Guide Tennie 01-03

Reading the manufacturer's claims, I would definitely say that they run towards hyperbole. Hike 10 miles in these shoes? Climb 5.13? Well, it's possible, but not bloody likely.



That said, these are very comfortable, capable shoes. I love them for approaches, easy bouldering and long rambling climbs. They are perfect for those times when you are taking a newbie up an easy route that has a long walk-off. They were extremely comfortable right out of the box, the rubber is super sticky, the dot pattern sole strikes a good compromise/balance between climbing performance and traction on trails. Really quite an excellent shoe. Now if it would only get me up some 5.13s I'd be really happy.



As for walking, they are certainly very comfy to walk in. But, they are very light and flexible (flimsy even) and provide no significant foot support for long hauls with a heavy pack. Ten miles may be possible, but I'd have pretty sore feet afterwards.



NOTE that FiveTen is already bringing out a new version of these for 2004. I have the 2003 model pictured. The 2004 model looks quite different; but is probably pretty similar in essentials (low-top sneaker with very sticky rubber).



Fitting my 2003 model shoes was a bit tricky. I usually wear a size 8 or 8.5 (US) street shoe. For these I needed a size 9 to fit my feet lengthwise. However, with the size 9's, I feel like the shoe is a bit wider than I would like for harder climbing. I have average-width feet. With these, I have the laces pulling the eyelets all the way together up until the top and the shoe is still not tight around my toes. So, the fit is way too sloppy for me to be able to do any hard edging.



Comfort is great. Performance for easy climbing is great. Hiking short distances is fine, but long distances with a pack is asking too much.

I can't say enough good things about these shoes. They are perfect for scrambles and light hiking. I wouldn't recommend extended weekend or weeklong trips in these as they simply don't have the necessary ankle support. But the rubber is sticky as hell! I can easily climb 5.11 in these, and also enjoy them for longer hauls such as the flatirons. They are really comfortable, and are really well made.

I'm not as good a rock climber as Scott, but I've really become a fan of these shoes. I've climbed up to 5.8 in them and felt quite comfortable...for anything harder I like my La Sportiva Mythos shoes. I have had the Cirque Pros, which I find are better on approach, but don't climb as well as the Guide Tennies. These are great approach/rock climbing shoes.

Great shoe but be ready to glue the rubber back on after heavy use.

These shoes are comfortable and scramble ok but don't do well over distances. My feet got very tired if I ever wore these for more than short distances. I also did alot of aid climbing in these and often wished for more support in the soles. Finally, the soles started to fall off after a bit of use and needed to be glued back on several times. A good shoe, but I've worn better.