I replace shoes pretty much yearly. Mine see a lot of scree and talus in the summer. I once killed a pair of Keen's in one descent off of Mears peak, 2500 ft of plunge stepping in scree did them in.
I find with the low heel drop, that I feel better. IT band issues become minor since the calves are more flexible.
I also don't really like the feel of boots anymore. They are harder on the knees in the hard stuff, and I find I can grip and navigate much better in shoes. The 5.10's are a nice combination, since i can still run in them if I need, haul lots of weight, and go up most anything. The downside, is they wet out and stay wet (neoprene socks) and year over year durability (not that they are poorly made, they just are not in the same class as high end boots). I expect about 2 yrs a pair on them, somewhat better than sneaks.
