Five Ten Quantum VCS
A shoe designed for short, steep bouldering and sport climbing.
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In another development in the life of the classic Quantum, Five Ten has produced a velcro version of the 2016 Lace-Up model. The new Quantum VCS is just a little more hardcore than the unisex Quantum Lace-Up, which was designed for all-day comfort and performance with input from the big-wall masters the Huber brothers.
All the features of the Quantum Lace-Up—a last five millimeters wider than their old, purple predecessors; a cushioned and breathable tongue; a stiff thermoplastic sole that reduces the need for significant downturn; and a smooth, asymmetric shape and less aggressive heel—have been faithfully transferred to the VCS version. A few small adjustments make it more suitable for short, steep bouldering and sport climbing versus longer multi-pitch undertakings. Firstly, the toe box is slightly higher volume meaning you can downsize for a performance fit without suffering eye-wateringly painful hotspots on your toe knuckles. Secondly, an extended patch of rubber covers the toe adding extra grip for technical toe hooks. Finally, the Velcro closure system facilitates the on/off transition between burns.
You may want up to a full-size smaller than your street-shoe size size with the Quantum Velcro if you desire a tight performance fit. The VCS Quantums are built using a synthetic non-stretch Clarino upper, so the size you buy is the size you keep.
Rock and Ice vigorously tests all gear it reviews for either 50 days or 50 pitches. This is a time-consuming process and limits the amount of new equipment we can present to our readers. Every year hundreds of new products hit store shelves, and most of these aren’t reviewed due to our stringent selection and review process. To better keep you more up to date on what is new, we present First Look. Gear in First Look has not been field tested, but is gear we think you’d like to know about as soon as it is available. Some of the gear will be reviewed using our 50 days/50 pitches criteria, in future print and online editions of Rock and Ice.