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Five Ten Moccasym Review

These shoes are great for hand cracks and training in the gym.
Five Ten Moccasym
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Price:  $125 List | $112.50 at Amazon
Compare prices at 2 resellers
Pros:  Easy on and off, comfortable, "thin" profile
Cons:  Stretch a lot, not great for edging
Manufacturer:   Five Ten
By Matt Bento ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  Mar 23, 2018
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66
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#26 of 31
  • Edging - 20% 3
  • Cracks - 20% 9
  • Comfort - 20% 8
  • Pockets - 20% 5
  • Sensitivity - 20% 8

Our Verdict

The Five Ten Moccasym is a solid crack climbing shoe. Our lead tester wore these red slippers exclusively for years because he saw Dean Potter wearing them in climbing videos. There's been a lot of new design and development in climbing shoe technology since the Mocc first came on the scene, but decades later there are still plenty of fans in crack climbing meccas like Indian Creek where they're a popular choice for thin splitters. If you're into the Moccs for the comfort factor of its flat sole, it's also worth taking a look at the more supportive La Sportiva TC Pro or Butora Altura.


Compare to Similar Products

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Five Ten Moccasym
This Product
Five Ten Moccasym
Awards  Editors' Choice Award    
Price $112.50 at Amazon
Compare at 2 sellers		$175.00 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers		$180.00 at REI
Compare at 3 sellers		$180.00 at Amazon
Compare at 3 sellers		$147.93 at REI
Compare at 3 sellers
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Pros Easy on and off, comfortable, "thin" profileComfortable in cracks, low volume toe fits in thin cracks, great edgingGreat precision, aggressive/down turned toe tip, sensitive, great toe and heel hooking, precise fit, comfortable, easy on/offGreat edging, convenient and secure Velcro closure systemIncredible sensitivity, great edging, durability
Cons Stretch a lot, not great for edgingHeel cup can feel uncomfortable across the achilles, left some testers with sore archesNot comfortable for all-day climbing, expensive, not the most versatile, hard to fit, single strap broke prematurelyNot as comfortable in cracks as lace-up modelsSpecalized use, expensive, might be hard to resole
Bottom Line These shoes are great for hand cracks and training in the gym.These shoes are high-performing crack climbing machines.This shoe is a favorite of many veteran climbers and still feels cutting edge over ten years after its first release.This shoe is well-performing all arounder.Employing Sportiva's No Edge concept, this is a sensitive shoe that edges incredibly well.
Rating Categories Five Ten Moccasym La Sportiva Kataki La Sportiva Solution La Sportiva Otaki La Sportiva Futura
Edging (20%)
10
0
3
10
0
9
10
0
9
10
0
9
10
0
9
Cracks (20%)
10
0
9
10
0
9
10
0
8
10
0
8
10
0
7
Comfort (20%)
10
0
8
10
0
8
10
0
7
10
0
8
10
0
8
Pockets (20%)
10
0
5
10
0
9
10
0
10
10
0
9
10
0
9
Sensitivity (20%)
10
0
8
10
0
9
10
0
9
10
0
9
10
0
10
Total Scores (%)
10
0
10
10
0
10
10
0
10
10
0
10
10
0
10
Specs Five Ten Moccasym La Sportiva Kataki La Sportiva Solution La Sportiva Otaki La Sportiva Futura
Style Slipper Lace Velcro Velcro Velcro
Upper Leather Suede leather / Microfiber Leather / Lorica Leather/ Microfiber Leather/Synthetic Leather
Width Options Regular Regular Regular Regular Regular
Lining unlined Pacific HF in toe box and arch area only Pacific Unlined
Rubber Type Stealth C4 Vibram XS Edge Vibram XS Grip 2 Vibram XS Edge Vibram XS Grip2
Rubber Thickness (millimeters) 2 mm 4 mm 4 mm 4 mm 3 mm

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Moccasyms face competition from a a few other slipper designs. All offer superior comfort in hand cracks and a narrow profile for sneaking your toes inside thinner challenges. But for a shoe that you can really push the grade on techier crack climbs, check out the Editors' Choice Award-winning La Sportiva Kataki.

