Unparallel have generated a sizeable following in recent years. Rising from the ashes of Five Ten, a brand that once had unassailable dominance in the UK market. Unparallel continue to manufacture products from the same factory in California that produced classic models such as the Anasazi, Moccasym and Dragon. However, it's not just a case of reproducing products from the past - it's about making new ones too. The Float is one of their most recent creations, and there's plenty more to come (we saw the Orbit at OTS, which also looked intriguing). Here's how we got on.

In Use

The Float features a stiff and supportive forefoot with a soft and flexible midsole. The end result of this is a front end that's great for edging, but a middle/rear that offers much more adaptability, making it a lot more than 'just' an edging shoe. As a result of these contrasting characteristics the Float is suitable for quite a wide range of rock types and disciplines. Whilst designed primarily for bouldering and sport climbing I could also see this shoe as something I'd wear trad climbing. We'd say they offer support, but yet they aren't an outright supportive shoe, balancing that support with sensitivity. This is a difficult circle to square!  

The Float are undoubtedly at their best on edgier rock types such as limestone or rhyolite, but due to that split sole they're surprisingly good on friction based rock types such as sandstone and gritstone - especially after a bit of use, when the soles have softened up a bit. 

They're aimed at intermediate to advanced climbers and would be a great shoe to progress onto if you were looking for the next step up from a beginner or rental shoe. They're a good blend of performance and comfort, as they're technical - but importantly this is not to the extent that they're crippling.

Fit

The Float is fairly neutral in terms of width. It's got a reasonably high volume, as it's designed to fit with your toes knuckled up against the end, although it's worth noting that this doesn't have to be at the cost of comfort - though obviously it does if you decide to downsize and wear them tight. We went down a whole UK shoe size to get a fit that was a good balance between performance and comfort. When it comes to stretch, they give a bit, becoming more comfortable, but not a lot due to the fact that they're a microfibre upper rather than leather.

Features

The Float features a fairly industrial v-shaped strap. It's got a really solid feel about it, which is good in several ways - the first is that it spreads the load across your foot and the second in that it feels super solid. The v-shape also allows you to refine the fit quite well between front and back, as you can alter how tight it is on both sides. The tongue and opening are nice and wide, so you can get your foot into it easily too, which is an issue with some shoes. You don't want the crux of your day to be getting your climbing shoes on!

At the front end the Float features 3.5mm of Unparallel's RS rubber, which is their softer/stickier compound. At the back they've used RH, which is their firmer compound. They also feature a moulded toe patch, which is soft and unobtrusive, and doesn't have an effect on the overall comfort of the shoe. 

The construction feels quite basic, but bombproof, with that industrial strap being a good example of Unparallel's belt and braces approach. At £145 it's about what you'd expect to pay for a performance climbing shoe in 2025.

Summary

I've really rated the Float. With its balance of suport and sensitivity it's good on a wide variety of different rock types, and for a range of disciplines, and would therefore make a good single shoe to own, as it's capable of doing a bit of everything. It also balances comfort and performance, offering a good amount of oomph, but without crippling your feet.