Forums › Mountain Bike Forum › Best Shoes For Platform Pedals?
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July 10, 2013 at 12:07 #120825
Getting in to mountain biking as a beginner, I know the popular answer is to go clipless, but I would like to spend some time on my new bike with platform pedals before I graduate to clipping in.
What are the best sort of shoes to wear while mountain biking on flats? I have heard 5-10 mentioned and am looking at some Scarpa lightweight hiking-type shoes.
Any tips are appreciated!
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July 10, 2013 at 12:39 #120826
5tens are popular. I use Vans with a waffle pattern when I ride my bike equipped with flats. If you are planning on transitioning off of flats and onto clipless pedals, I wouldn’t drop a bunch of dough on specific shoes and instead just find some with a stiff arch and sticky tread. If, however, you think you might stick with them a year or more, I would suggest looking into a shoe designed specifically for a pedal.
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July 10, 2013 at 14:30 #120827
Vans made a shoe like that but it had a cover that you could put over the clip part and use a flat pedal, you can still find them, I’ll have to find the name of them
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July 10, 2013 at 14:38 #120828
I’d be super interested if you can find the name. I’ve not seen anything like it yet.
"championstuff" wroteVans made a shoe like that but it had a cover that you could put over the clip part and use a flat pedal, you can still find them, I’ll have to find the name of them
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July 10, 2013 at 17:14 #120829
They are called the Vans Gravel. You can still find them on Amazon and there are also some of the five tens that are set up the same way. I am looking into the Five ten Minnars and Hellcats. All of the reviews I have seen say the vans do not have as stiff of a sole as some of the other convertible shoes out there. I do like the look of the Vans though, they look just like the old schools!
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July 10, 2013 at 20:24 #120830
Oh, I do remember looking at those. Ultra nifty but way out of my price range. I picked up my last pair of Vans on eBay for around $25 and bought my Chrome clipless shoes for $40 IIRC.
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July 10, 2013 at 20:57 #120831
these are the gravels, they just have a stiff sole
http://www.backcountry.com/vans-gravel- … 1b2166c2c0
and the other one is called the warner. the warner is the one that has the stiff sole and the spd clip spot that you can cover
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July 11, 2013 at 03:15 #120832
5.10’s are the ticket here with flats, as they make exceptional hiking shoes as well. I have shred with all different types of DC, Vans, Nike’s, and a few others as well. Though the latter half are good choices, but they hold nothing compared to the wide variety of 5.10’s offered. You mentioned hiking shoes, well 5.10’s dominate the hiking and climbing realm out there. They are awesome riding/hiking shoes with solid grip, especially for horse riding, and they do have a woman’s line as well.
Good luck!
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July 11, 2013 at 17:19 #120833
I changed to plate forms and love them will never go back. I like Nike cross trainers super soft sole to grip pedals. Pay saver shoes or payless shoes cant remember name also have skateboard shoes with real soft soles that are great. i have both and use which ever is dry or smells the least like a swamp. My preference is probably the skateboard shoes.
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July 15, 2013 at 12:54 #120834
+1 for Five-Tens. I am us impacts right now which are super thick and will be nice in the winter. I will probably go with the freeriders. FYI dont leave them in the window of your car to bake in the sun…..bad things happen.
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July 15, 2013 at 14:12 #120835"Schell21" wrote
+1 for Five-Tens. I am us impacts right now which are super thick and will be nice in the winter. I will probably go with the freeriders. FYI dont leave them in the window of your car to bake in the sun…..bad things happen.
What happens if you don’t mind me asking?
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July 15, 2013 at 19:11 #120836
I use Vans when i am riding my Flats. I have thought about getting some 5-10s but the vans are comfortable and cheap and work great. I mean how many skateboarders wear them because of the grip they get for flip tricks?
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July 16, 2013 at 05:32 #120837"SCHucker" wrote
[quote="Schell21":2wtrli81]+1 for Five-Tens. I am us impacts right now which are super thick and will be nice in the winter. I will probably go with the freeriders. FYI dont leave them in the window of your car to bake in the sun…..bad things happen.
What happens if you don’t mind me asking?[/quote:2wtrli81]
The glue holding the rubber on melted and peeled off. Super glue helped fix it but the shoes life span have definitely been shortened.
