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five ten shoes are subpar,,,,don't buy

Chadley · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2014 · Points: 0

I had the same thing happen, but with the Camp Fours. .
I've talked with Five Ten and the are going to warranty them.. The only problem is, they are going to replace them with the Exum Guides, which to me sounds like I'm getting another pair that are going to do the same thing. Some one commented that that you can't get a good shoe for that price, which is ridiculous, because these shoes are around $150, I would think for that price a shoe would last at least five miles before being completely destroyed

Ball · · Oakridge, OR · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 70

LOL, if you guys only knew what those shoes cost to make

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

I've worked on 1000's and 1000's of shoes and can honestly say that the company that has the most delaminations is La Sportiva.

They're also number one at wearing out at the toe faster than the rest.

janjan · · redlands, ca · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 60

^^^ thanks for the advice locker! I appreciate your shoe experience.

As someone who loves the 5.10 company I also gotta say some of their shoes are hit-and-miss. And they're often releasing a variety of new shoes trying to innovate but sometimes they miss so they're cool with backing up reasonable warrantee requests in my experience.

I've heard others experiences (some who work with 5.10) and to my impression, if they hear about these failures they take that into account and may introduce improvements or scrap a shoe altogether. That can be seen with the new marginal improvements to the guide tennies which also consequently leads to the sales on the old model. I see the previous years' version of the EXUM guide shoes on sale at 5.10 constantly.

I don't like being a company's product tester at my expense so I really appreciate this forum. I'm a poor guy with strong toes and even resoling can be expensive to me at the moment...

As a result I wear sandals or simple chacos for most of my (infrequent) slow hikes and cragging days. For the past 2 years, I've been wearing these cheap disposable used pair of New Balance barefooty shoes for descents <1hr. And treat my guide tennies like gems for special days I have to make long 4th class and 5.4 solo approaches, and dream of using it while aiding someday.

I can only imagine how frustrating it would be to invest in a shoe based on a company's marketing and then boom total delam failure after one hike. That sucks. Especially if it's the first mile in a long ass backpacking trip.

Mtn Ape XL · · Utah · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 131

I can't speak for 5.10 approach shoes but I will say that I had a pair of Anassazi Pinks that had the fabric between the heel pull tabs delam from the leather. The shoes we less than a year old and used but not abused. I contacted 5.10 and provided them with my original receipt and photos of the problem. They sent a RMA (return merchandise authorization) form within 24 hours. I mailed the shoes to them via USPS for $12.95...I had a new pair of shoes within 72 hours (basically 4 business days from start to finish)...so here are my thoughts on 5.10...they will work with you if you have your original proof of purchase, the item in question needs to be a year or less old, the item in question has to be used but not abused, the item cannot have reached the end of it's expected life span (in my case the rubber below the big toe was getting close to the rand but if I would have worn into the rand, then no warranty coverage), I shouldn't be a jerk about the whole issue (I asked them what, if any, were my options), treat them politely and with respect and they will probably do the same to you.

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

Five Ten is a good company that makes good products and the BEST rubber.

When you do as large of volume as they do you can assume issues to happen.

The post above has the right idea on how to go about it.

But people will still totally trash their shoes, get on sites like this and bitch, then expect to get FREE back.

Just the way it is.

Forthright · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 110

Notice how OP hasn't responded or said anything about contacting 5.10....

Nothing but good things from 5.10

Andre H. · · Boulder · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 5

Five Ten has the best rubber on the market. Unfortunately, their shoe technology (for performance) has certainly lagged behind the competition. Further, and namely with their approach shoes, I have experienced significant durability issues. Granted, they are typically within the range of time that I would feel like a tool reaching out to the company about it, but just barely. Primarily the issues are delamination.

Just picked up a new pair of their latest generation of approach shoes, will see if they fixed any of the issues.

