The Camp 4 Shoe by Five Ten is a rugged multi-purpose/approach shoe with an external heel cage for added rear-foot support and stability. The Camp 4 is a hiker's dream. It is light enough for everyday wear, but extremely rugged, and designed as an alternative to heavy, clumsy leather hiking boots. The Camp 4 features our new proprietary technology--a molded PU external heel cage that adds rear-foot support and stability, allowing you to hump heavy loads for long distances, without the need for a high-top boot! This extremely stable, secure shoe has a lace to toe closure that can be worn relaxed, for a long-distance fit, or tightened, for climbing and scrambling. Co-molded Stealth C4/S1 high-friction soles provide the world's best friction on any terrain.
I'm sorry Camp 4, but it just isn't working out. It's not you, it's me - well, it's my ankles. I was born with ankles on my right foot that rise exactly the same distance above my heels as the ankles on my left foot. How weird is that! And you were built for people with normal feet which have ankles on the right foot that rise 1/4" higher than the ankles on the left foot. My ankles are just not letting you be the shoe you want to be! I just wish I could have been that normal person with high right ankles you were meant for. Maybe we can still be friends.
There's three things I love about his shoe :-Massive amounts of friction in the dry. 'Nuff said.-Mid-top. The only shoe I've owned that supported like a boot, but wore like a shoe.-Heel cage. They give it hype for good reason, it does its job well, keeping me moving all day. I won't ear anything without it now.A couple things I don't love:- Not a whole lot of traction in the wet. The shoe is designed for rock, and in mud and other slippery fluid situations, there's not much traction to be had. - If you don't take care of it often, the leather will discolor. I expect that to some degree, but it can be annoying. Overall, this will be my third pair, so I'd still highly recommend them!
I got these for some serious back country bush whacking in the cascades about a year ago, and they are still going strong. I find them to be both comfortable, and sized pretty well. Since the toe is almost completely rubber it did have a break in period. Though not nearly as bad as any rock climbing shoe. The heel cup is wonderful for trudging through brush, or descending through a gully filled with rocks.It's also pretty amazing if you have to wander around a city with no directional navigation. It's kept me on my feet for hours and hours, where as other shoes would've left my blistered and swearing about my predicament.
The 5.10 Camp 4 is a great shoe--at least the left one. The right one causes pain in one of my toes. Why? Because upon closer inspection, I discovered that the rubber toe cap on the right shoe is positioned a bit differently than the one on the left shoe. It seems to be rotated a bit upwards on the right hand (outer) side, which reduces the height of the toe box. This pinches down on my toes. This defect is clearly visible when looking at both shoes together. Wish I noticed it at Moosejaw. I will continue to wear them in hopes that the right shoe breaks in and conforms to my foot. Since I have already worn the shoes outside, I don't think they can be returned, so these might be junk.
While staying Yosemite Camp 4 I lost my North Face trail shoes. I was left with flip flops and climbing shoes and some really sore feet after a few long approaches. Painful soles eventually led me to the Mountain Shop where it came down to the Camp 4s and Gandas. These had a better fit and way cheaper. They're fairly light, Stealth rubber sticks to everything and they're durable. They're not so great for edging or anything much above class 4 climbing but great for approaches.
"Best "crossover" shoe out there. Awesome for anything having to do with outdoors."
11/20/11
These are a very versatile shoe from everyday walking to trail hiking/running to light mountain rock climbing. I bought these originally for a trip to Guatemala that requires a lot of hiking. I ended up liking them so much I wear them everywhere now. If you like Keens for their durability but like a more athletic shoe feel then you will love them. The waterproofing is amazing and have kept my feet dry. Hands down best pair of shoes I own right now! Highly recommend them!
"Good approach, scrambling, all around outdoor shoe"
03/28/11
Folks, the rear rubber is for descending on rock, which will literally tear lesser shoes to pieces.Although this shoe will do a good many things, it's primary purpose is as an approach shoe. That means it excels on mixed terrain including your local crag.
Let me start by saying that this is a very comfortable, durable shoe. I do recommend replacing the stock insoles though. I've been very happy with Shock Doctor or Lynco insoles over the years and am using the Lynco L405 Sports Orthotic with my Camp Fours. I really like the protective rubber over the toe for climbing and spelunking. However I have to agree with a few of the previous reviews about the very thick heel rubber. Yes it's protective but it does add considerable weight. So much so that I'm reluctant to use these for any long hikes as there are many other lighter, similar designs out there.