Just to clarify this is not an approach shoe (nor is it a skate shoe despite its advertising). it doesnt offer the support you need to be hiking around all day between boulder problems. It has a flat sole that is excellent for kickin around town and slacklining. Definitely a very durable and strong shoe though. Hemp uppers are bombproof - and the FRIXION AT sole is impressively durable. Real sticky which usually means its soft and as a result, at least in my experience, means that it will wear very quickly. I've tested Stealth and Trax soled shoes against the streets of downtown Philly and they all wore down quickly in comparision to the rubber on this shoe with daily use.

Overall a great day-to-day shoe - durable and comfortable - but really not for anything more than that.

I hate chalk in general. but sometimes i need it. but i hate loose chalk the most particularly this stuff. its not all that super. not sure what else there is to say about it, its chalk - but this stuff i thinks makes a lot more of a dusty mess than it does effectively drying your hands

After 4 months of daily use, I havent had any durability issues - I guess I got lucky compared to some of the other posters. I have 4 other pair of 5.10 approach shoes and these are the most comfortable. As a result I wear them almost everyday. Sticky rubber is great and I really like the gnarly tread pattern on these much better than the flat dot pattern that is on the bottoms of all my other shoes. It lets you actually do some decent approaching and hiking about. The foam midsole on this newer model is ok for now but I think it is the weakest part of the shoe - since it is just foam, if your doing any kind of foot jam or heel hook it shreds the foam but at this point it has only seemed to be a cosmetic thing.
Again I find these to be a really comfortable fit for me and the tounge and laceing design is quite good. Unfortunately, it isnt waterproof though, which is almost a pet peeve of mine. Whats the point of having a shoe for getting you out into the depths of nature where anything goes, and not having footwear that keeps you dry?

Overall, a good comfortable shoe that you can actually use for serious approaching and nice fit and sticky rubber tread pattern allows you to not only hike and scramble but actually pull off some intermediate level climbing with its toe rand.

Nice lightweight shoe. I'd suggest sizing it snug to get the most ouf of it in terms of serious scrambling to even some decent toe edging - its almost a cross between an approach shoe and a climbing shoe with a sticky rubber rand around the toes and Stealth S1 dotty rubber soles. The heel area as you can see in the picture has a thin EVA cushioning. Note that this is the only padding in the shoe. The uppers are light and comfortable but the lack of cushioning are what prevent this shoe from - in my mind - being a true, solid, approach shoe. I would not recommend it for any serious approaching over sharp terrain or for approaches of distance. The soft soles allow you to feel EVERYTHING which makes it an dedicated scrambling/light climbing shoe - class four to easy five if sized accordingly and the non padded front and toe area allows you to edge up a bit more than most other Five Ten approach shoes I have worn. I have found others to be a bit wide and have thicker soles - great for walking and hiking a bit but the Retro is narrow and fits more like a climbing shoe.
Overall, nice niche shoe, but remember that it is called the Retro because it is reminiscent of the original approach shoe Five Ten made. If you are looking for a true approach shoe from Five Ten with a bit more durability, support, and comfort, try the more modern Mountain Master. If you are looking for a strictly scrambling shoe - the Retro is for you.I rated a three because it falls around average in my opinion. I like the lightweightedness and the soft feel to them that allow the ability to actually get a bit more technical but I would not suggest it for approach as there are more comfortable shoes to chose from in the Five Ten line that I would suggest trying.Rock on and climb safe!!

this is a test review - will post the real review when i finish the book. on page 3.