Tony B · · Around Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 24,665
Locker wrote:I've worked on 1000's and 1000's of shoes and can honestly say that the company that has the most delaminations is La Sportiva.
IE: the rands on all TC pros?
Fat Dad · · Los Angeles, CA · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 60

As someone who's been around longer than I care to admit, my observation is that 5.10 has always been nagged by questions about durability. Some of this could be carry over from about 20 years ago, when they may have used a different overseas manufacturer. I don't use their climbing shoes since they really don't fit my feet, but I've had mixed results using their approach shoes. One pair was OK, though the insoles collapsed pretty quickly and some shoe goo was needed for the soles and rands. The second, a pair of guide tennies, I used a few times before taking a several year hiatus. When I dusted them off, both midsoles completely disintegrated after walking about 400 yards. Never had that happen before with any other shoes ever. Their rubber is the best but, as for quality, I won't be going back, at least to their approach shoes.

BTW, the boots in the OP's photo don't look worn to me. They looks light they have a couple of scuffs from the short walk the OP described.

Forthright · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 110
Fat Dad wrote:The second, a pair of guide tennies, I used a few times before taking a several year hiatus. When I dusted them off, both midsoles completely disintegrated after walking about 400 yards. Never had that happen before with any other shoes ever.
EVA in any shoe will definitely deteriorate after several years. There are even microbes that will eat away at it, I was at a resoler when I saw a particularly gnarly case of it.
Finn The Human · · The Land of Ooo · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 106

I bought some 5.10 Guide Tennies after reading through this thread, and they've been great. No complaints so far

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349
"IE: the rands on all TC pros?"...

You got that right.

Almost every single pair of TC Pro's I've worked on have delamination issues with their rands.

They also have super thin rands and bust through at the toes quicker than most (Stitches also bust regularly at the toe)

That said, the TC Pro's in particular are a decent platform to work on (As a resoler). Easy to fix the issues.
Jon Zucco · · Denver, CO · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 245

How about la sportiva's miuras? How do those hold up in your experience, Locker?

to the OP; Five Tens are not sub par in my experience. They are great shoes. Sorry to hear that your pair was sub par though. Contact them and they'll probably make things right if you are nice..

Colonel Mustard · · Sacramento, CA · Joined Sep 2005 · Points: 1,241

Five ten=trash shoes for trash people.

FACT!

Forthright · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 110

^ was wonder when you'd bumble in here

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349
"How about la sportiva's miuras? How do those hold up in your experience, Locker?"

They also have issues but of a different beast. The majority of time, as soon as they are ready for their first resole, regardless of never having blown through the rands at the toes, they still end up needing rands..

The toebox being more pointed than most shoes, the SLITS (Hmmm... Did I write, "Slits" ;-) in the original rands made so it can be wrapped almost always cause "Buckling" issues (Upon grinding off original sole). Sometimes it can be squeaked by. Generally though rands are needed to correct the issue (Which isn't a bad thing because from then on, that problem is solved).
Fat Dad · · Los Angeles, CA · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 60
NorCalNomad wrote: EVA in any shoe will definitely deteriorate after several years. There are even microbes that will eat away at it, I was at a resoler when I saw a particularly gnarly case of it.
I get that, but with my shoes the insoles just powderized. It could have been a microbe, but I've never had that happen with any other pairs of shoes I had bought. Maybe it's the nature of the shoes that makes them susceptible to that.
guy bon · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 2,545

I bought this model last year on 5.10's closeout page for $40. Two rivets popped the first time I pulled on the laces and the soles delaminated shortly after. I glued them back together and they ended up lasting a full year...I guess I got my money's worth....I guess.

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

Bit of a thread drift:

The shoe company that has the most problems with delamination's (Original rubber and also when resoled) is La Sportiva. No other company comes close.

Katanas, Tarantulaces, Pythons, have issues after resoling, regardless of rubber used, or resoler chosen. It's "Hit or miss".

Mythos, more often than not delaminate midsole and on the uppers very similar to TC Pros.

Not seeing these issues with Five Ten climbing shoes.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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