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Five Ten - Still the best evah?

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
Its new shoe time. In the way back days of 2016 you all convinced me to go with flats . For me it was a good move. Five Ten shoes were also highly recommended so I got a pair of Free Riders which are fantastic except for the durability of the soles. About 75% of the contact area adhesive has failed resulting in a rubber band effect where the shoe pulls back while the rubber sole maintains its grip.

Since this is my first pair of Five Tens I have no idea if 3 seasons is a reasonable expectation for a $120.00 bike shoe. Its possible that the pins of my pedals have accelerated normal wear and tear.

My questions:

Are Five Tens still considered among the best sticky soled flats?

How many seasons do you expect out of a good pair of platform pedal bike shoes?

You're the best! :thumb:
 

eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,185
13,441
directly above the center of the earth
a quality shoe repair shop should be able to re glue the sole for less than $25. I get full resoles done on my hiking boots for $75 The aftermarket epoxies are amazing these days and the repairs are stronger than the original MFGs process
 

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
a quality shoe repair shop should be able to re glue the sole for less than $25. I get full resoles done on my hiking boots for $75 The aftermarket epoxies are amazing these days and the repairs are stronger than the original MFGs process
I had thought of that, the contact area has plenty of life left but is visibly stretched - I can stick my finger through from one side to the other so I could re-glue it myself.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
16,622
12,911
Cackalacka du Nord
-yes.
-durability varies depending on how hard / much you ride.
-quality seems better in the past year or two.
-i debated for a long time between new-style impacts and older-style sam hills. went with the latter. fit is a bit weird - i get a numb spot on the ball of my right foot that i've never gotten in a shoe before. construction seems much better than previous generations during the 5-10/adidas transition. no matter what, stealth rubber is a must. i have a pair of the cheap freeriders from a few years back with the other rubber, and the grip is noticeably not as good.
 

Mo(n)arch

Turbo Monkey
Dec 27, 2010
4,441
1,422
Italy/south Tyrol
If you are in the market to replace the Freeriders, Bontrager and Specialized might be options to consider.
Personally I've only ridden Fivetens and Sombrio shoes.

Loved the Sombrios. Light, hightops, with a strap to secure laces, full on leather and not built like a sponge which was actually awesome for wet weather riding. They were incredibly solid and looked still new even though the sole was done after four seasons on e13 pedals. Not as grippy as the 5.10s, but I do miss them shoes. It's actually a shame that they discontinued their shoe offerings but business is tough.

Vital review of a the few shoes the market is offering atm:
https://www.vitalmtb.com/features/Vital-MTB-Face-Off-The-Best-Flat-Pedal-Shoes,2474
 

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
40,494
9,525
on a random thought......up until the storage building fire a couple of years back i still had a original pair of five tens.....worn once or twice....feet found them uncomfortable...
 

velocipedist

Lubrication Sensei
Jul 11, 2006
559
702
Rainbow City Alabama
Still the stickiest soles in the biz, durability has take a dive since they were bought out though.
Interesting I currently own eight pairs five tens, with more having given up the ghost. Some predate the Addidas buyout. I find that the quality of materials has increased across the board, but the higher end freerider pro, macaskill tend to have improved durability while the casual side with spitfires,dirtbags, sleuths prioritizing comfort and fit in their materials selection.

Regardless of shoe, I am amazed at your three seasons in freeriders if it is your sole shoe and you do not rotate shoes. It may cost more initially, but your feet will be happy and your shoes will last longer. I have a shoes from 20+ years ago going strong. Sweat destroys stitching from the inside, rarely washing and failing to dry the shoes after use (externally and internally) exacerbates wear. Boot dryers work (can be DIYed with pvc cheaply) , but rotating yields the best results from my experience playing hard in shoes and previously selling workboots for a decade.

Mtbing can be rough on equipment, proper shoe care may seem silly, but you lube your chain right? Why wouldn't you want your main contact point with the bicycle in optimum condition.

Of course I may have a fetish, as my lbs knows I will happily buy grips/pedals/shoes as fresh contact parts make the bike feel awesome and I run the same kit on all my bikes for maximum cannabilage when needed.
 

Montana rider

Turbo Monkey
Mar 14, 2005
1,741
2,163
Bummer 5 10 doesn't have clearance pricing on their website anymore, I picked up two pairs last year (pre-Addidas) for $35 each.

I can get 2 (maybe 3) years out of a shoe, but I do a bit more HAB than the average monkey.

