Building on the success of its best-selling ‘Aerios’ and ‘Konseal’ collections, Canadian performance-wear label Arc’teryx has just launched its latest silhouette – the ‘Vertex’.
Made specifically for alpine runners who are in the market for a “secure, comfortable shoe designed for scrambling at speed”, we’ve little trouble imagining that this release will find favour beyond the hilly terrain for which it was originally intended (par for the course when it comes to so many Arc’teryx bestsellers).
Initially releasing in three colourways, the Vertex is an atypical design for the brand: distinguished by a sock-like knit collar – intended to keep out all sorts of debris you’re liable to find on-trail – that blends into the shoe’s upper. The latter is machined out of PFC-free polyester – a durable, moisture wicking material that puts Arc’teryx on the same pathway to strategic sustainability currently being trod by most of its competitors (Ã la Moncler).
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In keeping with the light mountaineering angle of the Vertex, the design’s forefoot is protected with a built-in TPU rock plate – an essential element when you’re traversing uneven terrain pockmarked by rocks, roots and loose soil.
Under the treads, Arc’teryx opted to outfit their new performance shoe with the Vibram Megagrip: a 4mm-thick rubber support unit that the eponymous Italian brand asserts “offers unparalleled grip properties on both dry and wet terrains”.
Whatever the case, even if you don’t fancy yourself an alpine athlete: the Vertex’s clean outboard silhouette and selection of solid primary colours means they’ll be up to the task of practically any everyday activity you can think of. After all, the soft surfaces of the fitness studio are no match for a shoe engineered to conquer rocky slopes and mountain trails.
