User Review: Five Ten Galileo

Five Ten Galileo
Above: The current Galileo, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed December 23, 2006 by DtEW

Rating:
Materials: "Cowdura" synthetic upper w/liner. Stealth Onyx rubber.
Use: Gym bouldering and climbing, outdoor bouldering.
Break-in Period: 24-36 hours of climbing over a month
Price Paid: $130

Great shoe, will buy again if these get trashed. This is a relatively stiff/supportive shoe for edging, but it smears okay. The materials and construction are fairly durable, and the Stealth Onyx rubber is indeed both stickier and more durable than the industry-reference Stealth C4.

In general, Five Ten shoes are designed for wider feet than Mad Rock or Italian makes, and the Galileo is no exception. The designed fit is a good compromise between performance and comfort, with a straight big toe butting (somewhat tightly) against the end, and remaining toes curled (not tightly) against the end. The synthetic upper backed with lining stretches VERY LITTLE, if at all, meaning that the fit you get initially is the fit you will keep. (You better make sure that's the fit you want. Undersize it, and the pain will never go away as it will NOT "stretch-to-fit".) I have found that the Five Ten sizing scheme for this shoe matches your running/tennis shoe size, assuming you have those fit correctly for performance.