Five Ten Kirigami - Women's Review

A decent all-around performer with a reasonable price tag, the Five Ten Kirigami is a great introductory option. As a long-time climber, our lead tester is used to painful, tight-fitting shoes geared toward performance. When she tried on the 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 Kirigami shines. This soft, synthetic slipper has 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 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!).

The heel is roomy, the toe box is wide enough to accommodate a wide range of foot shapes and sizes, and the two Velcro straps that secure your foot are highly adjustable 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). If you want to introduce someone to climbing without turning them off by what used to be considered requisite foot pain, the Kirigami is a great option for beginners. Soft materials, a flat sole, and extra padding make this a great introductory climbing shoe.

Smearing

While Adidas (Five Ten's parent company) was determined to make this shoe affordable, they didn't skimp on rubber, which we appreciate. The Kirigami's sole features their sticky Stealth C4 rubber, but the shoe overall lacks the sensitivity and smearing capabilities of more aggressive models.

The shoe's symmetrical toe box and overall flat shape are more suited to all-day comfort than standing on tiny footholds. That said, the Stealth rubber adds a layer of confidence when smearing up easy slabs and even moderately sloped face climbs.

Edging

Compared to stiffer, more aggressive models, the medium-stiff midsole of the Kirigami will probably feel a bit floppy if a route requires powerful moves from precise edges. Without support in the midsole and a stiff last to create a platform, feet can get very tired very quickly trying to stand up on small edges. This was certainly our experience in the Kirigami and one of its main flaws compared to higher-performing shoes.

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 Kirigami degraded. 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.

Pulling

With a wide toe box and symmetrical shape, plus little to no downturn, the Kirigami is not really meant for pulling on footholds and steep 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 steep terrain, but the rounded and fairly large toe box will not pull well on small holds found on more aggressive routes.

Crack Climbing

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

While this is 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 dream 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.

Should You Buy The Five Ten Kirigami?

The Five Ten Kirigami is undoubtedly a beginner's shoe. It is comfortable, affordable, and easy to get on and off. We appreciated this shoe for its comfort, and while we were not blown away by its performance, it held its own where it counted. This shoe is designed to be comfortable and encourage new climbers to enjoy themselves as they learn a sport that has traditionally been fairly painful for the feet. We appreciated that despite 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're happy to see a highly functional shoe retailing at a fairly affordable price.

Conclusion