Noodles > Guides: Ah, just over three month of wearing these, with socks.. and they're beginning to hum as the weather gets warmer. I wear them every day... ev-ery-day, to and from work and when I'm out. The ventilation on the shoes could be better, but it's not that bad; if you've got guests you may want to leave them outside the door is all :)
The uppers are holding up well to all the riding and walking that they're put through... the only noticable wear is on the sole at the heel end of the shoes, mainly on the right hand shoe. This is a problem I have with all of my shoes as it's the way I walk and it's the area of the shoes that take the most hits!!
Other than that I should have a pair of Freerunners on the way, so I can see if the Mystic rubber is better on marble surfaces... there's going to be a slide test, hopefully I won't smash my face in doing it :)
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
21st April > Projects
Noodles > Projects: So I've not been outside, but I've been climbing a fair bit on the wall during reviews. The Projects are standing up pretty well to the kicking that they get, Arayane came over and she always wants to work on heel hooks and nasty toe scums and the Projects perform really well when you're pulling both moves... I have to admit that as the shoes are so flexible sometimes I don't hook I just grab holds with my toes and just pull, but if I do hook the heel cup is nice enough that I don't need to worry; it's one of the best heel cups I've had on a pair of shoes as the "dead space" is little, compared to other shoes where it's been quite a large area.
The Projects have a nice band of toe rubber on the top of the show that allows you to get some good friction when you're hooking your toe under a hold, and it does help when you've got no choice (or a specific move has been called on a route) but to hook your toe under something and then pull on it.
I'm still impressed, this weekend I'll probably be outside (After dealing with some PC / Mac problems last weekend) so we'll see how these soft shoes are on rock and how long my feet last in them.... oh saying that even thou I did have a good bitch about the vents in the shoes giving me some trouble a few weeks ago I have to admit that I've not noticed it that much, despite my shoes being cranked up super tight the other night, maybe my feet are getting used to the shoes, but I have been kciking my heels out of the shoes when I'm not climbing, thankfully they're nice and easy to pull on and off thanks to the wide foot opening when you've got the velcro undone
The Projects have a nice band of toe rubber on the top of the show that allows you to get some good friction when you're hooking your toe under a hold, and it does help when you've got no choice (or a specific move has been called on a route) but to hook your toe under something and then pull on it.
I'm still impressed, this weekend I'll probably be outside (After dealing with some PC / Mac problems last weekend) so we'll see how these soft shoes are on rock and how long my feet last in them.... oh saying that even thou I did have a good bitch about the vents in the shoes giving me some trouble a few weeks ago I have to admit that I've not noticed it that much, despite my shoes being cranked up super tight the other night, maybe my feet are getting used to the shoes, but I have been kciking my heels out of the shoes when I'm not climbing, thankfully they're nice and easy to pull on and off thanks to the wide foot opening when you've got the velcro undone
Monday, April 20, 2009
20th April: Anasazi LV
EVE > Anasazi LV: It's outdoor season people!!!! Well, at least for those of us who believe it is totally worth it to camp despite the snow in order to touch some rock. The first consequence of climbing near 0*C (32*F) is that you have to deal with seriously cold shoes. This makes them a little more fitted then usual (which in my case is highly unnecessary) and about 40 feet up my first climb with them I had to take a serious break... But what they lack in comfort, they give in confidence.The Anasazi's tip is pointy enough to make them absolute gold for use in cracks, there is enough rubber going up the top and side of the shoe to avoid serious damage and give me the protection layer needed to shove my foot in there without hesitation.
My major disappointment for this trip was that I expected flawless smearing and although the Anasazi are sticky, the extra friction provided by the rock didn't seem to have any effect. It was like smearing at the gym: sometimes it stuck and sometimes it didn't! Maybe with a little more beating, the rubber will get stickier?!?!
On the other hand, this lack in smearing capability did make me realize that the sensitivity provided by these shoes, although they don't have the thinnest rubber on the market, does allow for a more elevated confidence in my footwork. Why? Well.... I was trying to smear and my foot slipped down onto... well... nothing! But I could feel the crystal of rock under my toe that was sticking out slightly from the mountain and I was able to use it as an ACTUAL foothold since I could feel EXACTLY where it was and how solid I was on it. But despite my 20/20 vision... I was never able to actually see what my foot was clearly telling me to trust! Impressive? Yea, when you're not use to it... Useful? Darn right! :D
So I did climb at Noodles lately and I did do routes at the gym and as usual enjoyed the experience with my 5.10s, which are slowly becoming more and more fitting (causing me to worry about them becoming loose - you just can't satisfy a lady). However, since I hit the outdoors before any of the guys, I just had to rant about it! ;)
Thursday, April 9, 2009
April 9th: Anasazi LV
EVE Sorry I'm late folks, but I'm done school now so I can concentrate on climbing again!
