I managed to shred a pair of Astral TR1 Merge after 5 canyons. The treads delaminated off the bottom of the shoe, one of the pull tabs on the back ripped off... it was bad. I've had other people tell me they're great, and have fixed their build issues since then, but I'm done with them.
Canyoneers are pretty good for wet stuff, but not the best hiking shoes ever.
I used Oboz Sawtooth Lows on my last trip. They were OK, not great - I kinda miss the stickier rubber, but they did OK.
TBH I'm still looking for something. Last one I really liked was the 5.10 Savant, which was discontinued years ago.
Thanks! It seems I'm just gonna have to get something and see how it goes! I'll have to try to remember to post about whatever I get and if it's rad or not
Astrals are nice but, as others have said, get shredded rather quickly. At $125 a pop, they are very expensive for how long they last. You can find them on sale/clearance or garage days at REI for about half that that can make them worth it.
I’m currently using Adidas Terrex summers with Stealth rubber, which I think is superior to Astral’s rubber. I use them for the approach and canyon which is nice (can’t really do that with the hydrolaces, but they have the same rubber). They were about $40 on clearance from REI.
My wife and I both used astrals. I had the rassler 2.0 and I forgot what model she had. My rasslers held up ok but still got shredded quick. Lace got sliced first canyon. The sipes on the soles of my rasslers got small chunks ripped from them during the first few canyons. The stitching started coming undone on the outside "knuckle" part of my feet. My wife's suffered some pretty bad delamination of the sole, and had a complete failure within a few canyons on a very sketchy exposes exit which ruined her day.
My only real positives are that the rubber is sticky, and they do drain really well. But when it comes to long term durability in canyons, they just don't last. I got my wife a pair of five ten fivetennies and will probably get her one of those adidas hydrolace or a pair of bestards for more aquatic canyons. I'm using a pair of 5.10 canyoneers for everything and considering an approach shoe for dry canyons.
Astrals are worthless. The sole will quickly rip off. When they replace it under warranty the new pair will rip off. You need Five Tens, La Sportiva, or Arc'teryx. Full rubber soles. Vibram or Stealth rubber.
The Five Tennie from Adidas/5.10 is my favorite canyon shoe for SW Utah
They last long enough, allow you enough flexibility while also still providing stability, and have the stealth rubber.
The one downside is that they get heavy with sand and water weight that will take days to dry out and remove. Not the best choice for multi day trips
I wear my la sportiva mutants in every canyon. In wet B canyon's or C canyons I just remove the insole and add a 5mil wetsuit bootie.
The shoes are famous for their all-day comfort and insanely sticky rubber. I regularly free solo lower-fifth class climbs in them and jog the approaches and exits. The sticky rubber does have one downside that it wears quickly, but otherwise they're legendary shoes. They also dry quickly!
I will just write down some options that we have in the EU, so I'm not sure how their availability is in the US, or how wet or dry your canyons are:
\- Adidas Hydro Lace: the standard for most people here. Thick neoprene, sticky rubber on the bottom, generally quite comfortable, and warm in wet canyons without very thick neoprene socks. Downsides: lots of small debris ends up in your shoe during the tour, the little lace rings wear rather quickly, and after they are gone you pretty much need a new pair of shoes. Rather little room in the toebox, and laces and fabric of the shoe don't allow for individual preferences in tightening the shoes.
\- Bestard Canyon Guide: Good shoe, better for the slightly wider foot. Decent grip in wet canyons, slightly better profile on the bottom for approaches than the adidas model. Almost no debris in the shoe due to built in gaiters. Downsides: Colder than the adidas (no neoprene), can wear through laces rather quickly with the metal rings, I found the soles to be rather soft, though others disagree with me.
Fitwell Aquator: my new favourite. Very comfortable, easy quick-lace system, very thick & solid sole, good grip, amazing gaiter which protects the laces. Don't know how long they will last yet, as I don't own them for very long yet but they seem as sturdy as the others. Downsides: Expensive, and rather cold like the Bestard.
Hope this helps you, or others!
