Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Five Ten Insight > Andrew Mytys > Initial Report

Five Ten Insight Shoes

Initial Report

Reviewed By: Andrew Mytys Email: amytys@gmail.com Date Published: October 18, 2005 Update History: None

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Five Ten (http://www.fiveten.com) Item: Men's Insight shoes Year of manufacture: 2005 MSRP: $95.00 Size: Mens 10 (US); 9 (UK); 43 (EU); 28 (CM) Available Sizes: 7 - 13 Listed Weight: 32 oz (907 g) - (size unknown) Weight as delivered (footbeds included): 30.8 oz (873 g) Weight of footbeds: 0.5 oz (14 g) each Color: Gray/Yellow Manufactured In: China

Product Description:

Part of Five Ten's (5.10) I.Q. Series of multi-sport footwear, the Insight shoes are designed as approach/light hiking shoes that are lightweight and versatile enough for every-day wear. The Insight incorporates a number of Five Ten rock shoe features for higher performance, including Stealth S1/C4 co-molded soles, slingshot rands, and lace-to-toe styling. Full-grain Nubuck leather uppers with protective full-length toe rands provide for abrasion resistance.

Test Unit Description:

The 5.10 Insights received for testing are a very capable looking low-cut hiking shoe with an aggressive sole made of Five Ten's Stealth "S1" rubber co-molded with "C4" rubber for the lugs and raised toe/heal area. The S1 rubber is designed to provide maximum shock absorption and friction, while the S4 is for friction on rock.

The shoe's upper is composed mostly of gray-colored Nubuck leather, with black rubber slingshot rands wrapped around the toe area (presumably to also promote friction and grip). The inside of the shoe is a padded mesh material similar to that commonly found in running shoes, black on the inside of the shoe and yellow on its outside layer. The shoe's Nubuck upper has slits in its pattern on both sides of the shoe, allowing for ventilation as well as for the yellow color of the mesh to be stylishly displayed.

The shoe's padded tongue has a blend of materials on it - the lower half is made up of the same gray Nubuck that's used for the shoe's upper, with the remainder being composed of the now familiar yellow mesh. The tongue is semi-gusseted, meaning that it's connected to each side of the shoe halfway up its length from the toebox.

The laces are black with yellow trim along their edges - they are round near the middle, but flatten out towards their edge. The lacing is ankle to toe in order to allow the wearer to "customize the fit according to activity demand."

There are three pull tabs present, one on the tongue and two off the heel of the shoe - the tabs on the heel are positioned at the center and outside of the shoe. These tabs are designed for pulling the shoes on and off, or hanging them from a pack.

Initial Impressions:

Fresh out of the box, the 5.10 Insight caught my attention - whatever the performance proves to be, this is one good looking shoe. The shoe looks like a trail runner covered in armor. Its got that padded, comfortable "inner shoe" that I'm used to seeing in today's running shoe, an aggressive tread that screams "capable," and a full length rubber toe rand that looks like it's just waiting to wedge itself between some rocks. The gray Nubuck upper continues the utilitarian theme, with the yellow-colored mesh flashing through just enough to give the Insight some flair. At the rear of the shoe, rising diagonally along the outside of the ankle, is another strip of black slingshot rand with a silver "5.10" highlight. "WAY COOL!" Not to be outdone, the sole has its own logo, a climbing "puma" character, as part of the its pattern - the puma climbs along the bottom of the sole, out over the Insight's sidewall.

The stock footbeds are pretty low in volume, and lack the integrated arch-support typically found on footbeds that come with trail runners. I actually liked this, as there's more room for customization. I've already tried slipping my 3/4-length orthodic inserts into the shoes and they fit like the shoes were made for them. I also have enough room to wear socks of various thicknesses. There isn't so much room, however, that my foot will slide out - the lacing is already proving that it can accommodate many different volumes of feet. Overall, the fit allows me enough space to easily slide a finger in behind my heel, just as a good fit should.

The shoe's construction seems solid, though I've noticed a bit of extra glue poking out here and there, particularly where the rubber rand meets the Nubuck upper. In addition, I've noticed that the cut/shape of the rubber rand is every so slightly different between each shoe, specifically at the back of the heel and where the slingshoot rand off the heel comes into contact with that of the toe. This is nothing that should impact performance at all, and after a bit of dirt I might not even notice. Nor do I even care. But some readers may be strictly interested in the Insight for its styling, and I've seen some shoe freaks open box after box looking for "opposing twins." Minor as they are, the 5.10 Insights received for testing have some slight cosmetic "finishing" issues.

Test Plan:

The Five Ten Insights will be my primary footwear solution for all my hikes over the next four months, including winter hiking. The shoes will be used for day-hiking, and while carrying a fully loaded backpack. I will also use them while snowshoeing.