So it was 4 am but I got my first gym route in on the Anasazi. It was a route full of long stretches and balance moves. I conclude that smearing on these shoes is a breeze. The rubber is very sticky and I felt confident putting my weight on.... Well nothing! I had to stop on the way up because my toes were getting numb though.
About the fit: I have been mentioning that these shoes were incredibly tight when I got them. Well, this lack of flexibility has forced me to fit my foot in the shoe with a twist the such that my big toe is nicely wedged at the tip. This does allow me to climb for a little longer despite the discomfort and it also gives rise to a very careful footwork with a sensitivity I'm getting used to and appreciating. These shoes are so responsive to the climber's demand that I was almost insulted by my first foot slip!
Despite the tightness in length, I find that my heel doesn't always stay at the bottom of the shoe unless I tie the velcro up super tight.
An interesting feature of the shoes that is worth mentioning are the distinct angles found on the inner side of the toe. The two distinct position you can comfortably put your weight on allows for more trusty options.
Soon, we're going outdoors. :D Lets see the rubber holds its own against reel rock!
So it was 4 am but I got my first gym route in on the Anasazi. It was a route full of long stretches and balance moves. I conclude that smearing on these shoes is a breeze. The rubber is very sticky and I felt confident putting my weight on.... Well nothing! I had to stop on the way up because my toes were getting numb though.
About the fit: I have been mentioning that these shoes were incredibly tight when I got them. Well, this lack of flexibility has forced me to fit my foot in the shoe with a twist the such that my big toe is nicely wedged at the tip. This does allow me to climb for a little longer despite the discomfort and it also gives rise to a very careful footwork with a sensitivity I'm getting used to and appreciating. These shoes are so responsive to the climber's demand that I was almost insulted by my first foot slip!
Despite the tightness in length, I find that my heel doesn't always stay at the bottom of the shoe unless I tie the velcro up super tight.
An interesting feature of the shoes that is worth mentioning are the distinct angles found on the inner side of the toe. The two distinct position you can comfortably put your weight on allows for more trusty options.
Soon, we're going outdoors. :D Lets see the rubber holds its own against reel rock!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
7th April: Prisms
Chris: I've had the Prisms for three weeks now and it took me awhile to get used to the stiffer rand on the shoes. I've been doing a lot of bouldering in the past year and my last pair of shoes have the aggresive down turned toe, are thin as hell and are so tight I still have problems getting them on. The Prisms are on the other end of the shoe spectrum and my feet are quite pleased with my new aquisition. So it was off to the boulder comp last weekend and I packed both shoes just in case.
I had a couple of sessions on our home wall and down at the gym but I was still getting used to the stiff rand which is why I brought my other pair of shoes. It turned out that I wore the Prisms through most of the competition! Where the shoes excel is climbing routes, you don't feel the holds under your feet (something else I need to get accustomed to) and they'll stick to the smallest foot holds without any worries. The shoes come with the new faceted edge technology that Five Ten developed and it makes a big difference when backstepping and using your outside edge, trust me , this isn't a marketing gimmick, I've tried using some of my other shoes on the same climbs and I feel the difference with the faceted shoes. My Prisms have done three weeks of climbing with some wear and tear (the tip of the toe is starting to come unglued) but I've been pretty happy with the way they perform.
I had a couple of sessions on our home wall and down at the gym but I was still getting used to the stiff rand which is why I brought my other pair of shoes. It turned out that I wore the Prisms through most of the competition! Where the shoes excel is climbing routes, you don't feel the holds under your feet (something else I need to get accustomed to) and they'll stick to the smallest foot holds without any worries. The shoes come with the new faceted edge technology that Five Ten developed and it makes a big difference when backstepping and using your outside edge, trust me , this isn't a marketing gimmick, I've tried using some of my other shoes on the same climbs and I feel the difference with the faceted shoes. My Prisms have done three weeks of climbing with some wear and tear (the tip of the toe is starting to come unglued) but I've been pretty happy with the way they perform.
