Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! The Anasazi VCS– a classic, durable shoe that is part of Five Ten’s famous Anasazi family and looks like something straight out of a ’90s climbing magazine. Make sure you size your VCS to fit as, like any synthetic shoe, the stretch is minimal. After extensive use, I would guess mine have stretched 1/2 size if that. I’m a street size 10.5/11 US and got these in an 11 US.

The Stealth C4 rubber brings a good balance between friction and durability that makes the shoe feel at home at the crag and in the gym. While the Pink excels in the expanse between slabby and steep, it’s not the best tool for the extreme ends of the spectrum. In a pinch, it can moonlight as a steep sport-climbing shoe (sized tightly) or a comfortable shoe for multi-pitch adventures (sized roomy). That said, with a relatively flat, stiff build and no rubber on the toe box, the Anasazi Lace is certainly not the most ideal option for overhanging terrain, and the high rand tension means it is uncomfortable on slabs or as an all-day option. Boulderers should look for a softer, more aggressive model like the Scarpa Instinct VS or La Sportiva Skwama; those focusing on slab routes or more moderate climbs might appreciate a more supportive shoe like the less aggressive La Sportiva TC Pro or even the Pink’s stiffer Velcro cousin, the Anasazi VCS. After extended periods of time standing in the Anasazi Pro, I almost feel as if I have to stand bow-legged to compensate for the loss I feel of side-to-side balance, not to mention the pain from the pressure on the tops of my big toes that I’m still not used to after all these months. I ran around the house looking at all the shoes I owned; none of them are nearly this symmetrical. “Welp. Unless I rest most of my weight on my heels, chilling on a ledge for hours is probably out.” I said. The cat was nonplussed.First impressions aside let’s get into performance a bit here. Having a home woody makes testing a bit of a convenience so I first pulled onto an overhang and poked my foot at a small jib. “I don’t really have much of a toe here but, this rubber… well I…” I edged onto some tiny sharp edges on some slab and lowered my heels, “hmm, not bad…better than ok, actually” then I stood on some slopey dual-tex foot nubbins on the vertical wall and did a few toe-ups, “Wuuuuut? Well now that’s impressive…” I slumped onto the giant beanbags I use for crashpads, mouth agape. This. rubber. I’m not lying when I say I had no words. ME: speechless. The cat couldn’t believe it either. Testing Disclaimer (3?): There’s also just enough rubber for the occasional sideways toe hook on aretes and tufas, but not certainly not enough for more extreme hooking in a big featured roof or modern competition bouldering. Heel have used a double rand, so even when they break in it'll take a fair while before they stretch too much. I've found this shoe to These shoes saw about 10 hours of use a week over 6 months before the toe area wore through to the rand, at which point I sent them off for a resole with the same rubber. Easy! Comfort and Fit

The designed heel uses a moderately high tensioned rand. You will discover that once your heel pops into place – with the help of the two perfectly placed heel tabs – is held securely in place and your power is pushed forward into your toes.Following their release in 1992, the Anasazis started to build their reputation as a serious-sending shoe after Jean-Baptiste Tribout put up Just Do It, the first 5.14c (8c+) in the USA. Just a few years later, a 15-year-old Chris Sharma topped out Necessary Evil, wearing the Anasazi VCS, setting a new standard for American sport climbing. The toe pad is a mystery to me. Largely because I’m not Batman and find bicycle maneuvers in the gym about as useful as a cowboy hat on a crowded subway. The diamond-shaped pattern appears to really only function well for me when loaded laterally (side to side across the top of the foot) rather than directly pulling ‘up’ towards my face, so it feels more like inverted scumming with my toes than hooking. When pulling hard with the toe I find it functions best when it is above my center of mass rather than beside or below me. I also noticed that the Mi6 rubber is noticeably slippery when not on heavily textured surfaces such as on volumes. Only when I’ve got an extreme amount of force on the toe pad can I begin to feel confident in using it. I do however need to add the caveat that I’ve been skipping leg day . This maneuver only feels secure when there’s a ton of lateral force on the toe pad. So Gym then? Once I got to the gym, it didn’t take long to realize the Anasazi Pro is not really a Pro performer in anything in particular, at least not enough in a way that is reasonable to market. Hot take, I know. I wish I could say I was impressed or discouraged immediately with any specific outcome, but it was a little more nuanced than that and really depended on what I was doing. In my mind a Pro-influenced or designed shoe would have pro features baked in and apparent, here the additions to the old design seem like a well-executed afterthought. We tested the Five Ten NIAD Lace over a month of spring climbing on the pink crystalline granite in Central Texas.

