Review: Five Ten Kirigami

Not all rock shoes need to be pain-tolerance tests, which is something we often forget in our quest for ever more fine-tuned performance. Fortunately, Five Ten has kept both comfort and performance in mind with their affordable new Kirigami, among the friendliest shoes to hit the market this year. These minimalist shoes feature a double hook-and-loop closure and synthetic upper, but it was the neutral (read: flat lasted) fit and rounded toebox that really shone—you can keep these puppies on for extended sessions such as at the gym or on multi-pitch routes without any dreaded foot cramping. The shoes held a nice, crisp edge out of the box, then of course there was the Stealth C4 sole, which was reliably awesome for smearing and has kept its shape and stickiness over time.