6th April: Guides and Projects
Noodles > Guides: The weather has been pretty bad around here of late, so the Guides have be sloshing through puddles and generally getting abused one way or another.
What I found interesting was that in the rain the shoe sticks to painted lines in the road or on the sidewalk without too much trouble... but on say a marble tiled floor or just a tiled floor they don't grip at all! How do I know? Running for the metro I was a little too slow and the doors closed, so I had to stop... which ended up being a slide into the side of the train.
So once I picked myself up I ran up and down the platform skidding away like a five year old, then when I got close to home I did the same thing, ran down the street and then went into a skid, or should I call it a face plant? In the rain the shoes when I stopped very quickly didn't slide they stuck to the sidewalk and pitched me over. Intrigued by this I dropped Isaac a quick message to give him the heads up and he mentioned that these shoes pictured (The Freerunner V2's) apparently stick to marble and tile floors better than the Guides, something I'm not sure about as the only apparent difference as far as I can make out between the shoes is this:
a slight imprint on the tread of the rubber. I was thinking what difference is this going to make on a marble floor?? The answer: The Freerunners have Mystique Rubber and the Guides have Stealth C4 rubber.
So in conclusion: if you're running from the cops (for instance) and you're going to be crossing polished floors I'd grab the Freerunners V2. If you're kicking at the crag get the Guides... looks like I've got to get another pair of shoes for in town, I want to test the differences and see how they slide!
Projects:
Despite getting on with these shoes pretty well, I've got one small beef...Nothing major, just a niggle I noticed when I was climbing on Tuesday night when I took my shoes off at the end of the night...
The inside vents dig into my instep and after a while really start to leave marks and make my feet ache. Other than that, I've worn them all of the sessions I've climbed and I've not ruined them yet!
What I found interesting was that in the rain the shoe sticks to painted lines in the road or on the sidewalk without too much trouble... but on say a marble tiled floor or just a tiled floor they don't grip at all! How do I know? Running for the metro I was a little too slow and the doors closed, so I had to stop... which ended up being a slide into the side of the train.
So once I picked myself up I ran up and down the platform skidding away like a five year old, then when I got close to home I did the same thing, ran down the street and then went into a skid, or should I call it a face plant? In the rain the shoes when I stopped very quickly didn't slide they stuck to the sidewalk and pitched me over. Intrigued by this I dropped Isaac a quick message to give him the heads up and he mentioned that these shoes pictured (The Freerunner V2's) apparently stick to marble and tile floors better than the Guides, something I'm not sure about as the only apparent difference as far as I can make out between the shoes is this:
a slight imprint on the tread of the rubber. I was thinking what difference is this going to make on a marble floor?? The answer: The Freerunners have Mystique Rubber and the Guides have Stealth C4 rubber.
So in conclusion: if you're running from the cops (for instance) and you're going to be crossing polished floors I'd grab the Freerunners V2. If you're kicking at the crag get the Guides... looks like I've got to get another pair of shoes for in town, I want to test the differences and see how they slide!
Projects:
Despite getting on with these shoes pretty well, I've got one small beef...The inside vents dig into my instep and after a while really start to leave marks and make my feet ache. Other than that, I've worn them all of the sessions I've climbed and I've not ruined them yet!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
March 22nd > Prisms
Chris: When first started climbing I bought a pair of trad climbing shoes cause I didn't know the difference between comfort and performance shoes. So like most people I picked up a gear guide. I read up on the difference between soft rand, hard rand the benifits of having a slipper versus lace up shoes and my second purchase were a pair of Mocasyms. I'll be honest, I'm a lazy guy and I was tired of unlacing my shoes to get them off so I dicided on the Mocasyms for this reason. I've tried other brands of shoes but I always find myself comming back to 5.10 shoes. Lets go down the list. I've owned 1 pair of Mocasyms, 2 pairs of Anasazi lace ups, 1 pair of Gambits and 2 pairs of Piton. I've spoken to many climbers about their shoes and the reasons they buy them and I've come to the conclusion that it comes down to fit and the 5.10 seem to fit me just fine. Now you can imagine how excited I was to hear that 5.10 wanted us to review their shoes.