Paying $100+ for a glorified sneaker seems excessive, but I don't see much on the google re: sale pricing.

I'm a cheap (utilitarian) bastard so I'd just grab something here:

https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/index.php?category=1902
https://www.jensonusa.com/Sale/Mountain-Bike-Shoes
https://www.competitivecyclist.com/mens-mountain-bike-shoes-accessories?fl=true&sort=-discountpercent
https://www.bikenashbar.com/cycling/clothing/shoes/mountain-shoes
 

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
Last edited:

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,827
13,058
Freerider Pro's my wife wears for all her riding (and HAB) are standing up better than most of the other flats she's worn for the past few years.
 

rockofullr

confused
Jun 11, 2009
7,342
924
East Bay, Cali
Yeah 5.10 is still where it's at.

Any soft rubber will eventually get torn to shreds by metal pins so it's hard to improve that. But the over all construction of the shoes have improved. I used to have the soles delaminate after a season or so but the current Freerider Pro's that I have look like the sole is going to be worn out before anything else fails.

I'd recommend the Freerider Pro as an all around shoe. As a bonus they don't look super silly so you can wear them to the bar after the ride without looking like a weirdo.
 

boogenman

Turbo Monkey
Nov 3, 2004
4,290
973
BUFFALO
Maybe you are walking in them more than you should? I always had mine last about 3 seasons but they never wore down like the pic you posted.
 

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
Maybe you are walking in them more than you should? I always had mine last about 3 seasons but they never wore down like the pic you posted.
This model does not have dots in the contact area, the rubber isn't so much worn as it is stretched and delaminated.

2 votes for Pro so, even though I am a hack - that's what I will get.
 

sundaydoug

Monkey
Jun 8, 2009
609
271
I'd recommend the Freerider Pro as an all around shoe. As a bonus they don't look super silly so you can wear them to the bar after the ride without looking like a weirdo.
I second this. I've had a few versions of both Freeriders and Impacts and the Freerider Pro is my favorite 5.10 shoe to date. Can't go wrong.

Side note, has anyone tried the new Sleuth slip-on? Looks pretty cool as a casual off-the-bike shoe that can pedal around if needed.
 

rockofullr

confused
Jun 11, 2009
7,342
924
East Bay, Cali
This model does not have dots in the contact area, the rubber isn't so much worn as it is stretched and delaminated.

2 votes for Pro so, even though I am a hack - that's what I will get.
My pair with the flat rubber went out the same way with a hole in almost the same spot. I did like the flat contact patch. I can feel the round dots catching the pedal pins and making it hard to adjust my foot position once I'm on the pedal. The flat rubber made it easy to wiggle your foot into the right spot while riding.

Even Hacks want their feet to stay on the pedals.
 

velocipedist

Lubrication Sensei
Jul 11, 2006
559
702
Rainbow City Alabama
Found your problem those are freerider contacts, not the freerider. That style was notorious for the epoxy failing. Macaskills can be found for 89.95 on sale. They have more under heel protection if you bail, otherwise find last years freerider for $50ish. Just stay away from any sole that isnt uniform dot tread. That blank space is shite for use and wear.


Chains need maintenance? :busted:

My reference is a pair of Sidi Dominators that were 12 years old when I switched to flats.

These are the shoes I need to replace.


Bad reviews on Adidas site.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,628
5,441
I have had a few pairs over the years and the only ones that didn't fall apart well inside a year were the non bike specific ones and the pair of Freeriders I have now. My current ones have had about three months use and the soles are starting to look pretty sad as they are so thin compared to the Impacts. I walked through a puddle in the original Freeriders and the sole just fell off, they were almost new.

If you don't need all the grip of a normal Five Ten the Aescent still uses Stealth rubber but it is a bit harder than the normal stuff, the shoes are also heaps cooler that all the other 5-10s I have owned.

 

DaveW

Space Monkey
Jul 2, 2001
11,160
2,685
The bunker at parliament
I have had a few pairs over the years and the only ones that didn't fall apart well inside a year were the non bike specific ones and the pair of Freeriders I have now. My current ones have had about three months use and the soles are starting to look pretty sad as they are so thin compared to the Impacts. I walked through a puddle in the original Freeriders and the sole just fell off, they were almost new.

If you don't need all the grip of a normal Five Ten the Aescent still uses Stealth rubber but it is a bit harder than the normal stuff, the shoes are also heaps cooler that all the other 5-10s I have owned.


That's my "go to" shoe for wearing at work and just kicking around in.