[Closed] 5-10 shoes: worth the cash?

Nike do their 6.0 range in a mid version, can be picked up for £50 or less and are very good on the bike.

5-10 shoes: worth the cash?

YES.

Tidy! thanks Akira. Will check them out. How do the nike's cope with the autumn/winter?

Anyone else got any thoughts on 5-10's and alternatives?

No. Not when Shimano's better-made, just-as-comfy, nigh-on-as-grippy, just-as-ugly AM40 can be had for £60.

"not enough support from AM40's"

you're not really meant to fit them with crampons and go ice-climbing...

5:10's are very grippy, perhaps too grippy*, they have a footbed made from paper - don't get them wet, cos they'll rot.

(*often with flat pedals, you'll put your foot in not-quite-the-right position, and a minor correction of position is necessary, i found 5:10's so grippy that this was almost impossible)

AM40's are a better wet weather option. Not as much of a sponge as the 5-10's.

have heard that 5-10's are a bit like sponges in the winter & fall apart.

£20 TK Maxx skate shoes for me...do the job just fine.

Nike's seem to last pretty well, mine are reasonably old and have been soaked and covered in mud in several countries and seem to come out all right after being hosed down.

Helpful thoughts there all - thanks (particularly the "too grippy" point)

Looks like Shimano/Nike could be the way to go to save a few quid and get the job done. I've heard the shimano sizing is on the small side though. I'm a "broad" size 11 - worth going for the next size up? (especially if mail order)

Would I just be being a cheapskate to go for another pair of converse?

They are made of cardboard which is a bit disapointing. I make an effort to not get mine too wet and I've very careful about drying them out. Comfy and super grippy but time will tell how durable they are. I might look elsewhere next time although mine are working fine right now although they don't get worn that often (mostly ride with spd pedals)

If your converse are All Stars type of thing, then they are really bad compared to a skate shoe. If you want to go cheap, then get whatever skate shoe that you can get at TK Maxx, rather than Converse.

Joe

Thanks joemarshall - I have been wearing the allstar type. Maybe that explains all the marks on my shins from the pedal pins.

Seems like the consensus is that 5-10's may work for some but that they're a bit overhyped and disappointing to others? Think I'll save a few quid and go for the shims or nike's.

cheers all!

i've got wide feet, and usually find that shimano shoes are too narrow.

AM40's are fine though...

(they are a bit small, if you usually get a size euro44, i'd suggest going for the 45)

I've been riding the AM40s for about a month - as per ahwiles, size wise they don't seem as tight as Shimano's disco-slippers but I still went up a size to leave plenty of room for winter socks. Plenty more grip than my old Vans - can still reposition my feet though, but it takes a bit more conscious effort than it did with the Vans.

got a pair of these

[IMG] [/IMG]

tkmaxx, you'll get em for about £30 and as good as 5:10's IMHO

There is no way the grip on a DC (or any skate shoe for that matter) is as good as a 5:10 sole.

I've got a pair of the original Sam Hill ones, they must be nearly 4 years old now & they are starting to fall apart, not bad considering the sh*t fest I seem to be plagued with in racing in wet weather over the years.

I haven't tried the Shimano ones, but somehoe they have managed to make a shoe more hideous than a 5:10, which is an achievement in its own right. I have some Nike's for casual wear & have ridden in them on occasions & they have been pretty good. Sole is a bit bendy though.

agree on the 5.10 overhyped thing.

also try considering low cut hiking boots. i've got a pair of karrimor that i wear. reasonably grippy. apparently have a waterproof lining - they don't keep my feet dry but haven't fallen apart yet. were cheap as chips too.

Them's some funky trainers you got going on there Mr Nutt. Don't think my wife would allow those bad boys in the house.

Problem solved - ordered some AM40's for £57 from CRC - gone up to a size 12.

Flippin' 'eck - with these shoes and the knee pads, new tyre and skills course for the Mrs all coming out of this month's pay (and a list as long as my arm for the next few months) MTB'ing is not the cheapest pastime in the world is it!

There is no way the grip on a DC (or any skate shoe for that matter) is as good as a 5:10 sole.

another bitten by the hype machine...

There is no way the grip on a DC (or any skate shoe for that matter) is as good as a 5:10 sole.

another bitten by the hype machine...

Not really, have ridden in skate shoes and 5:10's over the last 6 years, if you can't tell the difference, something is wrong.

call it hype if you want but i'd recommend the 5:10's over skate shoes or the shimanos any day of the week. I think the 5:10's are really well made, significantly tougher in the heel and toe area and can take an absolute pasting (mine have survived 3 scottish winters to date)

plus i find the sole not only grippier on the pedal but on most types of rock too (handy when in the mountains doing hike a bike) They are also more comfy to walk in than SPD shoes.