The pair of shoes that I got are the Prism that have a US patent on the "faceted edge technology". Without having seen the shoe I wasn't quit sure what this meant and here is where a picture says a thousand words:
The shoes are very similar to the Anasazi with the added feature of the angles on the outside edge and like the Anasazi's they are designed for route climbing. The faceted edge will help sicking small edges on face climbing. I've been spending most of my climbing these days on boulders and sinces the shoes are made for sport climbing they remind me of what I enjoy most. I've always been more of a sport climber above anything else, so its back to the old school for me. The material used for the shoes is the same as the Gambits and I'm a bit worried in the fact that synthetic fibers tend to make your feet stink. (Noodles: Yeah so am I!!)
My first experience with the shoes were on our wall and I found it hard to smear. I've been climbing in some agresive down turned shoes from Evolv that have more flexibility that made it easier to smear the wall. The other thing that I have to get used to is the stiff rand (which doesn't make smearing any easier). When I brought the shoes down to the gym for some route climbing the faceted edge made a big difference on some of the harder route. My last pair of route climbing shoes were the Pitons and I swear by them. They are good on routes, boulders, crack climbing and are the best all around shoe that I've owned but if its performance you're looking for the Prism are geared toward that.... we'll see how they fair, I've only spent a small ammount of time in them so far but spring is coming and Noodles has some still plans for me :)
The pair of shoes that I got are the Prism that have a US patent on the "faceted edge technology". Without having seen the shoe I wasn't quit sure what this meant and here is where a picture says a thousand words:
The shoes are very similar to the Anasazi with the added feature of the angles on the outside edge and like the Anasazi's they are designed for route climbing. The faceted edge will help sicking small edges on face climbing. I've been spending most of my climbing these days on boulders and sinces the shoes are made for sport climbing they remind me of what I enjoy most. I've always been more of a sport climber above anything else, so its back to the old school for me. The material used for the shoes is the same as the Gambits and I'm a bit worried in the fact that synthetic fibers tend to make your feet stink. (Noodles: Yeah so am I!!)My first experience with the shoes were on our wall and I found it hard to smear. I've been climbing in some agresive down turned shoes from Evolv that have more flexibility that made it easier to smear the wall. The other thing that I have to get used to is the stiff rand (which doesn't make smearing any easier). When I brought the shoes down to the gym for some route climbing the faceted edge made a big difference on some of the harder route. My last pair of route climbing shoes were the Pitons and I swear by them. They are good on routes, boulders, crack climbing and are the best all around shoe that I've owned but if its performance you're looking for the Prism are geared toward that.... we'll see how they fair, I've only spent a small ammount of time in them so far but spring is coming and Noodles has some still plans for me :)
Friday, March 20, 2009
March 19th: Projects & Anasazi LV
Tuesday night was the first session where we all had a chance to get to grips with our test shoes for the first time, the session was about 4 hours long with people climbing for most of the night... the highlight: the 40 move monster route that was created...
Eve: Shoes... I like shoes! Ain't that typical! Anywho, I wasn't gonna let these babies sit there and gather chalk dust so I used them. Note that they are 3.5UK which is half a size smaller then any shoes I've had and therefore they are VERY tight and slightly painful. Although, mind you, not as painful as my Sirens when I got them, and now I can wear those with socks if I want to. For now though... I have to make a point to remove the Anasazi pair when I'm not climbing cause I can't keep them on for more then like 30 minutes at a time. Physically, they are very pretty. Light colored and simple and not too feminine, which I like. As for velcros, well it makes it a lot easier and quicker to put on and remove the shoes and I guess I won't snap laces anymore! Also, they are so fitted that I don't think I'll have to worry about that
for a while.
It is the end of semester time for me and therefore I was only able to boulder twice for a couple of hours this week. First noticeable difference with my old shoes is how sensitive these are. I can feel EVERYTHING and can now use footholds I never would have dreamt of trusting before. It almost feels like I'm climbing barefooted. It is still debatable though if it's the rubber that is so nice or the fact that they are so tight. I have been kicking the wall more though, and I honestly don't know if that has to do with the shoes or the fact that it's St-Patrick's week and my gauges might be a little off ;).
