Adidas Five Ten NIAD Shoe NIAD Shoe – Full Day Comfort for Climbing

Andrew Piotrowski

It might just be me, but I see more and more crossover between the climbing and ultra/trail running worlds. I personally love to see this but unfortunately, my feet typically don’t. Climbing shoes are usually the last thing my swollen, black-toed, and sore runner’s feet want to be put in.

This often makes training and enjoying both sports together pretty painful! However, my recent introduction to the Adidas Five Ten NIAD shoe has helped make climbing on sore feet way more enjoyable. These shoes are great for both casual days at the crag or a multiday big wall push. They are comfortable, durable, and perform excellently on the rock. 

Adidas Five Ten NIAD Shoe Review

Fit

I found these to fit well right of the box and be true to size. I often have a hard time squeezing my wide feet into the narrow toe box of climbing shoes. However, with the NIAD I found this area to be a bit wider, making extended wear more bearable for my feet. 

Comfort

The Microfiber upper makes the NIAD extremely comfortable. In addition to foot comfort, I found that the NIAD provides excellent peace of mind when smearing, edging, or heel/toe hooking on climbs. The C4 sole provides excellent grip and the extended toe rubber allows for better purchase when toe hooking.

I found this feature to be really helpful when negotiating the many horizontal cracks in NYs Shawangunk Mountains. It also helps prevent wear and tear in the toe area.

Performance

Sometimes with climbing shoes, we often settle for comfort at the expense of performance. However, with the NIAD I don’t find this to be the case. They perform extremely well on a wide variety of rock types, conditions, and even chalk-covered plastic. 

A few weeks back I gave them a go out on some terribly slick rock in Eastern Pennsylvania and really enjoyed how they gripped the small edges and polished bulges on the climb. I found them to be stiff enough to trust them on delicate moves but not so stiff that your feet hurt. After each pitch, I did not feel the need to immediately rip them off, like I sometimes do with other climbing shoes.

If you are looking for an all-day comfortable shoe for a variety of climbs I highly recommend the Adidas Five Ten NIAD shoe. 

• adidas Five Ten NIAD VCS Climbing Shoes – Brown | adidas US

 

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Andrew Piotrowski

Andrew is a trail runner, climber, paddler, snowboarder, marketer, and most importantly a dog dad. Andrew grew up in suburban Philadelphia and now lives on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

While he lives pretty far from the mountains, he puts a heavy focus on preparing for them and inspiring others to do the same. He first fell in love with the mountains on family trips to the White Mountains and the Adirondacks. He spent the majority of his early life competitively running and leisurely paddling, however after college he began focusing on learning to climb, snowboard, and backpack.

Over the past ten years since then, he has been fortunate enough to gain some amazing experiences exploring North America. Some of the most memorable thus far are alpine climbing in the Sierra, trail running in Alberta, learning to splitboard in NH, countless days hiking in the Catskills, or a plethora of mellow days paddling the Chesapeake Bay with friends.

When he can’t be in the mountains Andrew is often running or hiking with his favorite training partners, his two rescue dogs Calvin and Enzo. Andrew is also a self-proclaimed gear junkie and confessed that his gear loft is the most organized place in his home.

Blog: Flatcityclimbing.com

Instagram: pack_mule_piotrowski