These shoes are very soft. While comfortable this makes them a poor choice for technical edging.
These shoes are very soft. While comfortable, this makes them a poor choice for technical edging.

Performance Comparison


Stealth C4 is still the stickiest rubber we've encountered and the Moccs will keep you feeling relaxed on featureless low-angle slabs.
Stealth C4 is still the stickiest rubber we've encountered, and the Moccs will keep you feeling relaxed on featureless, low-angle slabs.

Edging


The Moccasym is notoriously bad for edging. If you size them super tight, they do ok, but eventually, the unlined leather uppers stretch into a floppy mess. At that point, they're super comfortable for all day scrambling, but unless you've got toes of steel, you'll be whimpering and over gripping when it comes time to stand on tiny edges.

Hand cracks are the ideal habitat for the Mocc. These shoes excel in the hand and fist sizes.
Hand cracks are the ideal habitat for the Mocc. These shoes excel in the hand and fist sizes.

Crack Climbing


When Moccs are sized to let your toes lay flat in the shoe, they are comfortable crack climbing machines. We've seen folks carry a quiver of these things up the crags in Indian Creek. Some climbers size their Moccs large and wear them with thick socks for offwidths. We've also seen the Mocc's uppers slathered in freesole for increased durability in hand cracks. We recommend a shoe that can also edge for finger cracks since often you won't be able to get any of your foot in thin cracks, but when it comes to an all-around crack workhorse that can take a serious beating, the Mocc is a solid choice.

Poor edging performance and a wide blunt toe box make these shoes a bit lacking when it comes to pocket climbing.
Poor edging performance and a wide, blunt toe box make these shoes a bit lacking when it comes to pocket climbing.

Pockets


Shoes that excel in pocketed terrain have great edging abilities and possess a pointy toe, and are typically built on an asymmetric last. The Moccasyms don't edge very well, have a relatively blunt toe box, and are a comfy, symmetrical shape. Therefore, we don't recommend the Moccs for your next trip out to Ten Sleep, Lander, or any other limestone pocket pulling paradise.

The easy on and off of this slipper comes at a price. The heel is liking to slip off during aggressive heel hooking.
The easy on and off of this slipper comes at a price. The heel is liking to slip off during aggressive heel hooking.

Sensitivity


Right out of the box the Moccs feel a bit clunky, but once the shoes start to soften up (often quicker than you want them to), they're great for slab climbing, allowing you to feel micro divots and apply a healthy helping of stealth rubber to the rock. Soft shoes are a matter of personal preference, but if you're looking for shoe that is sensitive and offers some edging performance, have a look at the La Sportiva Skwama, or for the narrower footed, the Tenaya Tarifa

Comfort


The Moccs stretch a lot, and if you size them for performance they don't feel great until they've stretched to your foot. When our lead tester climbed exclusively in these shoes, he would size them down from his street shoe size of a US men's 9.5 to a 7.5 in the Moccs (ouch!) so that they wouldn't feel too big by the time they were fully stretched out.

Our lead tester cranks out one more lap before the storm.
Our lead tester cranks out one more lap before the storm.

Value


This comfy slippers can be yours for $125. These once bargain shoes have been steadily creeping up in price over the last decade to the dismay of dirtbags everywhere. Remember, size these shoes tight! They'll stretch out fast, leaving you with a shoe that's very difficult to edge in.

Conclusion


The Five Ten Moccasyms feature a classic design that remains popular, even in a world with modern designs that can provide better edging and sensitivity. However, its still hard to best the Mocc in terms of comfort and simplicity. Once you've figured out the sizing its also possible to fit them for a variety of specialized uses in ways that are no longer possible with new synthetic or lined leather shoes.


— Matt Bento