This is my first pair of shoes and I have loved them. They are fairly comfortable and haven't stretched as much as I had feared. I am looking forward to a more technical shoe sometime soon.

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This is a great shoe for beginners. It does an all around good job holding you up when you really need it. Not a great shoe for specific climbing, but a good all arounder. If you are a beginner who needs something to get started on, this IS your shoe!

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These were the first climbing shoes I bought, and they're fine for now. I've had them about a week (4 trips to the gym), and they're already stretching out to fit my foot. They're quite comfortable, and far more precise than the shoes I was renting. The oft-mentioned heel-bubble has caused me no problems, except when I start thinking about it. A good shoe for beginners. But please, PLEASE Five-Ten, CHANGE THE DAMN COLOUR! =)

Customer Service

None yet, but I'm told their service is excellent.

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Rented Triop Samba, Triop something else, and tried on a pair of Boreal Diablos - nothing feels as good as the Spire.

Well, I guess if you are a beginer and all you care about is comfort and if you are not planning to climb anything over a 5.8 or 5.9.
If you are looking for a high performance shoe this is not the one, although I will say that the spire does smear well because of the large surface area. If you are looking a shoe that toes and edges well this is definately not the one. Overall I do not think it is a very good shoe.

I love this shoe -- for some reason, mine fit my feet great. I have VERY narrow, size 12 feet. I buy them at size 10.5 and deal with the pain 'till they stretch. They are great for general gym climbing (in FL that's all there is), but aren't the most technical shoe. They edge and smear better after a bit of sandpaper-induced modification. Great value for the $$

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Boreal Ace, some old La Sportivas

Though spire is a great beginer shoe, it sucks when you start climbing anything over 5.9 in them. They are ideal for long easy routes that aren't too foot oriented. If you plan to climb anything hard you should get something thats higher preformance like the moccasym, hueco, or the ascent.

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After several years of sporadic trips to the climbing gym, I finally became a regular visitor this winter. I decided it was time to purchase my own equipment, including a pair of 5.10's Spire shoes. 6 months later, I love the Spires. They are a perfect beginner's shoe. Everything from the big sole to the price tag has people like me in mind. In addition, they're so comfortable that I've never had any problems with foot pain while wearing them. In fact, the only problem with my feet is that they sweat quite a bit and frequently turn purple from the dye. Quite an eye-opener when I peel them off.

Of course, they lack most sophisticated technical features. The Spires have worked very well for me as a beginner, but I'm having trouble pushing them beyond 5.9 territory. I think I can see some of their design limitations and I would definitely plan to upgrade my shoes before I go much further into climbing. For entry-level guys like me, it's a great shoe with a price that can't be beat.

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First rock shoes. Recommended by the salesperson at REI.

I've been happy with them. The salesperson was right, they are good to start with. They don't kill my feet. I've gotten good enough the the gym and sport climbing wall to tell that I would like a more technical shoe at some point. I don't do tons of rock climbing, so I'm not in a hurry. These work fine for now. I also figure...if I can climb 5.x in these shoes...imagine how much easier it will be with newer shoes?

They've stretched a bit. The salesperson knew how these particular shoes should fit brand new (they definately were edging towards hurting). After a few hours of climbing especially on a hot day, they stretch out so my toes are almost flat. They seem to retract though, next time I put them on they feel snug again.

Good shoe to get started with.

Customer Service

Emailed them once, they wrote back quickly.

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Rented some...can't remember what they were.

these shoes are a very cool way to get started climbing. i have climbed lead 5.9's in them and have been able to trust my feet, i made the mistake of buying them a half size smaller instead of a full size so they have strechted and i have to lace them supper tight. overall though you cannot go wrong with the five ten rubber. i have given them about 2years of good use and the rubber has held up very well.

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la sportiva
various rentals
climbingshoes.com real good shoes great prices

These are the second pair of shoes that I bought since starting to climb 8 months ago in the gym. The first pair, Boreal Stingers, fit like a glove and work with precision, but I was thinking more about the pain in my toe joints than about the climbs. I definitely bought these for the comfort, and heck, I love the color!! I don't have any complaints yet, climbing at beginner/intermediate level... it is just so nice not to have to deal with constant pain. I am very happy with my Spires. I may graduate to a more technical shoe one day, but I recommend these if they fit. I also have no problem with this "heel bubble" mentioned by others. Good value for the money.

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Tried a similar shaped rental pair (brand??) and Boreal Stingers.