Then we set a 40 move bouldering route (cause I'm surrounded by nutcases) and after a few times around (no I didn't finish it) I had to revert to my shhhh-kickers because it was too much, too long and became painful. Can't wait to try gym routes! So I put the Anasazi down for the night when I noticed inside the hieroglyph-like patterns. This led the dork that I am to look up this random fact (thank you Wiki): Anasazi stands for "ancient enemy" in the Navajo language and is the name of an ancient native American people who lived in the 'Four Corners' area of the US around 1200BC.
Conclusion, new shoes are not comfortable but allow for amazing precision work. At least the heel doesn't slide!
Noodles: Ah where to start? The fit of the shoes is great for me, no problems; but I found that during the session when I'd been wearing them for a while that I'd get the "farting" noise that we all know and love when I was walking about. Easily fixed, all I did was pull the shoes on tighter and then the sound went away :P (You've got to love sweaty feet and climbing shoes!!)
At first I was worried about the down turned toes and the super thin rubber on the sole of the shoe; Would my feet be strong enough?; Will it hurt too much?; Are the shoes going to bag out like most velcros that I've had? Well, they are sensitive, about 200 times more sensitive than say the Anasazi's I've had, or even the Evolv Pontas, but I'm finding them no so bad that I cannot stand on holds or move my feet as I like. The real test will be over the weekend when I'm setting at the gym after a session, I'm not going to set in the shoes, I'll use my Guides, but I will be fore running in the Projects, so you can probably expect some photos over the weekend on that stuff.
What is nice, is the shoes aren't stiff... so I'm in a whole new climbing world (as I climb in stiffer shoes most of the time), and I'm using my toes like big monkey paws to grips holds :) Another thing that I'm surprised about is the heel cups, normally when I get a pair of shoes (especially 5.10's) I've always had a problem with my achilles getting nailed by the back of the shoe, these seem to be lower than normal and I didn't feel any pain... which is a big plus as I've heard some people complain about the Jet 7's and this exact problem. So far so good, tonight they'll get onto some micros holds on overahangs, and will get to do some fore running, should be interesting!
Eve: Shoes... I like shoes! Ain't that typical! Anywho, I wasn't gonna let these babies sit there and gather chalk dust so I used them. Note that they are 3.5UK which is half a size smaller then any shoes I've had and therefore they are VERY tight and slightly painful. Although, mind you, not as painful as my Sirens when I got them, and now I can wear those with socks if I want to. For now though... I have to make a point to remove the Anasazi pair when I'm not climbing cause I can't keep them on for more then like 30 minutes at a time. Physically, they are very pretty. Light colored and simple and not too feminine, which I like. As for velcros, well it makes it a lot easier and quicker to put on and remove the shoes and I guess I won't snap laces anymore! Also, they are so fitted that I don't think I'll have to worry about that
for a while.It is the end of semester time for me and therefore I was only able to boulder twice for a couple of hours this week. First noticeable difference with my old shoes is how sensitive these are. I can feel EVERYTHING and can now use footholds I never would have dreamt of trusting before. It almost feels like I'm climbing barefooted. It is still debatable though if it's the rubber that is so nice or the fact that they are so tight. I have been kicking the wall more though, and I honestly don't know if that has to do with the shoes or the fact that it's St-Patrick's week and my gauges might be a little off ;).
Then we set a 40 move bouldering route (cause I'm surrounded by nutcases) and after a few times around (no I didn't finish it) I had to revert to my shhhh-kickers because it was too much, too long and became painful. Can't wait to try gym routes! So I put the Anasazi down for the night when I noticed inside the hieroglyph-like patterns. This led the dork that I am to look up this random fact (thank you Wiki): Anasazi stands for "ancient enemy" in the Navajo language and is the name of an ancient native American people who lived in the 'Four Corners' area of the US around 1200BC.
Conclusion, new shoes are not comfortable but allow for amazing precision work. At least the heel doesn't slide!
Noodles: Ah where to start? The fit of the shoes is great for me, no problems; but I found that during the session when I'd been wearing them for a while that I'd get the "farting" noise that we all know and love when I was walking about. Easily fixed, all I did was pull the shoes on tighter and then the sound went away :P (You've got to love sweaty feet and climbing shoes!!)
At first I was worried about the down turned toes and the super thin rubber on the sole of the shoe; Would my feet be strong enough?; Will it hurt too much?; Are the shoes going to bag out like most velcros that I've had? Well, they are sensitive, about 200 times more sensitive than say the Anasazi's I've had, or even the Evolv Pontas, but I'm finding them no so bad that I cannot stand on holds or move my feet as I like. The real test will be over the weekend when I'm setting at the gym after a session, I'm not going to set in the shoes, I'll use my Guides, but I will be fore running in the Projects, so you can probably expect some photos over the weekend on that stuff.
