Arc’teryx Kragg Shoe – First Look
- Wednesday 1st May 2024
David Simmonite takes a first look at the latest shoe from Arc’teryx.
The Kragg is designed as a lightweight, technical slip-on shoe intended as a crag approach and a belay shoe between climbs. It also doubles as a travel shoe and is, as I can vouch for, easy to slip off if asked to at airport security.
The Kragg is one of three new shoes from Arc’teryx, the first ones that have been designed in-house, the other two being the Vertex Alpine for steep, technical Alpine terrain and the Sylan for mountain running.
Coming in at £140, the shoes have a striking design with four colourways for men – Black, Euphoria (yellow)/Black and Edziza (orange)/Black and Arctic Silk (white) and for women, the same choice minus Edziza /Black. Weight-wise, my size UK8 weighed in at 596g for the pair. I tried out the Euphoria/Black combo and the bright upper certainly turned heads, at first I wasn’t sure but I’ve grown to like the colour (I do have a weakness for bright colours though). If you want to be conservative check out the all-black offering.
The Kragg reminded me of a plimsoll from my childhood but one on steroids. The shoe upper is constructed from a breathable, single layer of stretchy Spacermesh that provides an enveloping fit. At the same time, TPU and Vibram rubber provide zonal protection around the rand, areas likely to suffer the most wear and impact from stones, etc. The inner part of the upper is a breathable sock liner made with a 50% bio-based poured PU compound with an open-cell foam top layer containing 25% bio-based content.
The sole unit has some flexibility, particularly in the mid-to-front section, and uses a sticky Vibram Megagrip outsole that's around 5mm thick with a moderate tread pattern. This provided a good grip when approaching the crag and where there was a little scrambling thrown in.
A key difference with the shoe is that the upper and sole unit is fundamentally a shell and it’s the removable insole that gives support and comfort to the Kragg. It’s a substantial couple of centimetres at the rear, narrowing to several millimetres at the front, and is made from Insite Contoura foam using 50% plant-based material to reduce petroleum use. The top of the insole uses an antimicrobial-treated recycled suede for comfort and odour resistance and is easy to clean. Of all the shoes I tried before, this is the first where the insole plays such an intrinsic part of the overall make up of the shoe.
A second difference is the ability to use the Kragg in two ways; shoe mode with the stretchy heel section in an upright position that holds the foot securely and slipper mode with the heel section collapsed, allowing it to be worn as a belay or camp slipper.
Being new to the market, I didn’t have the Kraggs long enough to check out the durability so only time will tell. I probably would wear something sturdier for long, rugged approaches but during a straightforward walk to a crag and climbing wall, it gave no cause for concern on that front.
What do I make of the Kragg? It makes for an easy-to-slip-on-and-off shoe at the crag and climbing wall between climbs and belaying – the ability to collapse the heel makes for convenient slipper-style comfort. When in shoe mode, it offers enough support for straightforward approaches. In addition, it makes for a comfortable travel shoe and pub wear and proves to be a bit of an all-rounder on that score.