We do a fair bit of mountainbiking at Unsponsored HQ when there isn’t much water around and we have been using Five Ten shoes from the very start.
The newest addition to the flat pedal mountain bike range is the Five Ten Trail Cross. The version we have here is the Mid version which has much better ankle protection in the form of D30 inserts.
We’ve been using these weekly for well over a year now on a range of different bikes using DMR Vault flat pedals.
The shoe is formed from what is essentially a neoprene sock. There is no tongue. This has proved very good at keeping dirt and debris out of the shoe. Although it does make getting the shoes on and off a little harder than a normal shoe of boot. The elastic has held up well and hasn’t really become baggy at all.
Size wise I think that these run a little large. I usually wear Five Ten or Salomon in a UK size 10 and did originally order a pair of Trail Cross in that size. However I found that the shoe is super long. I sent them straight back and now have a pair of UK 9.5s which after my first ride out fit great.
The first pair I ordered where the ones in Feather Grey / Black / Signal Coral. In my opinion they looked better on screen than they do in real life. So when I sent them back the new pair were ordered in black.
So how do they perform?
Compared to the other Five Tens I have owned they are significantly lighter. It is very noticeable. They are very stiff but with greater flex in the toe area. Again this noticeable. A number of reviews online raise a concern that the toe box isn’t heavy protected. I haven’t found this an issue, as far as I am concerned the amount of padding/protection is more than enough for my needs.
The sole is also much thinner allowing me to feel where my foot is on the pedal. The shoes are stiff enough to pedal and the revamped tread pattern and the stealth rubber means that they stick to pedals even better than my usual shoes.
Walking in the shoe is also much better with a more trainer like feel.
As you can see from the images the ride out when the shots were taken was both wet and muddy. The shoe on the whole keeps the elements out well with exception of the very top surface of the neoprene sock where the shoes tongue would normally be located. Now some websites are stating that these are waterproof, and although the fabric of the shoe seems to be waterproof there is a catch. Five Ten have decided that it would be a good idea to improve the shoes ventilation by piecing a series of holes on the neoprene section that sits under the laces. This did allow a little dampness onto the top of my sock. Nothing major but shows that it wouldn’t be a good idea to get into water/mud of any real depth.
I still like them but they certainly aren’t really a foul weather winter shoe, although they are comfortably warm.
One of the major issues with the older Five Ten MTB shoes is that when they get wet they stay wet for a long time. The Trail Cross are different. They do dry a reasonable amount of time.
To put it simply performance on the bike is better and performance off the bike is better. They are now my go to Mountain Bike shoe.
The only damage to date is any area at the rear where the glue between the sole and the maid body of the boat has given slightly. Not enough to cause concern to send back as I have just topped up the bonding with a small bit of glue.
Five Ten do have a full Goretex version on the cards which looks almost the same as these versions but have the D30 inserts deleted. The Goretex version have been delayed by well over a year now and are due around August 2021. When these are rebased I will be using the Mid as my normal biking shoe and the Goretex version for full winter duties.
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