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Initial Report - Five Ten Canyoneers,
Canyoneering Shoes
| Personal Biographical Info: |
| Name: |
Todd Martin |
 |
| Age: |
40 |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Height: |
5'11" (1.8 m) |
| Weight: |
155 lbs. (68 kg) |
| Email Address: |
todds_hiking_guide (at) yahoo (dot) com |
| Location: |
Phoenix, AZ USA |
| Date: |
May 14, 2004 |
| Background: |
Thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1994. Moved to Pacific Northwest 1996
and enjoyed day hiking excursions in the Columbia River Gorge area, followed
by some backpacking along the Pacific Crest Trail. Moved to the desert
southwest in 1997 and have been actively day hiking most weekends. I generally
take 2 weeklong trips to the Grand Canyon each year. Backpacking philosophy
has been rapidly moving towards ultra-light gear. My current base pack
weight (not including food or water) measures about 10 lbs (4.5 kg). Have
also been participating in canyoneering since 1997. Web master for Todd's
Desert Hiking Guide at:
http://www.toddshikingguide.com/ |
| Product Information: |
| Manufacturer: |
Five Ten (http://www.fiveten.com/) |
| Style of Product: |
Canyoneering Shoe |
| Color: |
Yellow and black |
| Year of Manufacture: |
2004 |
| Listed Weight: |
Not listed |
| Weight as Delivered: |
35.6 oz (1 kg), for Mens US size 10.5 |
| Materials: |
Stealth S1 soles
Synthetic leather/ breathable mesh upper
Self-bailing EVA compression molded EVA midsole
Doubled 3mm Neoprene ankle collar |
| Shoe Description
and Features: |
 The
Five Ten Canyoneer is billed as a shoe specifically for canyoneering, an
activity which involves hiking, scrambling, bush whacking, rock hopping,
swimming, climbing and rappelling. Canyoneering can be physically demanding
as well as tough on gear.
The main feature of the shoe is the
Stealth S1 sole which the manufacturer claims provides a high level of
traction on multiple surface types as well as cushioning for your feet. The
sole features a distinctive lug pattern that can be seen in the footprints
in most popular canyons in the southwest. Putting on the shoe is aided by
pull-on loops positioned at the heel which allow the wearer to pull the shoe
on while sliding the heel into the heel cup. The shoe is secured not with
laces, but with hook and loop fastener and buckles. The neoprene padded
split tongue is secured around the ankle with hook and loop fastener. The
two part tongue is attached to the side of the shoe and wrapped, one side
over the other, around the ankle. This allows the padded pieces to slide
past each other, a feature that is supposed to help provide a comfortable
and adjustable fit. The shoe is then tightened around the foot using the
water sport buckle closure. The buckles are claimed to provide a secure
closure system in situations where water, particularly strong current, is
present. Unlike laces, they are not supposed to become waterlogged or come
loose like hook and loop closure systems. Other features of the Canyoneer
which are designed for wet situations are the mesh upper which allows water
to drain from the shoe and the internal self draining midsole which uses
channels to pump water out of the shoe as you walk. |
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| Initial Impressions: |
|
My first concern was whether or not the shoe would fit. I've heard that the
Canyoneer tends to run on the small side, so I ordered a 10.5 shoe even
though I typically wear a 9.5 or 10 (depending on the brand). To determine
if the shoe fit, I put on a pair of thick hiking socks and tried them on.
With relief I discovered that the shoes appear to fit perfectly. I did find
that the shoe is on the roomy side width-wise, but this is a good thing, not
only because my feet are wide, but because I often wear neoprene socks when
I go canyoneering. The extra width in the shoe should allow me to wear a
variety of sock combinations without pinching my feet. The shoes have a very
spongy midsole which seems to provide a decent amount of cushioning and
feels reasonably comfortable traipsing around the house. The manufacturer's
web site does a good job of describing the shoe and my wife has an older
pair of the same model, so my expectations matched the product exactly. |
 |
 |
 |
| Water Sport Buckle Closure |
Midsole Drain Holes |
Cross Hatched Shoe Insert |
|
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| Test Plan and Concerns: |
| I have many canyoneering trips planned for the coming
months (including week long trips in May and July, as well as several
shorter weekend trips throughout the summer). Trips will vary between wet
limestone canyons in the Spanish Pyrenees to the desert areas of AZ and UT.
Most trips will be day hikes; however, several will consist of trips from
2-3 days in length. Canyons in Utah and Northern Arizona consist mainly of
sandstone and involve rocky terrain and water filled potholes. Approaches
can involve hiking over sand, slickrock, through brush and on maintained
trails. In Arizona there are several canyons with perennial water flow which
run through areas of polished granite. Footing in these canyons can be very
tenuous, particularly when walking in wet footwear. I currently wear a variety of inexpensive, light weight trail running
and water shoes when canyoneering. My biggest complaint with this footwear
to date has been the amount of traction they provide once they become wet. I
would like to evaluate the Five Ten Canyoneers to determine whether a sport
specific shoe provides distinct advantages over my current footwear that
would justify the significantly higher cost.
There are several features of the Five Ten Canyoneer shoe that I would
like to evaluate as part of my test plan. The shoes will be tested in both
wet and dry conditions in a wide variety of canyons in the southwest wearing
both synthetic hiking socks and neoprene socks.
Comfort:
A key feature of any type of footwear is how comfortable the shoe is to
wear. With canyoneering this is made more difficult by the fact that much of
the hiking is usually done off trail and can involve climbing over awkward
and steeply graded surfaces. The shoe must then also be comfortable after it
becomes wet. Many shoes expand when wet which can cause your foot to slide
around more within the footbed, creating opportunities for blisters.
|
| As part of my evaluation of the comfort of the Five Tens I
will determine: |
- How well the mesh upper breathes when hiking under hot and dry
conditions.
- Whether the neoprene ankle collar provides appreciable warmth when
wading or swimming through icy water.
- How well the manufacturer’s sizes correspond to those of other
footwear manufacturers.
- Whether the shoes drain quickly after walking through water and how
quickly they dry once they become wet.
- How well the water sport buckle closure secures my foot in the shoe
and whether it requires adjustment after the shoe becomes wet.
|
Traction:
A big claim for a canyoneering specific shoe lies in the high level of
traction the Stealth® Rubber sole supposedly provides. This feature will be
tested in sandstone canyons that involve a considerable amount of down
climbing and rappelling on steeply angled surfaces as well as in granite
canyons where the polished stone becomes highly slick when wet.
In addition, I will determine whether the soft rubber of the shoe leaves
black skid marks on beautiful red sandstone walls when climbing and hiking.
Durability:
In general, high traction rubber usually means soft rubber, which means the
shoes' soles wear out quickly. As part of the test I will measure how well
the shoe maintains its sole and the extent to which wear occurs. I will also
determine whether the water sport buckle closure is sufficiently durable to
hold up under normal use (I have seen this closure system fail in older
models of the Five Ten Canyoneer owned by my wife).
I'd like to thank BackpackGearTest and Five Ten for allowing me to participate in
this test. |
Read more reviews of Five Ten gear
Read more gear reviews by Todd L. Martin
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