Reviews You Can Rely On

Five Ten Kirigami Review

A colorful and comfortable shoe that is easy to put on and performs well, especially while climbing slabs and cracks
gearlab tested logo
Five Ten Kirigami Review
Credit: Five Ten
Price:  $50 List
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Manufacturer:   Five Ten
By Brian Smith ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  May 3, 2021
74
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Edging - 20% 7.0
  • Cracks - 20% 9.0
  • Comfort - 20% 8.0
  • Pockets - 20% 6.0
  • Sensitivity - 20% 7.0

Our Verdict

The Five Ten Kirigami is a comfortable all-around kid's climbing shoe. The hook and loop closure makes it very easy to take the shoe on and off, as well as for loosening or tightening the shoe. The rubber rand wraps nicely over the top of the shoe, which also has a low profile, improving crack climbing performance. With its wide forefoot, the Kirigami offers a slipper-like fit that performs well while smearing and climbing easy to moderate cracks. The Stealth Phantom rubber gives the shoe a soft, sticky feel for encouraging confidence in your kid's climbing. While this is not an aggressive shoe, it is a great choice for kids looking to climb easy to moderate rock in comfort.
REASONS TO BUY
Very comfortable
Easy to put on and take off
Sensitive yet durable
REASONS TO AVOID
Hard to size correctly
Too soft for smaller edges and pockets
Rounded toe box
Five Ten discontinued the kid's Kirigami.

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Five Ten Kirigami is a comfortable, low-profile shoe with a wonderful color scheme and ultra-sticky Stealth Phantom rubber. It excels at crack climbing with a soft yet durable feel and a rubber rand that wraps over the top of the shoe. The Kirigami also performs well on slabs and less technical beginner to moderate rock climbs. Similar to many Five Ten shoes, the toe box is quite roomy offering some room for kids' toes to wiggle and grow.

Performance Comparison


five ten kirigami - our tester takes a no-hands rest in long's canyon
Our tester takes a no-hands rest in Long's Canyon
Credit: Brian Smith

Edging


There is no such thing as a climbing shoe, bike tire, or car tire that performs perfectly in every situation when it comes to sticky rubber. Softer rubbers offer more friction, sensitivity, and comfort, while harder rubbers typically edge better with less comfort and sensitivity due to their increased stiffness. That being said, the Kirigami performs well when edging on easy to moderate climbs, but since the shoes run large, make sure to get the sizing right so that your kid can snug the shoe up for those steeper sport climbing routes with smaller edges.


The Kirigami climbing shoes that we tested ran about a size and a half larger than the Evolv Venga. Keep this in mind when sizing your shoes, and make sure you can exchange them for a smaller size if necessary. It is ideal if a shoe fits snug with a thin sock on so that your kid has room to grow into them. If they fit too loose, they will not edge as well.

five ten kirigami - the kirigami edges well on easy to moderate climbs
The Kirigami edges well on easy to moderate climbs
Credit: Brian Smith

Crack Climbing


The Kirigami excelled in desert cracks during our testing around Moab, Utah. With a low profile from top to bottom of the forefoot, and a single hook and loop closure placed close to the ankle, the shoe slipped nicely into cracks while foot jamming and even toe jamming.


The Stealth Phantom rubber sole increases friction underfoot within the cracks, while a leather upper protects the remainder of the top of the forefoot and increases durability. In wider cracks, the hook and loop closure might cause a pressure point on the top of the foot just below the ankle, but most kids probably aren't that interested in wider cracks. Compared to other shoes we tested, this was the obvious choice for sending sandstone splitter cracks in the desert.

five ten kirigami - foot jamming felt comfortable and secure in this 5.9 splitter.
Foot jamming felt comfortable and secure in this 5.9 splitter.
Credit: Brian Smith

Pockets


The toe box of the Kirigami is wide, rounded, and has a low profile top to bottom. This shape is conducive to crack climbing but doesn't lend itself to climbing pockets. The shoe's sole is also flat, as opposed to downturned. When a downturned toe is placed into a pocket, it is much more supportive than a flat one.


We tested the Kirigami while bouldering at Big Bend on the River Road outside of Moab, Utah, where many sandstone pockets exist. They worked fine in larger pockets but did not fit well into smaller pockets. Also, since they have a softer rubber sole, they lack the stiffness necessary to provide support while transferring all of your body weight onto one foot in a pocket. A more aggressive and stiffer shoe would perform better while climbing pockets.

five ten kirigami - climbing pockets at the big bend boulders
Climbing pockets at the Big Bend Boulders
Credit: Brian Smith

Sensitivity


Stealth rubber is one of the softest, high friction rubbers that has ever been made for climbing shoes. Because it is soft, your foot will feel the rock underneath your feet more easily than a climbing shoe with harder rubber. In addition, more of the rubber sole will come into contact with the rock with a softer rubber, increasing friction so that feet are less likely to slip off the rock. This is a potential advantage while crack climbing, slab climbing, and for kids who don't always watch their foot placements closely. Since many kids are beginning climbers, it makes sense to start them out in a climbing shoe with softer rubber, since most beginner climbs are lower-angle slabs.


Softer rubber also makes a climbing shoe more supple, which provides a more comfortable fit overall. Since foot comfort, while rock climbing is so important to kids' enjoyment of the sport, a softer and therefore more sensitive rubber is beneficial even though that sacrifices performance while edging and climbing pockets on steeper routes.

five ten kirigami - soft rubber enables you to feel the rock which can improve technique...
Soft rubber enables you to feel the rock which can improve technique while climbing
Credit: Brian Smith

Comfort


The Kirigami fits like a slipper and is super easy to put on and take off thanks to the hook and loop closure. The leather upper combined with a rubber rand strip protect the top of the foot. This added durability on the top of the shoe helps prevent abrasion while crack climbing as well as while dragging one's toes up the rock face, which is fairly common for beginning climbers.


A breathable mesh just below the fore and aft of the ankle also aids in regulating foot temperature. The rounded toe box allows for some wiggle room that might sacrifice performance but allows for wearing the shoe for an extended period of time. In addition, the large toe box facilitates wearing a thin sock so that you can buy a shoe your kid can grow into. The only problem with this comfortable climbing shoe is that your kid might not want to take them off. In fact, they might even walk around in them all day at the crag.

five ten kirigami - comfortable feet equals happy feet!
Comfortable feet equals happy feet!
Credit: Brian Smith

Value


With its comfort, durability, and all-around good performance, the Kirigami is priced right. The combination of sticky rubber, leather, and mesh in strategic locations suggests a well-designed shoe with an affordable price tag that keeps the rapid growth of kids in mind. As a parent, I always appreciate companies that acknowledge the dilemma of buying outdoor gear for kids who will outgrow the product in a year or two. Keeping kids' products affordable allows families to enjoy time together in the outdoors and that in of itself is invaluable. The durable construction of the Kirigami looks like it will withstand the inevitable wear and tear inherent in rock climbing, at least until a kid outgrows them.

Conclusion


Overall, the Five Ten Kirigami is a very well-designed shoe that performs well in many categories. It shines in comfort, durability, stickiness, and crack climbing. Not to mention, it is very colorful and if you look like a rockstar, well, then you'll probably climb like a rockstar also. You might want to size them first though since they run quite a bit bigger than other kids' climbing shoes. They won't climb steep edges and pockets as well as more aggressive shoes, but at least your kid's feet will be happily comfortable while climbing in them.

five ten kirigami - most importantly, the five ten kirigami made climbing in the desert...
Most importantly, the Five Ten Kirigami made climbing in the desert fun!
Credit: Brian Smith

Brian Smith