What is nice, is the shoes aren't stiff... so I'm in a whole new climbing world (as I climb in stiffer shoes most of the time), and I'm using my toes like big monkey paws to grips holds :) Another thing that I'm surprised about is the heel cups, normally when I get a pair of shoes (especially 5.10's) I've always had a problem with my achilles getting nailed by the back of the shoe, these seem to be lower than normal and I didn't feel any pain... which is a big plus as I've heard some people complain about the Jet 7's and this exact problem. So far so good, tonight they'll get onto some micros holds on overahangs, and will get to do some fore running, should be interesting!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
17th March: Guide Tennie... the last three weeks
Noodles: Now that the snow has finally cleared I can get my Guides out, I've had them since before Xmas and they've been out a few times in the snow and on the ice. But first I'll tell you a story!Way back in the day when I was in Florida I had a pair of these:
And I used them all summer long, just for skydiving, they lasted a good long time through skid landings, out drinking, crashing into fences and general hoonery that is me with a parachute on my back. They did die though, and they died a nasty death at the hands of the packers. You see in 40+ degree heat, cramped planes and no socks someone is going to complain when you take your shoes off and leave them in a hangar. At first they just took the shoes and left them outside and issued a warning "leave them outside"; I forgot and left them in the hangar, so the packers simply set fire to them. That was my first introduction to Five Ten's guide shoes, they lasted 6 months before they were burnt and I was sad to see them go! I still miss the buggers, RIP!Now it's the new guides, I've worn them every day to work and out and about and the level of grip on concrete is just mental; but on ice, big sheets of ice they don't grip AT ALL... is anyone surprised? I went out one night it was icy and ended up on my ass a whole bunch; so these shoes and ice? Nope! No way, no siree, nadda; take it from me they don't grip :) I'm going to be getting the road bike out in the next few weeks, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the shoes grip on pedals; I ride my fixed like I stole it, to and from work five days a week, so I expect to report my shoes getting abused. We'll see how they wear!
Monday, March 16, 2009
16th March
Noodles: I gave Eve her shoes, and shes pretty happy with them, shes only ever had 5.10's and despite them being a little small (like all her shoes) shes suspects they'll stretch out over time.
I took the Projects and the Prisms out for a spin on the wall and despite the Prisms being a half size larger than my shoe size could crank them down (Got to love laces!) and could wear them and see what's up.... for me the Prisms feels like a chiseled toed version of the Anazasi's, which isn't a bad thing something that's built for small edges and micro holds! Now don't get me wrong, I have had a pair of sporting manly pink Anazasi's for a long time, multiple pairs, these seem like a more exacting version of those. The Anazasi's are a "all round" shoe in my belief, whereas the Prisms are built more for edging / micro holds... but it'll be interesting to see what's what, the Anasazi's has climbed more hard routes than any other shoe, Evolv's have had some hard ascents but that's Sharma for you he can climb in a pair of rain boots and not worry about it... I think it's a battle royale in the making; give Dave Graham a pair of Prisms someone... like NOW!
Here comes the dilemma, after climbing a little in both (Prisms and Projects) I couldn't decide which shoes I wanted to run for the test. The Prisms are stiffer and more like what I'm used to, the Projects more to what Chris does; steep walls and bouldering. I decided to leave it up to Chris when he came over to see what we'd take. He took them out for a spin and we didn't reach an overall decision; he like the Projects.. but they fit me better but are more flexible than I'm used to. I like the Prisms, they're what I know, seemingly in a different guise but they're his size (For reference we both wear the same size street and climbing shoe)
We decided to fix the problem the tried and tested way!:
Yup with Chris losing!! I've got the Projects and Chris the Prisms.
Now I can reveal one thought I had the other day when trying them....
