Compass: Charting the Evolution of Outdoor Gear

Five Ten (5.10) Profile

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History

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Aside from Stealth Rubber Five Ten lays claims to the following firsts:

- first sling shot rand,

- first down-turned last

- first heel wedge

- first pull tabs on both climbing shoes, and approach shoes

- first to offer baseball stitching in climbing shoes to alleviate hot spots

- first to offer graded midsoles to adjust the shoe’s flexibility to different climber weights

- first fishhook midsole (stiff toe perimeters for edging, with flexible underfoot for smearing)

- first self-draining water shoes

- first ankle to toe lacing on approach shoes

Although, in their 1997 catalog Five Ten claim to have invented the "approach shoe" category back in 1985, which is rather at odds with the release of

Nike's Lava Dome approach shoe in 1981.