Five Ten Kirigami - Women's Review

A decent all-around performer with a reasonable price tag and notably high scores in comfort makes this shoe a great introductory option. We were amazed by how comfortable this model was throughout our testing regimen. As a long-time climber, our lead tester is used to painful, tight-fitting shoes designed for performance. When she tried on the Five Ten Kirigami, she was amazed that a shoe could be so comfortable and yet still perform fairly well on the rock. The overall fit, plus the use of C4 Stealth rubber, make this a great option for those on a budget and folks just getting into climbing.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

This metric is really where the Five Ten Kirigami shines. This soft, synthetic slipper has two Velcro straps to close and a super well-padded tongue to protect the top of the foot. When we slid this shoe on at the crag for the first time, we were inclined to wear it around the base rather than our approach shoes — it is that comfortable.

The heel is roomy, and the toe box is wide enough to accommodate a wide range of foot types. If you want to introduce someone to climbing without turning them off by what used to be considered requisite foot pain, the Five Ten Kirigami is a great option for beginners. Soft materials, a flat sole, and extra padding make this a great introductory climbing shoe.

Sensitivity

While Adidas (Five Ten's parent company) was determined to make this shoe affordable, they didn't skimp when it comes to rubber, which we appreciate. The Five Ten Kirigami has a Stealth C4 rubber sole which is sticky, but the shoe overall lacks the sensitivity of more aggressive models.

The symmetrical toe box and overall flat shape of the shoe are catered more toward all-day comfort than standing on tiny footholds. That said, the Stealth rubber adds a layer of confidence when standing on smaller holds is necessary.

Edging

Again, the shape of the Kirigami is not necessarily designed for standing on small edges. Compared to stiffer, more aggressive models, the medium-stiff midsole will probably feel a bit floppy if this model is worn on powerful, edging-style routes. Without support in the midsole and a stiff last to create a platform to stand on, feet can get very tired very quickly when trying to stand aggressively on edges. This was certainly the case in the Kirigami and its main flaw when it came to its edging abilities.

We definitely felt like this shoe was best at edging right out of the box. As the toe cap became more worn down with use, the edging abilities of the shoe became much less inspiring. It should be noted that this shoe, in general, will become much softer after a few uses, reducing its edging abilities and making the overall fit feel much looser.

Crack Climbing

Here, the soft synthetic upper and extra padding on the Kirigami really comes in handy. This shoe is surprisingly great for crack climbing. The padded tongue and simple Velcro closure make it comfortable in hand cracks and wider.

While not our go-to shoe for fierce finger cracks or relentless jamming, the Kirigami is great for long multi-pitch climbs where comfort is key. If you're dreaming of pitch after pitch of moderate crack climbing, the last thing you want is foot pain to get in your way. The Kirigami is a great option for this style of climbing since it's so comfortable. You'll hardly need to take them off between pitches.

Pockets

With a wide toe box and symmetrical shape, plus little to no downturn, the Five Ten Kirigami is not really meant for pocket climbing.

Climbs with large, juggy pockets are a great option for this shoe, but anything steep or aggressive and the Kirigami will not perform as well as a more downturned, asymmetrical climbing shoe. Vertical walls and larger holds are both situations where the Kirigami will perform well in pocketed terrain, but the rounded and fairly large toe box will not fit into small pockets found on more aggressive routes.

Ease of Use

Just as this shoe rocked it in the comfort metric, the Kirigami also impressed in terms of ease of use. The flat midsole and lack of downturn make this shoe among the easiest to get on and off in this review.

The heel cup also impressed us in this metric since it is fairly wide, stretchy, and accomodating to a variety of heel shapes. In the past, Five Ten has had a notoriously narrow heel, to the point where our lead tester couldn't really fit into any of their shoes. The Kirigami marks a change in design and, in our opinion, a much better-designed heel than what Five Ten used previously. This shoe fits true to size, maybe a hair on the bigger side, and is great for wide-footed climbers (our lead tester has notoriously wide feet, and the Kirigami fit like a glove).

Two Velcro straps secure each shoe and are highly adjustable to fit a wide range of foot shapes and sizes. The straps and wide opening also make the Kirigami super easy to get on and off (though this shoe was so comfortable, we rarely wanted to take it off between climbs anyway).

Value

It is here where this model really shines. The Kirigami is extremely inexpensive compared to the vast majority of climbing shoes in this review. Even its entry-level competitors tend to have higher price tags than this model. We appreciated that even with the reasonable price tag, Adidas still made this shoe with Five Ten Stealth C4 rubber. Using a quality material for the sole adds immense value to this shoe. Overall, the price tag, plus the fairly impressive performance across the board in our metric comparisons, made the Kirigami a solid contender among the top shoes in this review. We were happy to see a highly functional shoe retailing at a fairly affordable price.

Conclusion