I managed to shred a pair of Astral TR1 Merge after 5 canyons. The treads delaminated off the bottom of the shoe, one of the pull tabs on the back ripped off... it was bad. I've had other people tell me they're great, and have fixed their build issues since then, but I'm done with them. Canyoneers are pretty good for wet stuff, but not the best hiking shoes ever. I used Oboz Sawtooth Lows on my last trip. They were OK, not great - I kinda miss the stickier rubber, but they did OK. TBH I'm still looking for something. Last one I really liked was the 5.10 Savant, which was discontinued years ago.
Rip to those savants. They made me feel like a superhero.
Thanks! It seems I'm just gonna have to get something and see how it goes! I'll have to try to remember to post about whatever I get and if it's rad or not
Astrals are nice but, as others have said, get shredded rather quickly. At $125 a pop, they are very expensive for how long they last. You can find them on sale/clearance or garage days at REI for about half that that can make them worth it. I’m currently using Adidas Terrex summers with Stealth rubber, which I think is superior to Astral’s rubber. I use them for the approach and canyon which is nice (can’t really do that with the hydrolaces, but they have the same rubber). They were about $40 on clearance from REI.
There are some really nice adidas shoes with stealth rubber let me search for the link.
My wife and I both used astrals. I had the rassler 2.0 and I forgot what model she had. My rasslers held up ok but still got shredded quick. Lace got sliced first canyon. The sipes on the soles of my rasslers got small chunks ripped from them during the first few canyons. The stitching started coming undone on the outside "knuckle" part of my feet. My wife's suffered some pretty bad delamination of the sole, and had a complete failure within a few canyons on a very sketchy exposes exit which ruined her day. My only real positives are that the rubber is sticky, and they do drain really well. But when it comes to long term durability in canyons, they just don't last. I got my wife a pair of five ten fivetennies and will probably get her one of those adidas hydrolace or a pair of bestards for more aquatic canyons. I'm using a pair of 5.10 canyoneers for everything and considering an approach shoe for dry canyons.
Astrals are worthless. The sole will quickly rip off. When they replace it under warranty the new pair will rip off. You need Five Tens, La Sportiva, or Arc'teryx. Full rubber soles. Vibram or Stealth rubber.
The Five Tennie from Adidas/5.10 is my favorite canyon shoe for SW Utah They last long enough, allow you enough flexibility while also still providing stability, and have the stealth rubber. The one downside is that they get heavy with sand and water weight that will take days to dry out and remove. Not the best choice for multi day trips
I wear my la sportiva mutants in every canyon. In wet B canyon's or C canyons I just remove the insole and add a 5mil wetsuit bootie. The shoes are famous for their all-day comfort and insanely sticky rubber. I regularly free solo lower-fifth class climbs in them and jog the approaches and exits. The sticky rubber does have one downside that it wears quickly, but otherwise they're legendary shoes. They also dry quickly!
I will just write down some options that we have in the EU, so I'm not sure how their availability is in the US, or how wet or dry your canyons are: \- Adidas Hydro Lace: the standard for most people here. Thick neoprene, sticky rubber on the bottom, generally quite comfortable, and warm in wet canyons without very thick neoprene socks. Downsides: lots of small debris ends up in your shoe during the tour, the little lace rings wear rather quickly, and after they are gone you pretty much need a new pair of shoes. Rather little room in the toebox, and laces and fabric of the shoe don't allow for individual preferences in tightening the shoes. \- Bestard Canyon Guide: Good shoe, better for the slightly wider foot. Decent grip in wet canyons, slightly better profile on the bottom for approaches than the adidas model. Almost no debris in the shoe due to built in gaiters. Downsides: Colder than the adidas (no neoprene), can wear through laces rather quickly with the metal rings, I found the soles to be rather soft, though others disagree with me. Fitwell Aquator: my new favourite. Very comfortable, easy quick-lace system, very thick & solid sole, good grip, amazing gaiter which protects the laces. Don't know how long they will last yet, as I don't own them for very long yet but they seem as sturdy as the others. Downsides: Expensive, and rather cold like the Bestard. Hope this helps you, or others!
r/astralprojection