Five Ten AEscent Approach Shoe Review

Some approach shoes climb really well, while others do a great job of getting you to where you are going. The AEscent falls into the latter category, as Five Ten has delivered a lightweight yet beefy workhorse of a shoe that can pound out the miles with the best of them.

At 12.44 ounces, it’s one of the lighter shoes in its class, while still offering excellent stability and durability both on and off the trail. Thanks to the two piece, molded EVA midsole, you’ll hardly notice all those spiky and pointy rocks you are cruising over on your way to make glorious ascent.

The fit is inline with most other FiveTen shoes, in that it favors wider feet. I have a pretty standard and maybe even somewhat narrow foot, however, I still find these to be super comfy. Given the roomy fit, however, for me, climbing any kind of technical terrain is out of the question due to the lack of precision. Those with a wider foot will likely have a different opinion on this. As far as sizing is concerned, I generally wear a 12 in Five Ten’s, though with these the 11.5 is perfect.

The Stealth S1 rubber dot tread sole performs well even on sandy, wet rock. Slogging up a steep, sandy gully to bolt some new routes this spring I was fully confident of their traction on the precarious ledge systems I had to traverse to get some anchors in. In mud, the dot sole starts to lose traction, but it’s a small downside to an otherwise excellent shoe.

The upturn in the toe box looks funkier than it feels, though if you were using these for climbing, it might make it more challenging to edge well. When cruising along trails, however, it seems to work with the anatomy of your foot to provide as smooth of a ride as possible. And as far as style is concerned, you can get them in bling bling orange (the Red One), or a more subdued grey.

Five Ten has created an incredible shoe with the AEscent. It’s light, beefy AND stylish, equally at home on soul crushing approaches, or a night out on the town. This is a shoe I imagine I’ll be using for quite some time to come. If you’re in the market for a new approach shoe with an eye toward weight and comfort, be sure to check out the AEscents, they might just be the ticket.

Retail is $120. For more details and specs, check out the Five Ten website.

Disclaimer: Wait! Before you go handing over your credit card number, ask yourself, do you really need to buy more new stuff? If so, this product is worth a look. In the spirit of full disclosure, this product was provided to SplitterChoss.com for the purpose of reviewing. Don’t worry, though, our integrity can’t be bought!