Five Ten Anasazi Verde Lace-Up climbing shoe Review – it’s all about friction

In the beginning it was pink. Then white, and then green came along. The history of the climbing shoe Anasazi family goes down in colours. When Five Ten decided to drop the Pink Lace Ups from the range, panic ruled the climbers land. Many, including us,  rushed to secure the last possible stock from the outdoor shops spread out in Europe. The original Pinks were perhaps one of the longest climbing shoe in history that has been sold in the shelfs. No wonder, it was one of the best choices for versatile, technical climbing. It was sensitive and did fine edging on little dents and micro pebbles. When the Five Ten’s Anasazi Verde appeared in the market, it resembled the Pink Lace Ups closely. It was just that, it was green. But then again green is not pink. Same same but different. Green had to be the choice, no choice.

The Verde

With the Verde. you’re looking at a conservative climbing shoe that comes with laces. Lacing up enables you to ensure that your feet fits like a glove without any dead spaces that goes astray. The Stealth C4 rubber soles was revamped with new Stealth Onyxx rubber, which they say is twice as durable and has 25% more friction than before. 2 loops at the heels helps you fit in the shoes. The heels are drapped over with rubber to kill dead space and fit the heel.  The shoe was processed well, great quality like you would expect from Five Ten. The green colour is a fresh clean green. The outer shoe is out of Cowdura™ synthetic and ensures that no animal has to be killed for this.

Fitting

The Verde’s fit is wider than the Pinks and the Magic Finger Heels at the heel took care of the dead space that was found in the original Pinks. The heels sit well without cutting into the Achilles tendon and heel hooks are now more precise. The shoe has a minimal downturn which allows comfortable wear for serious red points. Lace Ups are there so that you can fit the shoe in mm for mm with each lace tug. If you’re not very patient about this (i.e. if you can’t sit down for 2 mins to lace up on that shoe) you’re probably better off with a velcro or slipper model.

Performance and recommended for crags

It didn’t take long to break in the shoes. After a few sessions, the shoes were ready for climbing some of the hardest routes.  Five Ten’s Verde works well on micro pebbles and tiny edges and dents (Altmuhltal!) and is especially good on cooler temperatures. On warmer instances, the rubber starts smearing. Which again works well on slabs. The Verde feels at home on technical, vertical walls be it limestone or granite, and has a high precision for edges. Heel hooks works well, toe hooks can be a painful experience because the toe rubber doesn’t go all the way.

Durability

Friction is everything. Once it wears down, you feel every stone under your toes and edging stops being precise. The good quality of the shoe makes it possible to resole this again and again. Synthetic stinks to heaven when combined with sweat, but thank goodness for washing machines, you can wash your shoes too every now and then. Or wear socks. Not sexy but does the job.

What I liked

• Precise on technical walls
• fits like a glove with the laces
• better fitting for heels with the Magic Finger

What could be better

• The better the friction, the faster it wears off. Although they say that the rubber is twice as durable, we found this wearing off pretty fast. Maybe we climb too often?
• Soft. The Verde is softer than the Pink version, which also means that you would need more strength in your toes for your climbs.
• Expensive. Priced at LP 124,95€ This belongs to climbing shoes of the upper class. Look out for deals and bargains available at your outdoor store.

Conclusion

The Verde is a versatile climbing shoe which you can take along on a holiday. It takes slabs, technical walls and overhangs altogether without you having to carry along 2 or 3 pairs along. While there are cheaper alternatives on the market, especially for beginners, The Verde from Five Ten is a high-end climbing shoe for all sorts of crags. It would survive a resoling, perhaps even two. Ahh and did you know that “Anasazi” is associated with the native “Ancient People of the Rock”? Interesting what uncle google knows.

While many of you have started preparations for the coming winter, we are working on one of the next possible winter destinations in Europe. The climbing shoe never sleeps.

[Disclosure: I have received product samples for my time and efforts in reviewing this product and creating this article, thanks to Bergfreunde.de. All thoughts and opinions are our own.]