Approach shoes are hybrid footwear that have some characteristics in common with hiking boots, and others with rock-climbing shoes. Like a shoe or boot designed for hiking, a properly-fitting approach shoe can be worn comfortably while walking for long distances. Like a climbing shoe, it generally has a specialized sticky rubber sole that maintains traction on steeper grades of rock.^[1] On more extreme terrain, or when carrying heavier loads, it supports neither task as well as more specialised footwear would.

Approach shoes typically also lack effective insulation in the soles,^[1] limiting their effectiveness for hiking over hot surfaces or in cold conditions.