Big thanks to "Muse of Fire" for posting the review of the Savants way back. This review of the 5.10 Daescents addresses the same areas that Muse covered: fit, comfort, flexibility, weight, grip, breathability, and cushioning. (Plus i'm adding durability) Then afterwards are my thoughts. Keep in mind that my writeup for each category may "leak" into other areas, so just read the review as a whole.
FIT:Because this is a climbing shoe initially designed to be worn barefoot, these shoes are made SMALL. I wear a rather small 8.5 Mens shoe. Seeing as 8.5 isn't exactly snug, I ordered a size 9's a half size up. The fit is absolutely
perfect. I will be rather disappointed if my feet decide to grow because these shoes fit me better than a tailored glove. The general suggestion for buying is to order a half or whole size up, depending on how your current shoes fit.
FLEXIBILITY:The Daescents absolutely flourish in this area. I purchased the Alien Glow freerunners before my daescents and one of my two gripes about the shoe was its inflexibility. It was a very refreshing feeling to put these shoes on and be able to actually feel the ground beneath my feet, instead of the shoe. (Did that make any sense at all?) Much like most pairs normal running shoes, the daescents allow for a phenomenal range of foot motion and flexibility.
At one point I preferred training and conditioning barefoot because of the unhindered movement. I find wearing the daescents favorable to training barefoot now.
WEIGHT:One of FiveTen's pitches for this shoe is how light it is. It's easily compressible and can be flattened into a bag for quick carrying. I would not consider these casual wear shoes, but they will work just fine wearing them to-and-from jams. These shoes will not hinder your jumps/precisions. Bottom line: these things are feather light.
GRIP:As is to be expected with all shoes that utilize stealth rubber, the grip is orgasmic. Sticks like a magnet to rough materials and the flexibility of the shoe allows your foot to naturally "grab" around thinner obstacles. Through experience, I found the Freerunner V2's to be slightly better for wallclimbing however, the flexibility permits precisions and rail balancing to a greater extent than the Alien Glows.
BREATHABILITY:The material this shoe is made from is very breathable. The included leather insole does keep your foot rather toasty and sweaty, and the stealth rubber insulates quite well. Though even on the high temperature and humidity days that Maryland suffers from in the summer, I haven't had any desire to take the shoes off.
CUSHIONING:It's in this category where the two premier 5.10 parkour shoes, the daescents and the freerunners,
totally split. Sure, flexibility is a bit different and it's for this reason. The daescents have VERY little cushioning. As far as I know, the only forefoot cushioning is that provided by the rubber and the insole. The middle of the foot and the heel have a little added padding, about 2cm thick. (Caution, upcoming bias) I find the amount of cushioning this shoe has to be
perfect. It promotes good technique because your really feel your landings, and I think that this shoe has done more for my training than all of my barefoot shenanigans.
DurabilityThe rand wrap around the toes definitely helps the longevity of this shoe. All in all it's holding up well, though i haven't had them for too long so they haven't been put through the unimaginable hell that parkour inflicts upon our poor footwear.
PriceLike all 5.10 shoes, the daescents are rather expensive. I managed to pick them about 20% off from
www.rockcreek.com, but they will generally run you 105 dollars. (Ten dollars more than the Freerunner V2's) If you can stomach the price tag, these shoe are worth every penny.
GENERAL COMMENTS:If you've ever worn lowcut chuck taylors, then you have a good idea of how these fit. They're almost exactly like that feel, only more comfortable. Flat sole with no arch or ankle support, only they have insane grip. They allow almost total freedom of movement for your foot and in my opinion that's what's very important in a shoe worn for parkour.
Overall, I would recommend this to any traceur, new or otherwise. Some traceurs will be put off by the lack of padding, but I honestly find that to be this shoe's biggest strength. It took me about 90 seconds to get used to the change and I do not want to go back. (Except maybe for a pair of ariakes to review them)
The Bottom Line:This review is very opinionated so keep in mind that I may not feel the same way about these shoes that you may. This writeup is meant only to be a suggestion, not a be and end all review.
Pros: Unbelievable grip, solid construction, extremely lightweight, comfortable.
Cons: Some may see the lack of cushioning as a bad thing, though I prefer it. Price.
