Five Ten mountain cycling shoes

Five Ten’s mountain cycling shoes blossomed from the brand’s passion for providing outdoor enthusiasts with the best footgear. From hiking to climbing and mountain biking, their unique footwear has been chosen by many adventurists as part of their essential equipment.

Since ‘5 10’ specializes in outdoor activities, it is easy to understand why the brand solely offers mountain-specific bike shoes. Read on to find out about ‘5 10’ MTB shoes.

Five Ten mountain cycling shoes for various activities

Although the company only offers one category of cycling shoes, its collection is quite expansive and provides options for different types of mountain cyclists. Here are the mountain biking activities they cater to.

All mountain

This collection showcases Five Ten MTB shoes that are engineered with versatility in mind. They usually possess all of the essential features for every kind of mountain biking endeavor. They are very technical and performance-based. Features such as beefy exterior, grippy outsoles, superb power transfer, and protective build are what these products possess. 

From races to challenging rides, consumers should check out this category if they plan on doing more than one type of mountain cycling. The Five Ten Kestrel Pro BOA is one example worth checking out.

Gravity

Gravity or downhill cycling entails fast-paced, bumpy rides. Five Ten tailored their footgear products to keep the wearer protected and provide them with durability and vibration dampening soles to keep them confident while on the saddle. ‘5 10’ gravity bike shoes are available in both clipless and flat variations. One of the models that fall under this department is the Five Ten Impact Pro.

Mountain

Just like every other ‘5 10’ MTB footwear, shoes in this section are well-equipped as well. This category houses several models that are also found in other departments. The brand just segregated a select few in the mountain division as they appear to fall in between the spectrum of super technical and casual mountain shoes. Check the Five Ten Hellcat Pro.

Casual

Models included in the casual category greatly resemble skate sneaker-like attributes. From the classic minimalistic upper and simple midsole designs, one could understandably mistake these shoes for skate kicks. But once consumers wear them for cycling, they instantly notice the superb grip and protective upper of Five Ten MTB shoes that no skate shoe can provide.

Most casual Five Ten mountain bike shoes employ a flat outsole design, further pushing the envelope toward casualness. Take the Five Ten District Flats shoe as an example.

Technologies applied to Five Ten MTB shoes

Stealth rubber

All of ‘5 10’’s shoes feature Stealth rubber, but there is a variety of this technology. Each type is applied to a model depending on the activity a pair is designed for. For ‘5 10’ bike shoes, the following Stealth rubbers are being employed: Mi6, C4, and S1. According to the brand, they chose these three as they offer versatility and all-conditions efficiency.

Stealth rubber C4 is said to offer the highest degree of traction out of the three. It was developed for climbing, especially to grip onto barely-there edges. The Mi6 has the second-highest level of grip. It is designed to maintain its grip integrity in wet and slippery surfaces. 

Lastly, the S1 is, according to the brand, the most versatile Stealth rubber out of all. It is made to work in any condition as it is durable and grippy. All of the three feature vibration dampening.

Dual Compound

This innovation consists of two Stealth Rubber compounds co-molded together to achieve the balance between excellent traction and unparalleled durability in a pair of shoes.

Proprietary outsole tread design

Five Ten employs several exclusive sole tread designs to work in conjunction with their Stealth rubber compounds. This technological fusion provides optimal pedal grip like no other. Below are the brand’s numerous outsole tread patterns.

Micro-dotty

As what the technology’s name implies, this tread design utilizes smaller dots than usual. These microdots are designed to function like hooks to keep the shoe interconnected with the bike pedal even without clips present.

Contact

This tread pattern features the Stealth Rubber in the center of the sole constructed with a flat surface. This treadless design underneath the ball of the foot is called the Contact Outsole. It is engineered to allow quick and effortless on-the-fly adjustments while on the saddle without the disturbance of lugged patterns. The Dotty design is still employed on the toe and heel portions to provide traction while off the bike.

