Five Ten D'Aescent Approach Shoe - Men's - 2010 BCS

Don't get me wrong, I love these shoes ONLY for what they were made for...techy approaches and descents where you need to carry your shoes with you while you climb. For that purpose they get 5 stars...but delaming in the toe after 5 times worn, and the mesh wears out quick if you climb any pitches in them. These things climb really well and hike ok. Minimal cushioning, and no toe tread mean they are tough on the feet for long trail walks. Add a pair to your quiver for sure, but only take them out for the right occasions!

I've used these babies for years when I need a light weight pair of shoes for descending. I've come down from El Cap several times in them, and I can tell you that you will really appreciate how light they are when you clip them to your harness and then climb thirty pitches. I prefer other shoes for epic hiking approaches, but I've even been known to do the epic hike in a more burly pair of shoes and then pull these out of the pack for the climb and descent. They are also pretty solid for moderate fifth class, and I have seen people climb solid five twelve in them. These are definitely a specialty shoe, and I would stay away from snow in them... but for anyone serious about keeping it light these are the best shoes hands down for descending from those iconic formations like El Cap and Half Dome. Clip it to your harness and forget about it.

These shoes are the finest "worn to the first interview with your new boss," only later that day to be used later "scaling up his house and into his foxy daughter's 3rd floor bedroom window" ! The are very comfy and allow for relatively, slab-tastic rock climbing. Best of all: 7oz lighter the Five Tennie Guides. Placing then on back of your harness is the equivalent to bringing up an extra chalk bag. If you like support go away. I Look forward to owning many pairs I go through them fast.

Great Shoe! Very light, comfortable barefoot or socked, and excellent for most things. they are so comfortable youll be tempted to wear them everywhere but dont! Dont waste quality rubber like this on pavement. They wont last as long as they could.

As you may or may not knot know grip is about the quality of rubber not the lugs or pattern. 5.10 produces some of the very best out there so dont look at the forefoot and think youll slip.

Also, its light weight and simplicity make it a shoe better suited for the people with strong feet and good footwork (aka not just clomping around the woods), if your looking for a supportive shoe this wont be it.

I bought the freerunners in november of '08 and I loved them. I use them to hike/run up camelback mountain in Phoenix. If you've never hiked this mountain, it's ridiculously crowded all winter and it can be pretty steep at certain points. This is where the fiveten rubber performs beautifully. The freerunners allow me to hop from rock to rock without slipping. (Yeah, I'm one of those annoying people that runs down camelback.) The D'asceants did not hold up well on this same hike. I nearly slipped several times which could have resulted in nasty falls. The lack of tread on the front part of the sole did not provide any traction. I could see these being good "alternative" climbing shoes when you don't want to cram your toes in to your climbing shoes because they have great toes and that beautiful fiveten rubber. They also do not stick well to sandy surfaces and they have very little padding in the soles so don't even think about running anywhere in them. They also run a half size too small. So if you're considering these, take a look at the feerunners first. I just ordered a pair of the '10 freerunners. Unfortunately, Backcountry doesn't carry them! Hope this helps.

This is a good shoe but not great. It definitely walks the line of being an approach shoe and climbing shoe. The reason I took these back was b/c the shoe did not fit well without socks. Towards the toe where two pieces of leather fabric meet there is a seem with a rough edge. Perhaps this is only an issue with my feet, nonetheless, its there and it rubbed my toes raw. This was only an issue when wearing them barefoot.

These shoes are the bee's knees! I wear an 8 street shoe and bought an 8 1/2 and they are perfect.
They are awesome for hiking around the trails and if you feel the urge to climb that boulder, go for it!
Plus, they are super lightweight and look awesome! Go buy them!

Well I got these shoes to use for PK/freerun and I love them! I do not think you will find anything that better grips cement then these!Cement...That's about it though! Expect to slip on painted rails, grass and some wood.Another plus though with them is that they are very tight fitting and allow LOTS of mobility and the ability to really feel the ground which is a big plus for PK/freerun.So overall I like them! They appear to be lasting great after 2 months!Pros:Amazing grip on cement.Mobility.Ability to feel the ground well.Dries fast.Comfortable.Cons:Price.Little to no traction on grass, most painted rails and some wood.*Stability for your foot. These have almost no ankle support so if your prone to sprained ankles then watch it!*

O and one more thing! I would get a size larger then you normally would! Because they are such a tight fitting shoe it matters! I wear a 10 and got a 11 and they are a good fit!

I really like these shoes. Don't get fooled by the lack of tread on the front of the shoe, it grips just like slick tires. Brick walls, cement, concrete, and on similar surfaces the shoes get awesome grip. Grass, waxed gyms floors, dusty smooth floors and similar surfaces are rather slippery, but that's not what they're designed for is it? Carpet is kind of hit and miss, YMMV on it.

Just as a comparison, I get about a foot higher during vertical wall runs/climbs on brick with these compared to cheap sneakers. very good for parkour/freerunning.