Approach shoes are hybrid footwear with some characteristics common to both hiking boots and 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, an approach shoe generally has a specialised sticky rubber sole which maintains traction on steeper grades of rock.[1] It performs neither discipline perfectly, and more specialised footwear should be worn on more extreme terrain, or when carrying heavier loads. Approach shoes typically do not have effective insulation in the sole[1], which limits their effectiveness for hiking over hot surfaces or in cold conditions.