Dotty Bike

According to ‘5 10’, this is the most popular outsole construction in the lineup. The Dotty Bike tread design is comprised of more prominent circle lugs and made from Stealth Rubber offering optimal foot adherence to the pedal. The classic Five Ten Freerider Pro employs the Dotty Bike innovation.

Frequently asked questions

Does Five Ten offer clipless mountain bike shoes?

Although most of the brand’s archive employs flat outsoles, Five Ten also offers several clipless MTB shoes to cater to every type of rider. ‘5 10’ clipless models still maintain the company’s signature sneaker look. 

One of the clipless models is the Five Ten Kestrel Lace. All of the brand’s clipless designs feature a recessed cleat area. Hence, wearers can walk comfortably and use it as a flat shoe on the bike.

What is the sizing of Five Ten mountain cycling shoes?

Generally, when it comes to shoe sizing, it is essential to know that each model is constructed differently. This goes for each foot’s shape as well. Based on several forums about Five Ten’s sizing, this notion is considered accurate. Most of the reviews state that different Five Ten shoes fit differently to the same owner.

With this in mind, it is best recommended to check out RunRepeat’s comprehensive feature on every Five Ten MTB footwear. Detailed information about a particular pair’s fit is displayed, which could help make your final decision.

What sets Five Ten’s MTB shoes apart from others?

Although ‘5 10’ started out as a climbing footwear brand and only offers mountain bike-specific shoes, they are well-renowned in the MTB world. The brand’s popularity is mostly attributed to its ultra-sticky soles and casual looks. These two components have been reported as the deciding factors for countless consumers.

Since no other cycling brand has surpassed Five Ten’s best features, the American brand remains at the top of the MTB grippiest shoe ladder.

Is there Five Ten mountain bike footwear for women?

Yes, Five Ten offers several of their models in women’s sizing. Most of the women’s shoes could also be found in the men’s section, but ladies-specific ones are constructed after the naturally narrower foot shape of the women. Some of these are the Five Ten Hellcat, Kestrel Lace, Impact Pro, and Freerider Contact.

Fast facts: Five Ten

• The Freerider model is the brand’s best-selling shoe and the industry’s number one flat pedal bike shoe sales-wise. It features the Stealth S1 Dotty tread design and a vibration dampening sole.
• In 2018, the brand released a slip-on cycling shoe called the Sleuth Slip-On Woven. It was engineered after learning that urban cyclists wanted a cycling pair that is comfortable enough for all-day casual wear.
• Apart from the Freerider, a number of other Five Ten shoes have also been included in the best MTB footwear lists. Examples are the Impact, Hellcat, and Spitfire.
• Five Ten enlists some of the most well-known mountain bike riders in the industry. Their lineup includes Danny Macaskill, Greg Minnaar, Sam Hill, Tracey Hannah, Cameron Zink, Brett Rheeder, Chris Kovarik, and Darren Berrecloth.
• Brett Rheeder, one of the brand’s athletes, was the champion in the 2018 Red Bull Rampage competition.
• A number of Five Ten’s pro athletes have been given the opportunity to design their signature models. Some of the examples are the Five Ten Impact Sam Hill and Five Ten Danny Macaskill.
• Five Ten was acquired by the Three Stripe brand in November 2011. It was not until recently when Five Ten’s official site was moved to Adidas Outdoors that most cyclists realize that Five Ten is now owned by the famous sports brand.
• Apart from cycling, Five Ten also offers products for the following activities: climbing, hiking, and trail running.
• Five Ten collaborated with Troy Lee Designs in several of their shoes. Troy Lee Designs is an American action sports company that manufactures apparel and paint for action sports. Five Ten’s shoes with ‘TLD’ in their official names are the collaborative models from the two parties. The Kestrel Pro BOA TLD, Impact Pro TLD, and Freeride Pro TLD are some of the partnership products.