like Gore-Texliners and Vibram sole units. The shoe in the picture, which we have ontest right now, is the NewBalance 1520 which New Balance describes as: 'A sleek anddurable multi-sport shoe that incorporates athletic tech features withOutdoor styling

's not only at home on the rock, but is also comfortable and efficient for the walk-in.Which sounds obvious, but many approach shoes seem able to cope with one, but not the other. Up top there's a suede upper with rubber toe and heel protection for toughness

New Balancehas been entrenched in the business of running shoes since 1906 but thecompany is dipping a toe in the outdoors market for 2009 with a rangeof trail running, walking and multi-sport footwear. We nipped over toHathersage last week to check

Trail shoes tend to come in two main varieties, solid, walking-orientated footwear with no running pretensions and lighter, 'runnable' shoes, which trade a bit of solidity for a more flexible sole unit and lighter, bouncier, EVA cushioning - the new

and technically the Flyroc 310 is intendedas a trail or adventure race shoe. Increasingly though, the company'sshoes are being used for all round walking by weight-conscious walkerswho appreciate the shoes' lightness and grip.Inov-8 says the shoe is 'ideal for off

This started as a Buyers' Guide to approach shoes, but then wethought, hey, how about walking shoes, trail shoes and eventrail-running shoes. Just, well, shoes even. Scrambling shoes too.And how do scrambling shoes differ from approach shoes

its experience from making fell shoes to produce a rangeof four models, including a boot, intended to suit 'differing needs andpreferences' including crossover running and hill-walking use.The Spirit Peakseems to be the all-rounder in the new range

New in for review and possibly just the ticket for summer walking, is the Brasher Krypton GTX shoe, a solid sort of chap said by Brasher to give 'ultimate walking comfort perfect for low level trails'.While a lot of walking shoes right now feature

-sole - the bit thatmakes shoes cushioned - and a sprung, flexible last with a lot offore and aft bend to it. When your foot bends, the shoe bends withit, good for natural walking action and for comfort, though initialimpressions are that there's still enough

the front section of the sole unit. That's notreally an issue for running where the pay-off is sensitivity, but ifyou're used to a stiffer-soled walking shoe or boot, you may find itdisconcerting at first.Finally, the Phobic element of the shoe, as we said