Industry award calls SCARPA’s Rapid ‘a quiver of one that’s perfect for trips that will have running, hiking and climbing on the menu’
SCARPA, a global leader in footwear for mountain sports, earned a 2022 Editors’ Choice award from Outside and Backpacker Magazines for its new Rapid, a hybrid shoe that is part approach shoe, part running shoe and part hiking shoe. The award calls out the Rapid’s versatility across a wide variety of terrain.
“We love this shoe because it simplifies our decision-making process when gearing up for the mountains,” Outside and Backpacker’s editors write. “It’s a quiver of one that’s perfect for trips that will have running, hiking, and climbing on the menu.”
The Rapid is arguably the best all-around mountain shoe SCARPA has ever made, equally adept at ticking off trail miles, an off-trail approach, boulder hopping or scrambling moderate slabs.
The Rapid is “light , airy, conducive to fast hiking or even running, and flexible enough to lend confidence on slabby, smeary rock—a situation when stiffer approach shoes can actually feel less secure. In fact, we loved the Rapid not just for climbing but for hiking as well,” Outside and Backpacker’s editors said. “That’s because it looks—and strides—like a trail-running shoe, with a rockered, dual-density EVA midsole, a slightly roomy toe box, and a thin mesh upper and tongue that breathe well and avoid the excess material that can make other approach shoes feel cumbersome.”
Mark Mathews, VP of Sales for SCARPA North America, said the Rapid evolved from a hybrid-concept shoe that a lot of its athletes and ambassadors were advocating for.
“With the Rapid, our goal was to create a versatile, nimble and lightweight shoe that works across a huge array of terrain for fast-and-light missions,” Mathews said. “With this award, Outside and Backpacker’s test team called out the competitive traits that we hoped to bring together in a hybrid shoe — walking well on or off trail, but also having technical ability and grip in rocky and challenging terrain.”
The Rapid family, which includes three different styles, employs a dual-density EVA midsole, a TPU arch insert for torsion control, and SCARPA’s Dynamic Protection System insert in the forefoot, which increases trail protection, propulsion and edging capability. That is paired with a high-friction Megagrip rubber and an edging zone.
The family includes a low-cut model, a version with GORE-TEX Invisible Fit waterproofing technology, and — new for Fall 2022 — a mid-cut version with more ankle support, which also uses GORE-TEX Invisible Fit technology. With GORE-TEX Invisible Fit technology, the membrane is engineered to directly bond to footwear uppers, reducing pressure points, wrinkles and folds, and creating a true-to-size forefoot area.
About SCARPA and SCARPA North America
Founded in 1938, SCARPA builds performance footwear for climbing, hiking, skiing, mountaineering, trail running and other outdoor pursuits from its headquarters in Asolo, Italy. SCARPA has been owned and operated by the Parisotto family since 1956. In 2005, SCARPA opened its North American headquarters in Boulder, Colo., staffed and directed by veterans of the North American outdoor industry, to oversee sales, marketing and distribution in the U.S., Canada and South America. For more information about SCARPA footwear, visit www.scarpa.com.
