Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Five Ten Insight > David Sowards-Emmerd > Initial Report

Initial Report - Five.Ten Insight
September 26, 2005

Name: David Sowards-Emmerd
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 8'' (1.73 m)
Weight: 155 lb (70 kg)
Shoe size: 9-10 US
Email Address: drunken_marmotATyahooDOTcom
Los Altos, California, USA

Backpacking Background:

I began backpacking semi-frequently about six years ago, soon after moving to California. I generally take weekend (1 night) trips, and occasionally take 3-4 day trips. Most of my backpacking experience is at moderate altitude, 6,000'-12,000' (1,800-3,650 m), in conditions ranging from dry desert to hail/heavy snow in the mountains. In winter and spring I split time between Southern California (SoCal) deserts and snowshoeing/skiing/snowcamping in the Sierra/Cascades. Summer and fall I tend to stick to the high country. I have reduced my packweight, including food and water down to less than 50 lb (23 kg) for snow camping and mountaineering and under 30 lb (14 kg) for 3-season camping with temperatures down to freezing. I'm trying to include more mountaineering, climbing and bouldering in my trips.

The product was received on September 23, 2005.

Product Description:

Manufacturer's Description:
US Men's 7-13
Nubuck leather upper
Co-molded Stealth C4 and Stealth S1 Sole
Color: Charcoal/Yellow
Weight: 32 oz (910 g) (size not specified)

Specifications (as measured by tester):
Size: 9 US Men's
Left shoe: 14.9 oz (423 g)
Right shoe: 14.7 oz (418 g)
Pair: 29.7 oz (841 g)

Product Description:

The Insights are an interesting color combination of grey and yellow. I believe the bottom of the sole is all Stealth S1 rubber (there's a little yellow spot marked S1 - see photo), and the rubber on the uppers (rand and slingshot rand) are Stealth C4 rubber. This rubber covers a significant fraction of the upper. The tongue is semi-gusseted (see photo), meaning a good fraction of it is attached to the upper to keep rocks/gravel/dirt out. I'm not going to try to describe the tread pattern, but a photo is included below - see photo below, including the Stealth 'lion' climbing up the from the instep. The upper materials are a grey suede (Nubuck) and a padded, yellow mesh material similar to what I've seen used on lightweight, breathable waistbelts on packs. It looks like the slits where the 'yellow' is visible should provide a bit of ventilation, and possibly a place for water entry. Inside the shoe, there's an extra layer of padding used on the back half that isn't present in the forefoot. The 'to-the-toe' lacing extends further than typical running shoes, but comparable to my mountaineering and hiking boots. I measured the distance from the laces to the tip to be about 2'' (5cm), not including curvature. Three pull tabs/loops are sewn on to the shoe, two on the back and one on the tongue. Finally, the included laces are a fancy black with yellow trim.

Initial Impressions:

Overall, the Insights are a comfortable fit and feel well cushioned and stable. However, it feels like there's a gap missing between my heel and the ball of my foot in the padding - I imagine inserts with more arch support will fix this, but I plan to try them out as is at least for the first few weeks. My toes aren't quite kicking the end of the shoe, but close, which is the fit I was hoping for. They arrived already laced up, with laces coming up and out all but the last eyelet (comes out the bottom of this one --> harder to loosen). I have wide, but low-volume feet and am able to cinch the upper laces almost all the way together, so hopefully the shoes don't stretch too much, although I will be wearing thicker socks as the temperatures drop this fall. Getting the toe end of the shoe tightened is a bit tricky, but I'll work at that. The shoes appear to be well made, with little extra glue, and a few loose stitches. The pull-tabs are a little excessive, since the shoes aren't tight like rock shoes. The heel cup feels sturdy.

Specific Things to Test:

• Traction on ice, snow, sand, various types of rock: smooth granite, rough granite, volcanic, dust polished/covered rock, etc. How does the sole perform on wet, slick or icy rocks? Will the sole grab onto sharp edges?
• Will the heel cup wear through the back (inside) of the shoe?
• Will the shoes stretch out during the course of testing or will they shrink at all if dried in the sun?
• There's not really any arch support, so will discomfort lead me to replacing the insoles?
• Are they water resistant at all, or do I need to avoid getting them wet? If wet, how long does it take to dry out thoroughly? I assume water will enter the shoes easily through the yellow material on the sides, but have to get them wet first to find out.
• Torsional Flex, rigidity, heel control, etc.: Rigidity is a big question for me for scrambling shoes, since without a rigid sole/midsole, feet get bruised easily from small rocks and sharp edges.
• Durability: Will the rubber upper delaminate? Will any stitching come loose?
• Insulation: Do they provide an noticeable warmth? There's always the downhill part of the climb, and it's usually the coldest part.
• Breathability: Will I sweat them up on the first 15 minutes of hiking? Is there any noticeable ventilation through the uppers?
• How much does this squeeze the forefoot inward? (these are climbing shoes so this is generally expected to some degree). It doesn't appear the toe will fit in small pockets in rock, but I'll give this a try during the first week of testing in the Eastern Sierra.
• Overall comfort: Will blisters and hot spots quickly appear, and does the upper flex and rub on the top of my foot.
• Do the laces go far enough up the ankle that the shoes feel like they'd be really difficult to pull off?
• Is it 'comfortable' jamming a foot in a crack, or between rocks, etc. with these shoes on?

Test Plan and Testing Locations:

I expect a handful of overnight trips into the Sierra granite this fall before the passes close, where I will use these shoes as my main trail shoes. Locally, I plan to wear the Insights as approach/hiking shoes for trips to local climbing spots in Castle Rock State Park, Pinnacles National Monument, and Mount Diablo State Park, and will see how they do for technical climbing before putting on actual rock shoes. I am shooting for 1-2 more mountaineering trips on rock in the Sierra Nevada before the winter weather kicks in. Also, I have a 3 day trip planned to Rock Creek (Eastern Sierra Nevada) at the end of the month that will consist of peak bagging and bouldering. During the week of Thanksgiving, I hope to take my usual 9 day road trip (might be stuck with just 4 though) to the deserts and rocks in Southern California and the Eastern Sierra. I will be heading to Michigan for 1-2 weeks over Xmas and will have a chance to try out the shoes on snow and ice. Finally, I may try snowshoeing in the Insights (over waterproof or neoprene socks) - I tend to wear trail runners like this during warmer trips.

Read more reviews of Five Ten gear
Read more gear reviews by David Sowards-Emmerd

Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Five Ten Insight > David Sowards-Emmerd > Initial Report