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July 16, 2013 at 15:55 #120838
Just ordered my Five Tens. Went withthe Minnars, I wanted the best of both worlds. This will be my first time with clippless and wanted a shoe that will do double duty incase I decide I don’t like it. It would suck to be out the money on clippless specific shoes…
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July 16, 2013 at 20:49 #120839
Ride with Vans and 5/10’s, and the Vans are good, but no comparison to the 5/10’s. Like comparing a college football team to the NFL. You will be stund when you step up to shoes designed for MTB. Found Freeriders for $70 online. If more people had high end flats and 5/10 shoes, the clipless debate would loose a lot of its supporters. Spent $100 on a pair of Straightlines pedals and $70 on Freeriders and leave my clipless at home.
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July 17, 2013 at 02:32 #120840"Gdb49" wrote
Ride with Vans and 5/10’s, and the Vans are good, but no comparison to the 5/10’s. Like comparing a college football team to the NFL. You will be stund when you step up to shoes designed for MTB. Found Freeriders for $70 online. If more people had high end flats and 5/10 shoes, the clipless debate would loose a lot of its supporters. Spent $100 on a pair of Straightlines pedals and $70 on Freeriders and leave my clipless at home.
Yeah man!!! 😄
I finally got some time to shred yesterday with a bit of drier weather. The only bummer about it was that I left my 5.10’s at home and had no choice but to shred with my Nike’s. Boy that was a huge mistake….literally!!! Went off the first drop within the first minutes of riding and landed fine, but then right after the first jump (whoopee-dos) afterwards, both of my feet came flying off the pedals and near carnage followed. 😏
Going back today, but the 5.10’s are in the truck already. 😄
I agree, 5.10’s and Vans are the best with DC following last. 😉
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July 19, 2013 at 08:30 #120841
my pearl izumi shoes just arrived, got them for 14 bucks on ebay only used a couple times. they have the ability to be used with platforms (with toe clips would probably be best) or with clipless (those pedals are on the way) I hope they work well for platforms since I will be using them for a bit. They have a more aggressive tread pattern than 5-10’s.
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July 19, 2013 at 15:31 #120842"championstuff" wrote
I hope they work well for platforms since I will be using them for a bit. They have a more aggressive tread pattern than 5-10’s.
5.10’s pattern for their riding shoes and climbing are not supposed to be more aggressive. For riding, they are made to stick, however, not too aggressively that they wont let go so NOT to have freedom on and off the pedals while riding. Other words…5.10’s are made to stick, but not aggressively though. My hiking shoes have a more aggressive tread pattern for total grip on rocks and logs while I go hiking in the mountains.
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August 4, 2013 at 16:33 #120843
I picked up a pair of 5-ten freeriders for my platforms the other day. I do not yet have the courage to ride the trails clipped in. (i ride my roadie clipped in though) After I use them I will update.
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August 4, 2013 at 18:10 #120844
Agreed on the 5.10s.
I used some Nike crosstrainer shoes for about a year. The grip was fine, but the soles were a bit too soft and my feet would hurt after long or really rough rides.
I picked up some Impacts and my feet are fine after all rides now. They’re a bit (a lot) heavier than my Nikes, but they protect my feet a lot more also.
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August 5, 2013 at 07:04 #120845
I used the Five Ten Freeriders and Kona Wah Wahs. I wrote about it here:
http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-ge … ats-again/
For what its worth, I am back on clipless. But not necessarily for good. Both setups have their advantages.
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January 9, 2014 at 20:51 #120846
Just go skater shoes. They have good grip, excellent feel and cheaper than 5ten.
I have been riding for quite a few years of riding under my belt and for most rider a 5 ten shoe is overkill. Stick with a good skater shoe so when you want to walk around it is still comfortable. -
January 12, 2014 at 17:51 #120847"RogueAssassin" wrote
Just go skater shoes. They have good grip, excellent feel and cheaper than 5ten.
I have been riding for quite a few years of riding under my belt and for most rider a 5 ten shoe is overkill. Stick with a good skater shoe so when you want to walk around it is still comfortable.Not sure what 5.10’s you have owned or if you have even owned any, but all the 5.10’s I have ever shred in are also very comfortable for walking as well. They even make 5.10 hiking and climbing shoes as well. 😏
Granted that Vans, DC’s, Etnies among other skate shoes work fine for shredding on flats, but 5.10’s are by far overkill man…Seriously. BTW, good Vans, DC’s, Etnies among the majority of other good skate are almost as expensive as 5.10’s. 😉
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