FIT:
I find the ariake to fit rather nicely. They are some of the most comfortable shoes i've ever worn; certainly the most comfortable for parkour. The toe box is very roomy, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on the person. All in all, my 8.5's fit well.
FLEXIBILITY:
I borrowed my pair from Bryan Augstein so mine are post-break in. The shoes are remarkably flexible and bend quite well, allowing for smooth landings on the considerable cushioning.
WEIGHT:
Once again, remarkably light given the materials. Not as light as a minimalist pair like the daescents or feiyues, but you will feel a difference coming from a running shoe.
GRIP:
Being a five.ten junkie, I've experienced the best grip you're going to get in a shoe. The ariakes stack up at an acceptable level. Keep in mind that I'm a huge stiff in this area, but I would give the grip an 8/10 (where my daescents earn a 10/10) I would give them a higher score, but i dislike how the high-friction rubber does not extend all the way to the heel. On certain moves I do come in flat footed for extra traction (something my 5.10 shoes have taught me to do) and I slipped pretty badly once while hiking off of a bench and onto a ledge. The high-friction rubber does perform quite well (especially when compared to conventional sole rubbers) and gets my seal of approval, however i feel the aosta compound to be sub-par, especially given the price of the shoes.
BREATHABILITY:
I never found heat to be a problem in these, even walking two miles in the sun to get back to my house after Bryan and I got bored hitting up towson. While they're not the most breathable shoes ever invented, I find that they are not problematic.
CUSHIONING:
These shoes are very cushioned, however I find that they avoided the Freerunner V2s main problem and remain flexible. Most of the padding is in the heel with their "tube" system going on in the back. I do believe that k-swiss got the ratio of padding to flexibility perfect with this shoe.
Durability
One of the biggest pitfalls about the ariake is it lasting. Some people have had issues with these shoes literally falling apart within a week... others have had them for a year +. The pair I have has seen some abuse and is holding up nicely. Providing you don't get a botched pair, these shoes should last you as long or longer than a pair of standard runners.
Price
You definitely will not find these shoes in a bargain section. At a whopping 100 USD, the ariakes will break some banks. (However through the APK store you can get them 10% off, woot!) If the pair that you get is not messed up (a la, falling apart after 3 time out) then you can be sure that they are worth the money.
GENERAL COMMENTS:
I feel that a lot of the hype about the ariakes is well deserved. They are a solid pair of shoes that do what they are designed to do well. I also think that these things look badass, and i would gladly wear them out on the town. Something that can't be said about my five.tens.
The Bottom Line:
Overall, I really like the ariakes. I still bring my daescents out to jams instead, because i like their grip. That being said, I'm glad i have the chance to try them out and would gladly recommend them to anyone interested in buying.
Pros: Grippy, lightweight, stylish, just flexible enough, durable*
Cons: Wish HF rubber extended to heel, tend to run big, price, *(Defunct pairs)