You can feel EVERYTHING in the Projects, EVERY BLOODY THING. Those shoes are sensitive. Like holy crap I can feel what my toes are feeling sensitive! You might as well be climbing bare foot :)
I took the Projects and the Prisms out for a spin on the wall and despite the Prisms being a half size larger than my shoe size could crank them down (Got to love laces!) and could wear them and see what's up.... for me the Prisms feels like a chiseled toed version of the Anazasi's, which isn't a bad thing something that's built for small edges and micro holds! Now don't get me wrong, I have had a pair of sporting manly pink Anazasi's for a long time, multiple pairs, these seem like a more exacting version of those. The Anazasi's are a "all round" shoe in my belief, whereas the Prisms are built more for edging / micro holds... but it'll be interesting to see what's what, the Anasazi's has climbed more hard routes than any other shoe, Evolv's have had some hard ascents but that's Sharma for you he can climb in a pair of rain boots and not worry about it... I think it's a battle royale in the making; give Dave Graham a pair of Prisms someone... like NOW!
Here comes the dilemma, after climbing a little in both (Prisms and Projects) I couldn't decide which shoes I wanted to run for the test. The Prisms are stiffer and more like what I'm used to, the Projects more to what Chris does; steep walls and bouldering. I decided to leave it up to Chris when he came over to see what we'd take. He took them out for a spin and we didn't reach an overall decision; he like the Projects.. but they fit me better but are more flexible than I'm used to. I like the Prisms, they're what I know, seemingly in a different guise but they're his size (For reference we both wear the same size street and climbing shoe)
We decided to fix the problem the tried and tested way!:
Yup with Chris losing!! I've got the Projects and Chris the Prisms.
Now I can reveal one thought I had the other day when trying them....
You can feel EVERYTHING in the Projects, EVERY BLOODY THING. Those shoes are sensitive. Like holy crap I can feel what my toes are feeling sensitive! You might as well be climbing bare foot :)
Saturday, March 14, 2009
And they're here!!
14th March: The shoes turned up today, Chris and Eve don't know this yet!! I've tried on the guys shoes and will be climbing in them tomorrow, here are some photos and inital thoughts on the shoes. All the photos are click for bigger as they're high res!!
These are what I should be testing, but I might switch to the Prisms. these shoes are pretty aggresive, downturned and are going to be crazy on overhangs!
Eve's going to have a hoot with these, she's never had velcro shoes before so it should be interesting to see what she thinks.
These "might" be Chris' shoes, if I don't borrow them! They look like they're not going to stink your feet up and feel nice and light, you can see the toe is what makes these shoes different from the norm, it's chiselled more than anything else on the market, you know that these shoes are going to make small holds feel huge!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Long Term Shoe Test
When Five Ten offered us some shoes so we could run a long term test we jumped at the chance!
We're going to have bi weekly updates with what we've done in the shoes and how they're fairing against the abuse we put them through, so this will end up being a pretty long log of everyones thoughts and feelings on 5.10's new shoes... expect some bad with the good :)
As everyone climbs differently, so there will be three of us running three different pairs of shoes; here's what we'll be testing, our first thoughts on the shoes and what 5.10 say about them:
Noodles will be testing the Project; here's what 5.10 says about the shoe: The most sensitive climbing shoe ever built. Designed exclusively for overhanging rock, the Project™ features Five Ten’s ground-breaking Prehensile ™ technology that lets you use your feet like hands. Prehensile Technology allows climbers to grab like never before. Due to the unprecedented durability of new Stealth ™ Mystique™ rubber, the Project’s down turned soles are only 2mm thick (other climbing shoes have at least 4mm thick soles). If you’re climbing hard overhanging routes outdoors or at the gym, the Project is the best choice.
Noodles: Well I've been destroying climbing shoes for 23 odd years, I was one of the first people to get the Anasazi's when they hit the market and they soon became my go-to shoes. I've worn the shoes in Font, on grit, limestone, indoor, outdoors and in water; they've treated me well! I'm looking forward to seeing how sensitive these shoes are, and how they perform compared to other shoes I've worn in the past; I'll still be keeping a backup pair of Anasazi's in my bag just in case :)
Eve will be testing the Anasazi LV; here's what 5.10 says about the shoe: The Anasazi LV (Low Volume) excels on climbs of 5.11 and higher, both indoors and out. This performance climbing shoe is built on a women’s-specific last, and is designed for medium volume feet. The heel design offers an excellent, no-slip fit. Five Ten’s proprietary “Power Toe” and a unique midsole provide the support for extremely technical climbs. Soles are Stealth® C4™, with extremely high friction, indoors and out.
