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Five Ten Chase Review

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Five Ten Chase Review (Five Ten Chase)
Five Ten Chase
Credit: FiveTen.com
Price:  $95 List
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Manufacturer:   Five Ten
By Chris McNamara ⋅ Founder and Editor-in-Chief  ⋅  Jun 2, 2010
60
OVERALL
SCORE
  • smearing - 20% 6.0
  • Edging - 20% 6.0
  • hiking - 20% 5.0
  • Durability - 20% 7.0
  • compactness lightweight - 20% 6.0

Our Verdict

The Five Ten Chase has been discontinued.
REASONS TO BUY
Durable
Climbs well and hikes well for skate style shoe
REASONS TO AVOID
Not great for long approaches
This shoe is called the Chase because it is a parkour/freerunning shoe and it is named after Chase Armitage, a famous free runner. I have been surprised by how what looks like a skate shoe performs so well on the trails. Compared to the Patagonia Boaris - Men's, which has similar street shoe styling, the Chase is much more capable on rocks and trails. However, the Patagonia shoe is made of recycled materials and has a more green look. Because this is a shoe more often bought for urban environments, that is a consideration. I would go with the Chase because it climbs so well (relatively) and is durable. For long hikes, however, I would go with a more running shoe design like the Evolv Escapist or Five Ten Savant. Also, if you are looking for a shoe mainly for climbing descents, it's hard to beat the Five Ten DAescent Men's because it is so light (but not nearly as good on the trails).

Our Analysis and Test Results

Likes


I got this shoe expecting it to be just OK on trails. But the tread, while not that aggressive, somehow climbs really well both on dirt and rock. I used them on Yosemite's Gold Wall and really put the toe rand to the test. After five pitches of jumaring, they barely showed any signs of wear. This would not be surprising from a shoe with a beefy toe rand, but it was surprising from this shoe that has a smaller toe rand. I also like the fact it comes in all black and looks cool (it also comes in orange).

Dislikes


This shoe does not edge that well and is not ideal for long hikes. It is also is relatively heavy for its size. It's not the best climbing approach shoe compared to others like the Five Ten Guide Tennie. Instead it's an awesome urban/ free running shoe that can work on the trails and rocks if you need it to.

Value


At $94, it is not cheap considering it is mainly an urban shoe. That said, we expect above average durability from this shoe, so the long term value is solid.

—Chris McNamara

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