They also took a long time to dry out, caused by the impermeability of the Gore-Tex membrane holding the moisture in. I found the shoes very comfortable on long rides. The upper half of the shoe helps here too. The laces allow control over the tension of the shoe’s upper. I didn’t find tension migrated across the laces during a day’s ride, and the Velcro strap didn’t press the lace’s knot into the top of the foot, even with the thin tongue. The only criticism I have is with the toe box. It’s narrower than many other Five Ten shoes, though I’d counter that by saying if you fit in a pair of Adidas Sambas, for example, you won’t find the shape surprising – it’s much more Adidas trainer than Five Ten Impact. Five Ten’s famous rubber soles are the cornerstone of its reputation, but there are a few different types it uses, and each has its own pros and cons, which we’ve listed above for you to reference to. Five Ten Stealth rubber types

The first thing to know about the Adidas Five Ten range is there are two main types of shoe offered; those for flat pedals and those for clip-in (clipless) pedals. So which are which? Five Ten’s best flat pedals shoes

Heel lift is near non-existent, in my experience, largely thanks to the Velcro strap. It gets in the way when tying the laces, but other than that is an integral part of the shoe’s overall fit. These shoes are compatible with MTB pedal systems, which use the 2-bolt cleat standard (SPD standard), e.g.: Shimano SPD, Time ATAC, CrankBrothers, CrankBrothers Race, Look MTB, Xtreme MTB, Wellgo MTB, Ritchey MTB. In regard to sizing, something important to note about the Traillcross Clip-in is that the stated fit (length) of this shoe seems to be large for its listed size. I sized down a half size to get the normal fit/feel compared to my other Five Ten shoes, and was glad that I did so. Five Ten offers the Trailcross Clip-in in a range of US Men’s 7 to 15, with half sizes up to a size 13, and in a women’s version with half sizes from 6.5 to 11. Five Ten has added reflective details on the Velcro strap and on the heel. Adidas Five Ten Trailcross Clip-In shoes performance Adidas Five Ten regularly features in our list of the best mountain bike shoes, but the footwear king has an extensive and sometimes confusing range of options. Such that, shoes that look similar can often perform differently on the trails, thanks to different materials, construction and rubber. Which is why we’ve created this guide to which Adidas Five Ten shoes are right for you. Five Ten mountain bike shoe models

The bulk of the upper has a fairly open mesh construction, but it’s bolstered in key areas to ensure longevity. Men’s and Women’s models are all called the same (albeit with a ‘Women’s’ suffix) and are the same design and spec. The size range and colourways are the only difference, thus the info and advice below is true for both the Men’s and the Women’s versions. On the bike, the flexible sole that so aids walking gives the shoe its one minor downside, certainly from a dropped-bar point of view. The shoe really benefits from a platform-style pedal, rather than an unsupportive XC pedal. I found when run with smaller pedals, a hot-spot under the foot would appear after a couple of hours.

Clip-in shoes

The heel doesn’t feature particularly bulky protection. There’s ample padding around the heel, though, with a fairly well-defined heel cup. My Shimano cleats didn’t sit proud of the sole, and so while there’s some cleat chatter on rough surfaces, I could walk through a restaurant without turning heads. EVA foam is built into the shank. This boosts the shoe’s comfort and contributes to the fairly deep-looking heel section of the sole. Kestrel (XC/trail), Hellcat Pro (DH), Hellcat (DH/enduro), Hellcat Pro BOA (DH/enduro racing with BOA closure) This means, on walked descents, those with average-to-wide feet might find their toes getting squashed – again, the Velcro strap really helps mitigate this.

Riding in atrociously wet conditions didn’t highlight any shortcomings, and my feet remained dry for the entire duration of each ride. No water entered through the shoe’s body, and while my feet were dry, they also remained warm even in some of the harshest conditions I ventured out in. From what we call see, the only MTB shoe not offered in a Women’s version is the Kestrel Pro Boa clip-in DH race shoe. Recommended models Dubbed the Stealth Marathon, the sole is said to be non-marking and provide grip on “ever-changing terrain”.When riding, you can feel that the shank of the shoe is softer than most dedicated MTB shoes, especially lighter, more XC-oriented options, and this does decrease the feeling of instant power transmission when you stomp on the pedals. On bigger rides or longer days in the saddle, my foot / arch would often also feel more tired than I’m used to due to the increased flex. The wider toe box (than the Five Ten and Pearl Izumi shoes that I normally wear) does also allow more movement from the front of your foot, which makes it feel like less of a performance fit in the front half of this shoe. But these same traits are very welcome when hiking in the Trailcross. The softer sole helps avoid that awkward heel-first rolling step I find myself often adopting in shoes with a stiffer sole, and the wider toe box gives your feet (toes) a bit of room to spread apart and increases stability when walking. In line with what many brands have done with their adventure shoes to make them more suitable for walking, Five Ten has made the sole of the Trailcross Clip-In more flexible than its other Trailcross mountain bike shoes.

With the cleat sat flush with the bottom of the sole, I found pedal pins (on the Nukeproof Horizon CS pedals I use) dug into the sole aggressively at the start. This made releasing from the pedals a little stiffer than I expected, though after a week’s use, pedal and shoe meshed nicely, and I no longer suffered from stiff releases. They are truly waterproof, then, especially given on-trail wettings will be splash-based or, at the worst, brief submersions in deeper puddles or water crossings – much less demanding than a 20-minute bath. The combination of durable synthetic materials and mesh zones gives a shoe offering instant comfort. Abrasion-resistant zones are also deployed, boosting durability and ensuring the rough and tumble of mountain biking doesn’t take its toll on your footwear. Trailcross XT (trail/hiking), Trailcross LT (trail/hiking), Trailcross Gore-Tex (winter), Freerider Pro (trail/enduro), Freerider Pro Primeblue (eco-friendly), Impact Pro (DH), Impact Pro Mid (DH with protection), Freerider (old style trail), Freerider Primeblue (eco-friendly), Sleuth (lightweight trail/Dirt jump) Five Ten’s best clip-in pedal shoes THE TRAILCROSS CLIP-IN IS FIVE TEN’S FIRST CLIP-IN SHOE THAT IS SPECIFICALLY ‘CREATED FOR ADVENTURE’. DESIGNED FROM THE GROUND UP TO PERFORM EQUALLY AS WELL ON THE BIKE AS IT DOES WHEN HIKING OFF THE BIKE.With platform pedals, the shoe effectively and comfortably transfers pedalling power, all day. It’s not race-shoe stiff either, which further aids all-day comfort. Thanks to the Gore-Tex membrane, the Trailcross GTX can be comfortably submerged in water up to the membrane’s limit for prolonged periods (I submerged them for 20 minutes) without any ingress. The proprietary EVA mid-sole is said to have the necessary toe flex for walking, but without sacrificing the stiffness needed for effective power transfer in the rest of the shoe.