Guest post by Justin Fricke. See more of Justin’s work at his personal blog, justintheweekendwarrior.com.

Weekend trips are nothing out of the ordinary for my lifestyle and there’s plenty to do in the southeast. Most of my weekends are spent at the beach, but I jump at every opportunity to explore the climbing crags of the southeast. The month of March gave me the best of both worlds where I got to explore some boulders at Rumbling Bald in North Carolina and a park on the river at New Smyrna Beach, FL.

Five Ten was looking out for me when a box landed on my doorstep just as I was about to head up to North Carolina. My current climbing shoes have been getting worn down and I’ve been in the market for another pair, in that box was a brand new pair of Rogue’s with laces for me to break in on some solid southeast gneiss. Five Ten also hooked me up with a pair of their Yosemite Jean to keep me warm in the cool temps, while protecting my legs from the ever so infamous rock rash.

Making the switch from velcro to lace proved to be no big deal. It was pretty sweet being able to adjust the fit of the shoe with how tight I chose to cinch down the laces. Stealth rubber is unmatched as far as climbing shoe grip goes and these were by far the most comfortable pair of climbing shoes I’ve ever worn, if there is such a thing. The Yosemite Jean made for the perfect bouldering pant, allowing me to move freely with the 1% spandex and keeping my legs rock rash free when it came to top outs and knee bars.

Back in Florida, finding a good slackline shoe can be a daunting task, but Five Ten makes it easy with their Dirtbag shoe—a fantastic name. The sole’s flat and stiff giving you more stability when you’re on the slackline and making it easier to land tricks and walk the slackline.

Products Featured

-Rogue Climbing Shoe: $90.00

-Yosemite Jean: $120.00

-Dirtbag Shoe: $75.00

-Five Ten Logo Tee: $29.95