The Alpinist Mountain Standards reviews apply Alpinist's tradition of excellence and authenticity to gear reviews by providing unbiased, candid feedback and anecdotal commentary to equipment tested (hard) in the field. Our panel is comprised of climbers who use the gear every day as part of their work and play. Only the gear they would actually buy themselves, at retail price, qualifies for the Alpinist Mountain Standards award. The five-star rating system is as follows: One Star = Piece of junk. Two Stars = Has one or more significant flaws, with some redeeming qualities. Three Stars = Average. This solid piece of gear is middle-of-the-road on the current market. Four Stars = Better than most comparable gear on the market. It has one or two drawbacks, but still 90% positive. Five Stars = Is there such thing as perfection? An Alpinist Mountain Standards award-winner. Review Panel Adam George Caroline George Larry Goldie Blake Herrington John Race Bert Severin Jed Workman The rest of the MS Team Also in This Area
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  FiveTen Camp 4 Approach Shoes: Win AgainPosted on: November 14, 2007 
Editors Note: This is the second time that these shoes have been reviewed. The first can be read in a Mountain Standards Post from August, 2008. This Panelist could not help but share her positive impressions. MSRP: $100 These are a new-ish, beefy approach shoe from 5.10. I saw them quite a bit in the Tetons this summer and expect to see a lot more of them in the future. Why? These shoes rule! They are the cream of the crop, the nail hit on the head, the absolute best shoe for a Grand Teton guide. In the past, I would hike the approach in one pair of shoes that were comfortable and durable, then switch to sticky rubber shoes for the technical ascent. advertisement
The Camp 4, on the other hand, works for everything. They hike well, they climb well, and they fit well. I just stuck my Superfeet insoles in there and away I went—all summer long. This is outrageous. Typically I would wear out a pair of shoes in a season or find myself switching from pair to pair because no shoe quite fit the bill. The Camp 4, however, made me forget about shoes. My feet were fooled all summer long, thinking that I had become a guide for beach walking in Baja or perhaps a writer of guide books for the foot spas of the world. This is the perfect shoe to wear when there is a hike and easy climb involved. It is also perfect for boulder hopping, gnarly approaches on rock and dirt, and easy rock scrambles. Miraculously, I will probably be wearing the same pair again next year. The tread is not even worn out yet, and the shoe has maintained it structure. This is indeed remarkable. Please keep in mind: it is only an approach shoe. It will not fly you to the moon or make you rich—though it might help 5.10 out a bit. Difficult climbing still requires the use of technical climbing shoes. Cheers to 5.10! In celebration, I helped drag a hula-hoop to the summit of the Grand Teton to get the perfect "hula-hooping in 5-tennies" shot. 
Our Mountain Standards panelist hula-hooping the Grand Teton in her Five Ten Camp 4 approach shoes. [Photo] Courtesty of Julia Niles Pros: They hike well, they climb well, and they fit well; the tread stands up to abuse; overall shoe maintains its structure. Cons: Heavy. Rating: 
Werner
Dean Potter has a better chance of flying using just his mind than anyone having a chance of making a better hiking shoe! The Camp Four is absolutely superb. This shoe offers exellent support and stability; definately an alternative to boots, especially for someone who dislikes boots (like me!). Luxuriously comfortable right out of the box. Everything 5.10 claims about these shoes is absolutely true. Stealth makes you Stick to Stone bru!!! You get the picture? Awesome! (PS: See the 5.10 website for the Dean Potter flying theory) |
After reading BOTH reviews here, I went out to get the Camp 4 ; they performed as mentioned and as expected, BUT the C-4 Stealth section, in the front and toe area, wore out very quickly!! Other than that - they are very supportive, even for a BIG guy like me and I like them very much!!