The first dedicated choice followed the approach-shoe advice.
Before the TX4, I was using Salomon X Ultra Mid footwear. When looking for a shoe specifically for Via Ferrata, the advice repeatedly pointed towards approach shoes, and the La Sportiva TX4 kept appearing. That recommendation helped make the first decision. It was not the result of having tested a room full of alternatives.
The pair here is the original low, below-ankle, leather TX4 GTX. It is not the Mid and it is not the newer TX4 EVO. That identity matters because the experience belongs to this shoe. Wanting a higher version later does not mean that higher version has already been part of the climbing.
Rock grip gave the recommendation substance.
These shoes stick to the wall. That is the simplest way to describe why the TX4 earned its place after the purchase. On natural rock, grip makes a difference to how confidently I can use the feet, and the repeated experience gave me a reason to keep the shoe rather than keep searching simply for the sake of changing.
That experience also helped build familiarity with La Sportiva more broadly. I now have other footwear from the brand and would be interested in more if the budget allowed. It does not mean Scarpa or another manufacturer could not work as well. Without testing them, I cannot make that judgment. There is a difference between having confidence in a shoe and claiming every competing shoe is worse.
Steel rungs expose a different requirement.
Long sections on narrow rungs and pegs have caused pain underfoot. The grip that works so well on rock does not remove the pressure of standing on metal. That has made me interested in a stronger, more supportive sole. It is a question raised by the climbing, rather than a problem solved by simply choosing a popular approach shoe.
I also want more support around the ankle in some situations. The low TX4 leaves that requirement open. When deciding on footwear, I therefore look beyond the rock sections that show the shoe at its best. The approach, the metal on the route and the surrounding mountain terrain all form part of the outing.
The next purchase has a purpose, but has not happened yet.
The higher leather GTX version of the TX4 and the La Sportiva Aequilibrium ST or LT are models I would like to explore. They are expensive, and the budget has not yet allowed it. They are possibilities for testing the support I want, not replacements whose performance I can already describe.
That is where the footwear decision stands. There is a strong reason to keep the low TX4 GTX: the rock grip has repeatedly delivered. There are also specific reasons to investigate something else: pressure on steel and the desire for more ankle support. A future comparison needs to answer those questions, rather than merely add another pair.
Would the same compromise suit your routes?
If natural rock is central to the climbing you do, the reason this shoe stayed should be clear. If your outings involve prolonged sections on narrow metal, the discomfort I have described deserves just as much attention. The whole route matters more than the label Via Ferrata shoe.
I am not giving up on the TX4 easily. It remains a very good approach shoe in this experience, while leaving room for different footwear when the outing calls for it. Check the exact version when following a purchase link so that you are comparing the low leather GTX discussed here with what the retailer is offering.