By Ryan Olson

Route setters depend on a variety of tools everyday in order to get the job done. Some of these are obvious: walls, holds, bolts, wrenches, ladders, etc.

However, there are other very important tools that sometimes get overlooked. For example, the right pair of shoes can change a slow and tiring day of setting into a more efficient and pleasant experience.

Few people would enjoy spending all day setting in their climbing shoes, but there are often times when you want to try a move while building your creation. The right pair of shoes can let you feel out a move without the hassle of changing into climbing shoes.

There are a number of sticky rubber approach shoes currently on the market, but one in particular stands out from the rest.

The new Five Ten D’aescent is a great hybrid, combining the performance of a climbing shoe with the comfort of an approach shoe. It was originally designed by Charles Cole as an extremely lightweight mountaineering shoe, but it works just as well if not better as a setting shoe.

Carlo Traversi, a full time setter at the Spot Bouldering gym in Boulder, Colorado, claims, “The D’aescents perform remarkably well in the route setting world. I’ve worn either flip-flops or normal approach shoes in the past, but the D’aescents take my setting to a new level. I can set and run without having to switch between sets of shoes. These shoes provide a certain cohesiveness and flow to my setting that allows me to get my job done in an efficient and comfortable manner.”

What makes the D’aescent perfect for route setters is the flat piece of Stealth Mystique rubber on the bottom of the toe. This allows the shoe to perform more like a climbing shoe and doesn’t let traction get in the way of friction.

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