I’ve been wearing Five Ten (AKA 510) shoes on my trail and DH bikes for five years now and in that time I’ve become very familiar with how well they work and how durable they are. From their Impact Low shoe to their Zebra Freerider shoe, they have been a must for me when I ride. Needless to say, when I was given the opportunity to review their new Freerider PRO shoe, I welcomed them with open arms.
Here is what Five Ten has to say about their Freerider PRO shoe:
From downhill, to the skate park, to the coffee shop, these shoes have comfort, performance and style to burn. Key features includ a TPU toecap, a TPR external heel cup, leather uppers and stiff soles. We’ve also added dense foam cushioning under the ankle cuff and our award-winning Stealth outsoles. From dirt jumping to flat pedal all-mountain riding, this is a shoe that’s up to it all.
The very first thing I noticed was that the outsole was sewn into the shoe all the way around. This was a welcome discovery since after repeated foot dabs, the outsole at the toe on my older model has come unglued. I can say that this is not an issue with the new Freerider PRO. The patented Stealth rubber provided adequate grip but also allowed for a little foot movement which was great when trying to reposition my foot.
Speaking of repeated foot dabs, another great improvement is the TPU toecap which more than likely saved me from having sore toes on a number of occasions. The TPR external heel cup appeared to save me as well as the heel on my right shoe shows a moderate sized dent.
Further comparison between the new Freerider PRO and my older pair shows a greater toe angle and much firmer sole. The angled front (it starts at the ball of the foot) felt very comfortable whenever I had my foot on the pedal in the correct position. However, with the firmer sole and angled front, I did feel a slight disconnect between the pedal and the shoe if my foot was misplaced. That said, the firmer sole did help with pedaling efficiency by not wasting any of the power I was putting down.
Five Tens have been my go to shoe when it comes to trail and DH riding and with their newest Freerider Pro shoe, I see no reason to change. They continue to have excellent grip, durability, and are very easy on the eye in the looks department.
$129.95 MSRP.
Thanks to Five Ten for providing these shoes for review.
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I recently ordered a pair of Freerides (not PRO). It will be my first pair of Five Tens. I’ve heard (read) a lot of great things about them, so I am eager to give them a try.
What’s the difference between the pro and the regular models?
It looks like the regular model soles are still glued in, is there anything else?
Several months ago, I bought a pair of Freeriders (reg). I wore them everywhere on and off the bike until I realized I was wearing down the soles too quickly. So now I keep them in my bike bag strictly for riding only. On the bike, they perform exactly as advertised. The Stealth soles really stick to the platforms and don’t move until you want to reposition your feet. I also bought the high top model to wear this winter.
The only negative thing comment is my feet do start feeling hot after a while. But that could be more of a result of the long hours I put on the bike without breaks.