Five Ten Hiangle Review (2023): A Good Pick for Performance?

Bottom Line

Introduction

It’s hard to take more than two points off the top score. Once the initial stiffness is gone, they feel snug but not bone-crushing. The well-loved C4 rubber offers serious sensitivity on small footholds and edges. This is a solid choice if you’re looking for a pair of all-around performance shoes for bouldering or sports purposes.

And it’s one of the cheaper ways to meet your aggressive climbing demands. The 5.10 Hiangle compares favorably in terms of comfort to many of its more highly asymmetrical counterparts. Overall, a very compelling choice in this niche and at this price point.

Comfort

This is a conditional 9/10. We’re not comparing the Five Ten Hiangle to your slippers. But for an aggressive shoe with a downturn, sharp end at the toe, and stiff midsole, these are surprisingly comfortable. You probably won’t wear them on long, multi-pitch climbing routes. But you won’t have to take them off after every climb either.

Their aggressive profile is tempered somewhat by the sole’s microfiber upper and medium asymmetry. The latter closely follows the inside line of the foot and adds to the feeling of comfort and security. A slightly larger cup now replaces the lower volume heel of last year’s model. This worked for us and made putting them on marginally easier. Some people find the heel tab threads press into the back of their feet after a few minutes of use. But your mileage will vary according to your foot shape.

A lace-up closure system can achieve a more custom fit. But Hiangle has created a velcro strap shoe with an aggressive shape, excellent support, and atypical comfort for the category. They don’t quite offer all-day comfort. But they are a very wearable pair of aggressive shoes, nonetheless.

Note on Sizing: Though every climber’s feet are different, many recommend going half size down from your street shoe size. The leather construction (Five Ten offers a synthetic version) means they will stretch over the break-in time. But even considering this, make sure you try on a pair first or buy from a vendor that supports returns.

Performance

The Hiangle stands out as a versatile, all-around performance shoe in a market increasingly focused on specialty shoes. Indoor, outdoor, sports, competition, and bouldering are all possible. But this shoe comes into its element on overhanging routes, technical problems, and when attempting to tackle steep terrain. These will perform on just about anything you throw at them.

Heel and Toe Hooking

The men’s heel cup features 3.5mm of C4 rubber while the women’s opts for 4.2mm. Both cover a generous area of the foot and provide confidence while heel hooking. In addition to the heel rand, a thinner rubber strip runs from the midsole up over the heel. A raised section in the center of this strip is designed to create extra friction.

Toe hook capabilities are also here, thanks to the rand extending around the inner arch and extensively covering the forefoot. The upper of the women’s shoe uses unlined, split-grain leather, and the men’s with tough microfibre. Both give good protection but not at the cost of sensitivity when hooking with your toes.

Edging and Smearing

The tensioned rand at the rear end also makes for excellent power transfer from back to front. Smearing and edging maneuvers feel great, thanks to the C4 rubber. Performance on edge-heavy rocks like limestone feels good thanks to the leather construction, stiff midsole, and sensitivity. But the soft rubber works equally well on sandstone and granite where more friction is required.

Jamming

The narrow toe box and pointed big toe will undoubtedly fit into the cracks. A narrow strip of rubber extends up past the toes and onto the forefoot. This allows you to bury your feet deeper and more aggressively.

Use

Sport Climbing

5.10 Hiangle shoes are very capable sport shoes. A shoe design like this supports all of the technical, modern climbing techniques. The low-volume front end fits on ledges and can be jammed into cracks. And dependable rands for hooking, sensitive soles for edge work, and sticky, smearable rubber make these a solid choice. And they’re more comfortable than many other shoes in this class.

Gym

The Five Ten Hiangle is an all-arounder, and its Stealth C4 rubber works in the gym just as well as the crag. The Hiangle Pro shoe is probably a more indoor, comp shoe from the same manufacturer. Hiangle pro features a wrap-around sole to keep a millimeter more shoe in contact with the terrain.

Bouldering

Everything is present for an excellent bouldering experience. These are designed for steep routes and overhanging terrain – things bouldering is all about.

Trad Climbing

Most trad climbers neither want nor need the stiffness and downturn present in the Five Ten Hiangle. Both features would potentially make these a little uncomfortable for the longer trad routes.

Durability

No climbing shoe review would be complete without discussing how long you get from a pair. For a sport as abrasive as ours, the way a shoe holds up is a major factor. The truth is the Five Ten Hiangle probably won’t last as long as some similarly targeted but more expensive offerings from La Sportiva or Scarpa.

But that difference does not necessarily correspond with the gulf in price. The difference between the men’s and women’s shoes may be significant here. The women’s model features a split-leather upper, which may hold up to use better than the men’s model we’ve tested.

Value for Money

This is not a cheap climbing shoe. But it does perform at a higher level than its price point suggests. There is one exciting workaround for those who’d like an even better deal. You can sometimes find the blue version of this shoe at a deep discount. This is because the pigment in the shoe transfers onto one’s foot over time. The result of this is a weird-looking smurf foot. But if that doesn’t bother you…

Conclusion

These are a great step up from your first pair of basic shoes. They also make an excellent one-size-fits-all solution for climbers who aren’t ultra fussy. Excellent climbing gear for the price.

Facts

Technical Specs

Use

Technologies

Where to Buy It?

We buy most of our stuff from REI.com. Their service is great, and it’s a co-op, so they treat their employees well and answer to their members, not shareholders.

Note: we receive a commission when you buy through us. This keeps our team of writers/climbers going!