Best Canyoneering Shoes (Again?)

Hello Bogley
So I'm looking to buy some new canyoneering / hiking shoes again and I thought I would see what the Bogleyites have to say about the topic. I know it's been ask a lot before :nono: but I haven't found anything recent that solves my issue. A lot of the shoes recommended on here aren't made anymore. What do you guys recommend for some durable sticky rubber shoes that aren't overly expensive? Something that works well for the approach but still holds up in water.

I know there is going to be an overwhelming vote for the 5.10 Canyoneers but I have skinny feet and I hate the way the feel heavy and sloppy. They are also kind of expensive for single use shoes.:roll: What do you guys think of the 5.10 Guide Tennies? Canvas of leather? Well thanks ahead of time.

Devin

The only 5.10 shoe worth getting is the Canyoneer. All others will delam / blow out / break down very rapidly with any regular use. A good pair of Canyoneers will fit well, last, and have minimal "other 5.10 issues". A bad pair may have some "issues," but these days you are more likely to get a good pair as not.

Possible alternatives:

La Sportiva Explorer: durability mods required: seam goop + new laces
Oboz Arete: Fantastic shoe for mostly dry canyons (leather uppers), a bit on the wide side. Seam goop recommended
Home-made: get a decent resoleable shoe and put your own rubber on it, or get a resole shop to do it.

The Canyoneer is a great shoe and I have loved mine. Unfortunately for me, my pair is only sized to work with wearing my thick neoprene socks that I picked up at ZAC. I've tried wearing double layered socks to take up volume but it isn't enough. With that said, I prefer not to wear them in dryer canyons or else the neoprene socks just fill up with sweat. I do have a pair of Guide Tennies that I use a lot in Joshua tree and Tahquitz approach. I have to use inserts just to make them bearable for a hike longer than 1 mile. I couldn't imagine using them in a long canyon without my feet feeling like they were going to explode. Maybe others have had better luck with them. The canvass ones don't hold up very well but my leather ones have seen quite a bit of abuse and are still in decent shape.

I picked up a pair of 5.10 Camp 4 shoes 2 weeks ago from the 5.10 Outlet and just used them to climb the Grand Teton. 7 mile hike to high camp with 5,000' of gain & 45 lbs on my back. For the summit, it is 5.7 climbing and they worked great for that as well. My feet felt great throughout the whole trip. They look a lot like the Canyoneers except they have the C-4 climbing rubber along the front for edging. I read some reviews that they don't hold up, but so far I have been very pleased.

I recently bought a pair of Salewa Wildfires. Incredible shoe. All synthetic upper, very little little stitching, different footbed options, sticky sole, and they appear very well made and well suited for canyoneering. However, they aren't cheap ($130). I can wear mine all day with no comfort issues. The lace-to-toe design allows easy accommodation of thick neo socks with no problem. The rubber isn't quite as sticky as the 5.10 stuff, but it's not far off. The shoe is welded together in a unique molding process that eliminated glue and alot of stitching. it has rubber all the way around and the Nylon uppers are of a sturdy ballistic mesh. They are supper comfy and guaranteed blister free. If you're not familiar with the brand, Salewa makes very high quality footwear and has a reputation for for functionality and durability. I'll be taking mine through full Imlay next week, stay tuned.

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Originally Posted by Dev

Something that works well for the approach but still holds up in water.

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I've pretty much given up on this and use one pair of shoes for the approach, usually trail runners, and then switch to 5.10 Canyoneers in the canyon. If its a wet canyon I either put my approach shoes in a dry bag or live with the fact that they're going to get soaked.

The Camp 4 is a great shoe. I haven't worn it but some of my friends have. They really liked it, but the leather doesn't hold up as well going in and out of water. I definitely like my canyoneers, though. That sticky rubber has saved me more than once.