Test locations will primarily be in Michigan, meaning that the shoes will be exposed to scree, mud, shifting rocks, boulders, slick algae and moss covered terrain, shallow creek crossings, sand, snow, ice, and, of course, nice, compressed, maintained trail. They will be used for both on trail hiking and off trail bushwhacking.

I plan to evaluate the 5.10 Insights based on fit, comfort, support, traction, protection, dry time, and durability. Questions that I will be resolving include:

• Fit
  • Recently, I had my foot measured by a footwear professional on a Brannock device. My "measured" size is a Men's 10D. In terms of my reporting, I would comment on how "true" the shoes fit to what I've been measured against, and comment on any pressure points felt on the inside of the shoe due to factors such as odd stitch placement, cut of materials, etc.
  • I will report on lacing patterns that can be applied to the Five Ten Insight and how they affected fit. I will also comment on how well the laces hold the knots I tie.
  • In addition, I would be experimenting with different thicknesses of socks. I intend to use these shoes in snowy and cold conditions, and will thus be attempted to wear a variety of socks with them, including heavy rag wool socks and SealSkinz neoprene insulating socks.
  
  
• Comfort
  • General Issues: are there any stitches that can be felt inside the shoe, pressing against the foot? Does the tongue provide enough padding to keep one's arch from feeling the pinch of the shoes laces? Does the footbed provide a protective buffer from the trail below?
  • Do my feet sweat while hiking in the Insights and, if so, how does this effect performance? How well do the shoes breathe? Do the shoes retain any odors from smelly feet?
  • How does the Insight perform when wet? Does the depth of the footbox present any drainage issues when in wet or muddy conditions?
  
  
• Support
  • I'm also interested in the level of support that the Five Ten Insights provide over the course of the test - will they feel more like a trail shoe, or an old slipper, after extended periods of wear?
  
  
• Traction
  • Traction is also an important factor to the hiker. How well will the Insight's soles grip when wet? How about when boulder scrambling, or jumping from rock to rock across a stream? Will the shoes achieve a good grip when moving up and down slopes composed of gravel and other loose materials? In terms of snow and ice, I am not a big fan of cumbersome winter boots and will instead evaluate how far I can push the Insights while navigating through snow and across ice-covered terrain. Should conditions be too much for the Insights to handle, I will augment the shoes with whatever devices prove necessary (e.g. snowshoes/crampons).
  
  
• Protection
  • When I walk, I tend to shuffle my feet and kick things in front of me on the trail. How well does the toebox of the Insight protect my toes? How much protection do its sidewalls provide to the foot? Will my foot be well protected when slipping from rock to rock during river crossings? I will also be interested in seeing how much, and what type of, debris from the trail makes its way into the shoe.
  
  
• Dry Time
  • The trails that I frequent are often covered in dew late into the morning hours. I will be evaluating if any of this dew penetrates the shoe while walking through grassy fields. Whether it be dew, rain, melted snow, or water from creek crossings, the shoes can be expected to be saturated with moisture - I will be evaluating how long it takes the shoes to dry out, and under what conditions. I'm not proposing timing dry time using a stopwatch - I simply want to describe when the shoes were removed, how long they were left drying, under what field conditions, and what the results were. Typically, this will encompass leaving the shoes under my tarp or tent vestibule while I sleep, and inspecting the shoes in the morning. During the early portions of the test period, temperatures will be mild and days will be short - I do not expect the shoes to dry while on my feet, but will pay attention to how well shoes dry out during the day as well.
  
  
• Durability
  • How do the materials used to construct the shoe hold up over the course of wet/dry and freeze/thaw cycles?
  • How well do the Insights clean up after being subjected to muddy trail conditions?
  • How well do the shoe's uppers, sidewalls, stitching, adhesive bonds, and tread wear hold up over the course of the test period?
  • Lastly I will report on the Five Ten Insight's ability to remain odor free throughout the course of the test, assuming regular cleaning intervals.

Personal Biographical Information:

Reviewer: Andrew Mytys Email: amytys (at) backpacker (dot) com Homepage: Andy's Lightweight Backpacking Site Location: Michigan Age: 33 Height: 6'1" (183 cm) Weight: 165 lbs (75 kg)

     Backpacking Background:

I live in Michigan and have been hiking seriously for 15 years, although I've camped since I was 6 years old. I consider myself a lightweight hiker. I carry the lightest gear I can get my hands on which will provide a comfortable wilderness experience and adequately support the goals of my trip. Unless my goals are time/distance oriented, my pace is always slow. I rarely exceed 1.5 miles (2.4 km)/hour. I rest frequently, hike long days, and enjoy whatever nature throws my way.

Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Five Ten Insight > Andrew Mytys > Initial Report