In the years following I have rarely passed up an opportunity to tell 5.10 bros how bad of a choice they were making and even managed to convince a couple of them to come to the light . I took my persuasive ability as confirmation that I was in fact correct: Sportiva > 5.10 and anyone who disagreed had to be some gym gumby who thinks a crimp is a type of English biscuit or a gaston is some sort of Disney anti-hero. So what if Chris Sharma sent Realization in these? “His hands are too strong,” I’d say, “he could have done that climb in heels. Plus he’s an Evolv climber now and is obviously sending harder since he stopped repping 5.10. Don’t buy the hype guys! Wanna smell the fresh resole I just got on my Cobras?” In terms of uses the Pro is an excellent bouldering and indoor climbing shoe due to its ability to edge, smear, heel hook and toe hook well. It's well suited to the small, positive footholds you find indoors, as well as the volumes that are now so popular. Equally it performs well on less distinct footholds outdoors as it can hold its own whilst smearing. As the shoe is flat, rather than down-turned, it is naturally best suited to slabs, vertical and gently overhanging climbing and as such it's also great for sport climbing on those angles. However, for me this does mean it's not my first choice for steep climbing - I would opt for a more down-turned shoe instead, but this is personal preference. That said, the tighter heel does push your toes into the front of the shoe more aggresively than the classic version, giving you more power in the toe, and with the increased heel and toe-hooking performance I'm sure that this will mean the Pro is a good choice for many sport climbers. The upgraded version of the Pinks boasts some new features compared to the old model, including an improved heel and a sole plastered with Five Ten’s famous C4 rubber. This shoe is in its element serving up technical footwork on vertical terrain.Unlike the Blancos, the Pinks have a medium-stiff sole that facilitates all-around use in your gym or local crag. For granite or other climbing that involves edging and foot jamming for long durations, the Five Ten NIAD Lace is a comfortable yet high-performance option that does the old Anasazi line more than justice. The low asymmetrical profile and the rounded toe box of the NIAD put the shoe’s tip – the focal point of its power – centralized between the first and second toe. This makes for an interesting contrast, as most ‘performance’ shoes opt for a more asymmetrical shape, that places the point over the big toe.

Because the Anasazi Lace strives to be soft enough to be good smearing, but stiff enough to hold a good edge, it’s not going to edge as well as a more specialized shoe like the Blanco. And because they are stiff enough to provide some support on long routes, they are not as sensitive as some softer shoes available. There is no doubt that these shoes are designed for slabs, long sport routes, and all-round beginner/intermediate level gym climbing. If you buy these expecting to crush those awesome cave problems at your local gym, you will be disappointed.

With regards to sizing the NIAD VCS use Five Ten's new sizing model: wear your shoe size. Sounds crazy doesn't it? You just wear your street shoe size. I think it's great: for a comfortable fit wear exactly your street shoe size, for performance go down a size and for all-day comfort wear a half size up. I wear mine in a UK 9.5 (and my trainers in a 10) and they're tight enough for technical climbing but still comfortable. I have worn a few different pairs of Five Tens since they implemented this new system and I have to say it works really well and seems to produce consistently-sized shoes, which is something that many brands seem to struggle with (including Five Ten in the past). I got these a half-size down from my regular street shoe in hopes I would be able to crank them down a bit when necessary and use them as the all-around boot they are purported to be. The length seems just about right however the toe box is loose on the outside edges and tight against my big toe. As the comfy-ness waned I started to hone in on just what was so weird about the way these shoes fit: the Anasazi Pros are noticeably symmetrical compared to just about everything I have ever climbed (or walked) in. After a few sessions, the VCS softens up, although they still retain good edging ability long after the break-in period. The full-length midsole has a large part to play in this, as does the new heel rand, both of which contribute to the precision and stability of the VCS toe box. Because the VCS is designed to be a performance all-rounder, don’t expect this shoe to have the unparalleled edging ability of the NIAD Lace or other stiff climbing shoes that are purpose-built for technical face climbing or all-day use Smearing

When I first got the shoes I took them off maybe twice a session but after a little while, I was happy spending multiple hours in these shoes. I probably could have gone a half size down if I really wanted to go for that performance fit. The NIAD VCS is also available in a low-volume version: the teal 'women's' version of the Anasazi was always popular so it's great to see that it's received the same update. Materials The two main new features of the Anasazi Pro are the toe rubber and a much tighter heel. The toe rubber is something that was requested by Shauna and Ned for competitions and bouldering, whilst the heel is something that I think just needed improving. How has this affected the shoe?