning for light jogging, but an overall strong package laterally for retaining some tension when they’re jammed into cracks. It’s nothing I haven’t felt before in some of the Wildfire NXT’s competitors. 

The midsole under the heel is where the shoes diverge from others in the category. There is a big, cushy, rockered pillow that looks a lot more like the heel of a trail runner than anything in the climbing realm. It was tough to ignore after a long day hiking and scrambling on rocks.

Aside from being very comfortable to stand in, the cushion softened the load on my feet and knees on extended downhill trails. The heels are noticeably more forgiving than a typical approach shoe. 

Upper

The shoe’s upper is a woven Matryx (high-tenacity nylon) fabric reinforced with Kevlar — a sleek and, so far, quite durable fabric. I’ve shredded the uppers of many different trail running shoes in rocky scree. While I can’t speak to the long-term durability of the fabric yet, so far, it has proven steadfast in rocky terrain. I like that it doesn’t stretch.

The forefoot holds its shape, leading to better grip, edging, and jamming than something with more give. A protective rand around the big toes and outsides of the shoes adds to the durability and grip equation. 

Fit

Climbing shoes are tight because less dead space and slop means better control and grip. That trend typically trickles to approach shoes as well. I wouldn’t call my La Sportiva TX Guides accommodating, for instance. They’re climbing shoes that you can walk in. 

The Wildfire NXTs diverge from your typical approach shoes in terms of fit. The forefoot is refreshingly wide. Not cavernous, but accommodating for a variety of feet, including my mangled ski boot hooves. Climbing shoe lacing — lacing that ladders down to the toes — allowed me to dial in a comfortable but sufficiently technical fit. 

I’m typically a men’s 10.5 street and running shoe, and that’s the size I picked up in the Wildfire NXT. It fits about right for my needs — there’s enough room in the toes for running, long approaches to rocky objectives, and endless trudges downhill. But if my norm was rock climbing or easy access scrambling routes, I wouldn’t hesitate to size down to a 10 or even 9.5. The sizing felt flexible in that way.

The insole package adds versatility, too. The Wildfire NXTs come with a standard insole — serviceable but nothing special. There is also a foam shim that nests underneath the insole to absorb some volume. Standard fare in ski boots, but certainly less common in the running/approach categories.

I kept the shims installed for A-Basin’s via ferrata and techy scrambles like it, but I appreciated the ability to remove them when my feet started to swell after a long day of hiking. 

Trail Running in the Wildfire NXT

I wouldn’t choose to run in approach shoes over anything in my pile of cushy trail runners. That sentiment didn’t change when I started jogging in the Wildfire NXTs.

Don’t get me wrong — they run better than any approach shoes I’ve slipped my feet into. But they won’t replace my trail runners anytime soon. The forefoot just doesn’t have enough cushion, and it’s relatively dense.

That said, I can’t stand running in trail runners with approach shoes stashed in the back pocket of my running vest. The Wildfire NXTs bridge that gap better than most.

In these instances, leaving my trail runners at home felt freeing. They have just enough of the elements from each shoe style to make them work without compromising the critical qualities that allow each style to perform in the mountains. Still, I didn’t enjoy jogging in the Wildfire NXTs any longer than about 4 miles each way. I’m bringing trail runners for any runs longer than that.

Hiking

The best part about trail running? You can always just slow down and start hiking. That’s a realm where the Wildfire NXTs slotted in naturally, given their traction and supportive sole.

Salewa’s signature 3F system adds a supportive cage around the heel that the laces pass through at the ankle. It essentially pulls your heel back into a cradle for a more supportive fit than your typical trail runner. It’s a subtle but worthwhile feature.

While they don’t have the lateral support of a dedicated hiking shoe, the Wildfire NXT is a sturdy shoe in most other dimensions. The relatively firm sole up front protected my feet from many hours of rock and root, even if it isn’t the springiest or most cushy. The heel’s rocker gave it a nice stride that made many miles feel natural — so natural that they’ve been my recent go-to for daily wear.

Salewa Wildfire NXT: Conclusion

Calling the Wildfire NXT’s “approach shoes” would undersell their versatility. In reality, they’ve performed well as mountain adventure shoes for a variety of different outings.

They’re perfectly matched to via ferratas. They’re confident rock scramblers for class 3, 4, and even low class 5 climbs. And they’ve got the lugs and just enough cushion to handle just about any hiking excursion you could throw at them.

While they bleed into trail running territory, they’re better lightweight hikers than they are trail runners. But that didn’t stop me from picking up the pace on the way to and from my favorite rocky ridgelines. It just required good form and a more moderate pace.

It’s rare that a pair of technical shoes matches with my ultra-high arches, moderately wide forefoot, and hammer toes. That I could tolerate them for several long days and many miles of rocky trails was a win in itself. These shoes have become the first ones I reach for when the route is rocky, technical, and somewhat remote.