Five-Ten Canyoneer Shoes Initial
Report
Tom Jones, Age 47, Male
5' 11" tall (1.8m)
180 lbs (82 kg)
tom at
jrat dot com
Residence in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
June 2, 2004
Backpacking Background:
I started backpacking as a young sprout, climbing the 46 highest peaks in
New Hampshire by my sophomore year in high school. I discovered rock-climbing at
age 18 and devoted my outdoor life to climbing for 20 years. Aging knees and
renewed interest in wild places inspired by the redrock canyons of Utah has
brought me back to hiking and backpacking as a primary sport. Between technical
canyoneering and backpacking, I spend 60-100 days in the field per year.
My style started as mid-weight using the best equipment available
at the time. More recently, injuries, sore knees, and the *need* to carry ropes
and other gear has pushed me toward ultralight. I hike and backpack in the Utah
desert, in all seasons, and I rarely follow marked trails, visiting places where
others rarely venture. I spend a lot of time doing technical canyoneering,
and have a website devoted to it,
www.CanyoneeringUSA.com
My Feet: I have classic, old-guy feet. I've done a lot of running and
hiking, and worn sandals for months at a time, so my front arch has collapsed,
and my forefeet are flat. Thus, I need shoes that are quite wide. If
I wear shoes that are too narrow, it feels like someone is driving a red-hot
nail into the center of my foot.
Product Information
Manufacturer: Five Ten
www.fiveten.com Year: 2004
Listed
Weight: none
Actual Weight: 2 lb 8.0 oz (1134 g) per pair (size
10-1/2)
(Royal RC40 high quality postal scale)
Date Received: May
14, 2004
Description
The Canyoneer is a specialized shoe for technical wet canyoneering.
It is part of Five Ten's watersport shoe line.
The Canyoneer is really different. It looks like a sneaker, but is
too heavy, and the bottom part is very sturdy. The middle is bright yellow
mesh, then the top is a thick, firm, neoprene cuff. The shoes close with
two big buckles with plastic straps - no laces here.
Let's look at it more closely. The bottom half of the shoe is black
and radiates "sturdiness". The sole is Five Ten's super-sticky Stealth
Rubber with a low-profile molded pattern for traction. The mid-sole is
durable-but-heavy polyurethane, and has some holes cut through it to drain water
from the inside. Sewn-on rubber bumpers all the way around, with a notch
cut halfway through at the forefoot bend, protect the sides of the foot.
A bright yellow fine mesh forms the body of the shoe. Between the
rubber bumpers and the neoprene collar, only about 3/4" (2 cm) of the yellow
mesh shows to the outside.
The ankle collar is sturdy, wrap-around neoprene that closes with hook and
loop fastener, forming two layers in the front and covering the ankle
bone. Buckles hold the shoe closed. The upper strap runs across the
instep, holding the foot back in the heel cup. The lower strap is behind
the widest part of the foot. The buckles and straps appear sturdy - in
fact, the shoe is all about sturdiness.
The shoes I received are pretty much what I expected from the
website.
Initial Impressions
They are beautiful. The yellow, the black, the whole sense of serious
intention works for me.
They fit my feet well. I try them on with neoprene socks (as the
shoes will normally be worn) and they fit, with plenty of space for my wide,
flat forefoot. The ankle strap and neoprene collar hold the heel firmly in
the heel cup, and keep my toes from sliding forward.
They don't feel very padded. My other shoes are running shoes, so I
am used to a soft, bouncy feel to new shoes - and these do not feel like
that. A quick run up the street makes it clear that little running will be
done in these. The Polyurethane midsoles are good for sturdiness, but
without EVA padding, the shoes are too firm for running.
Test Plan and Concerns
I'll be using them on a variety of canyon adventures. Plans call for
both wet and dry canyon adventures in the Escalante and in Zion, with plenty of
technical-climbing-type canyons and pothole splashing both. Mostly I'll be
using them on day trips with a 30 lb (15 kg) pack, but we also have an overnight
trip coming up. On that trip, we will backpack in a few miles, and with
both canyoneering and camping gear, packs will probably weigh about 45 lb (20
kg). This will be a good test of how the shoe does with more weight.
Considerations for this test:
1. Durability: they look and feel
durable, but canyoneering is really hard on gear. How many canyons will I
get out of them? Where will they fail first?
2. Comfort: shoes
aren't much good if they hurt your feet. How do the Canyoneers do
protecting your feet? Is the fit good, preventing blisters, hot spots and
banged-up big toenails?
3. Function: they are rumored to be the bee's
knees for canyoneering. Do they really work that well?
Thanks to Five Ten and BGT for the opportunity to test these marvelous
shoes.
