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, fans of this shoe are legion, and it still reigns supreme in crack climbing meccas like Indian Creek. If you're into the Moccs for the comfort factor, take a look at our Top Pick For all-day comfort, the Five Ten Quantum or the supportive TC Pro.
Five Ten Moccasym Review
These shoes are great for hand cracks and training in the gym.
Price: $125 List | $115.31 at Amazon
Compare prices at 3 resellers Pros: Easy on and off, comfortable
Cons: Stretch a lot, not great for edging
Manufacturer: Five Ten
Compare prices at 3 resellers Pros: Easy on and off, comfortable
Cons: Stretch a lot, not great for edging
Manufacturer: Five Ten
By Matt Bento ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ Mar 23, 2018
The Skinny
Compare to Similar Products
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Moccasyms closest competitor are the Evolv Addicts. Both these shoes are very similar, and while the Addicts edge out the Moccs in the edging metric, our testers felt that the roomier Moccs were a bit comfier. When the dust settled, they ultimately received the same overall scores. They're both great in hand cracks, but for a shoe that you can push the grade on crack climbs, check out the La Sportiva Kataki.
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.
Edging
The Moccasym is notoriously bad for edging. If you size them super tight, they do ok, but eventually, they stretch into a floppy mess. At that point, they're super comfortable for all day scrambling, but unless you've got toes of steel like Dean Potter, 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.
Crack Climbing
When Moccs are sized, so 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.
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, so…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.
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 slap a healthy helping of stealth rubber on 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, check 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, he would size his Moccs 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 stretch out too much.
Our lead tester cranks out one more lap before the storm.
Best Applications
The low profile toe makes the Moccasyms best suited to crack climbing hand sized or bigger at Indian Creek, and once these shoes stretch out, they're nice for all day easy scrambles, or training in the gym. Their lack of stiffness and support will make your toes strong. As far as climbing routes that are long and difficult, we recommend a more modern shoe design that is sensitive and supportive, like the La Sportiva TC Pro or the Five Ten Quantum.
Value
This comfy slippers can be yours for $125. These once bargain shoes have been creeping up in price over the last decade to the dismay of dirtbags everywhere. If your foot is on the narrow side, check out the Evolv Addicts for $99. 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 and the Evolv Addicts share a classic design that remains popular, even in a world with modern designs that provide better edging and sensitivity. Which one is the king the crack slipper? That would depend on the shape of your foot. Lower volume, narrower feet are better suited to the Addicts, and wide, beavertail shaped feet will fit better in a pair of Moccasyms.
— Matt Bento