Eve: I actually run two pairs of 5.10's at the moment; the Spire which I keep at the wall incase I forget my shoes, they're pretty well beaten up and are due for the sin bin soon! And a pair of Sirens, these are the shoes that I have in my bag all of the time; having seen Chris and Noodles go through shoes like they're candy I'm looking forward to getting some new rubber and seeing how they fit. I've never had a velcro shoe before so it's going to be nice to see the difference on fit between my usual lace ups. Oooo and they're pretty shoes!!
Chris will be testing the Prism; here's what 5.10 says about the shoe: After five years of intense R&D, we introduce The Prism. In December of ‘06, the US Government awarded Five Ten a patent for faceted edge technology (FET) which gives climbers unprecedented outside edge performance. This comfy shoe features a non-stretch dual Perflex™ micro-fiber laced upper. The Prism has edges at optimum angles with more rubber-to-rock contact then ever possible, plus Stealth® ONYXX™ soles.
Chris: I probably climb too much, let's run a shoe list from the last couple of years... Mad Rock, two pairs, 5.10: 2 pairs of Anasazi's, one pair of Evolv Optimus Primes; these are still alive just, HP40 over the holidays has left these pretty well dead and finally a pair of 5.10 Gambits that I use when I climb outdoors... these are getting more and more use indoors because like I said the Evolvs are finished. Faceted Edge Technology eh? I'm looking foward to see how small I can go on the footholds with these, and a micro fibre upper... my feet kick out pretty badly so I hope I don't stink these up too quickly!
We're going to have bi weekly updates with what we've done in the shoes and how they're fairing against the abuse we put them through, so this will end up being a pretty long log of everyones thoughts and feelings on 5.10's new shoes... expect some bad with the good :)
As everyone climbs differently, so there will be three of us running three different pairs of shoes; here's what we'll be testing, our first thoughts on the shoes and what 5.10 say about them:
Noodles will be testing the Project; here's what 5.10 says about the shoe: The most sensitive climbing shoe ever built. Designed exclusively for overhanging rock, the Project™ features Five Ten’s ground-breaking Prehensile ™ technology that lets you use your feet like hands. Prehensile Technology allows climbers to grab like never before. Due to the unprecedented durability of new Stealth ™ Mystique™ rubber, the Project’s down turned soles are only 2mm thick (other climbing shoes have at least 4mm thick soles). If you’re climbing hard overhanging routes outdoors or at the gym, the Project is the best choice. Noodles: Well I've been destroying climbing shoes for 23 odd years, I was one of the first people to get the Anasazi's when they hit the market and they soon became my go-to shoes. I've worn the shoes in Font, on grit, limestone, indoor, outdoors and in water; they've treated me well! I'm looking forward to seeing how sensitive these shoes are, and how they perform compared to other shoes I've worn in the past; I'll still be keeping a backup pair of Anasazi's in my bag just in case :)
Eve: I actually run two pairs of 5.10's at the moment; the Spire which I keep at the wall incase I forget my shoes, they're pretty well beaten up and are due for the sin bin soon! And a pair of Sirens, these are the shoes that I have in my bag all of the time; having seen Chris and Noodles go through shoes like they're candy I'm looking forward to getting some new rubber and seeing how they fit. I've never had a velcro shoe before so it's going to be nice to see the difference on fit between my usual lace ups. Oooo and they're pretty shoes!!
Chris will be testing the Prism; here's what 5.10 says about the shoe: After five years of intense R&D, we introduce The Prism. In December of ‘06, the US Government awarded Five Ten a patent for faceted edge technology (FET) which gives climbers unprecedented outside edge performance. This comfy shoe features a non-stretch dual Perflex™ micro-fiber laced upper. The Prism has edges at optimum angles with more rubber-to-rock contact then ever possible, plus Stealth® ONYXX™ soles.Chris: I probably climb too much, let's run a shoe list from the last couple of years... Mad Rock, two pairs, 5.10: 2 pairs of Anasazi's, one pair of Evolv Optimus Primes; these are still alive just, HP40 over the holidays has left these pretty well dead and finally a pair of 5.10 Gambits that I use when I climb outdoors... these are getting more and more use indoors because like I said the Evolvs are finished. Faceted Edge Technology eh? I'm looking foward to see how small I can go on the footholds with these, and a micro fibre upper... my feet kick out pretty badly so I hope I don't stink these up too quickly!
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