Hob Nob - Member

There is no way the grip on a DC (or any skate shoe for that matter) is as good as a 5:10 sole.

maybe, but if anything, i found 5:10's too grippy*.

(*for me. a more skillful rider would be more able to get their foot in the right place first time)

oh, and Dave; AM40's aren't SPD...

i think highly of 5:10 impacts, but mine fell apart rather too quickly. i replaced them with AM40's because they were cheaper and other people seemed to like them.

when my AM40's die**, i'll probably try something else.

(**2 years in and no sign of it yet - if anything, they've just worn in)

i really like the optional sole-stiffener thingy you get with AM40's.

All things aside - sometimes money just rules the day.

+1 hob nob
I have used vans,dc and airwalk all good shoes but they don't grip as well as my 5/10's.
Having said that they are ugly,a git to dry out and my sole has started to peel away so I may try something else next time.

I forgot to take my 5.10s to scotland last week and had to wear some £30 Duffs from TK Maxx - not quite the same but pretty good actually.

hobnob and davidrussell +1.

Never had a problem repositioning my feet in my 5:10's. If you want 5:10's for a bit less cash go for the Freeriders. They've got some gopping colours that are almost as horrible as Shimanos on offer at CRC for about £50 IIRC. Other outlets are available

I was of the opinion that there was no way 5.10s could be grippier than my generic flat soled shoes. That was until I got a pair of 5.10s, they really are very grippy! I find mine really comfortable and will probably buy another pair if mine wear out.

I do sometimes get the repositioning issue but only on really bumpy stuff that's pretty steep so I don't really want to move my feet if they get bumped, and it doesn't happen often.

That said, I haven't tried them through a winter season yet so don't know how well they last through the wet!

what is the durometer reading of 5:10 soles?

on the DC's its:

55 on the toes
58 on the midsole
62 on the heel

edit: google says 5:10's are 50-55 durometer

so they'll be pretty much as grippy as the DC's, but the DC's have smaller "nobs" making up the sole compared to the five ten "circles" which would imply that they fit the pins better?

ether way there really isn't that much difference, except in price as far as I can see

I have a pair of Basics
The heavy canvass material took ages to break in and hurt like hell, it wanted to fold in funny ways and pinched my toes.
after about 2 weeks perseverence they broke in and I have barely taken them off since.
I usually ride SPDs but the times I have ridden flats I have been well impressed with how they grip - As a SPDer I rarey adjust my feet much, but when I have to it is tricky - but once in the right place they stay put so its no real hardship.

MrNutt it's not just abiut the 'nobs' its down to the rubber that 5/10 use, grippy as a grippy thing.

Ditto with the basics. Got a pair in January and they pinched on one foot for a couple of weeks but fine since then.

Been using them for commuting everyday, bmx track once a week plus the odd bit of xc every so often and they're still in one piece, no rotting or falling apart.

I didn't like the grip at first but you work how to adjust your feet quickly. I wouldn't have anything else now, plus the new version look great

shoes should look good so no they are not worth the cash... and even for £30, Mr Nutt's DCs 😯

@MrNutt, Those are some nice DC's, I have some Spartan highs but would like to add that they don't come close to the grip of the 5.10's highs that I have which seem to be lasting well.

Had one of the 1st batch and they didn't last that well but they saw walking, climbing, biking and snow etc so not bad atall.

As for the correcting position on the pedals with the 5.10's, your damn right but takes a second to do if your sharpish so no real worries.

GET SOME!

😛

#EDIT#

@GW - let me guess, you ride dh in flippies ❓ 😮

etnies,emerica are my pick to wear.
dc feel too cheaply made .
i like stiffish sole and grip is not that important as i slide my feet around alot 🙂

WTF are flippies? 😕

I wear black Etnies Calicut for DH. or for just riding in dry(ish) conditions whatever Etnies/vans (got around 10-12 pairs)I happen to be wearing that day. today it was Etnies Lo-cals

good call on calicuts 🙂

Jedi - I had a few pairs of emericas years ago too (liked them but haven't seen them in shops for a while). ?Ta for reminding me, think I'll take a wee look at their range now.

Etnies are THE WORST you could wear as they are harder than a hard thing.

Good stiff soles mind.

oh and flippies are the hip name for flipflops silly.

You seen Black Calicuts anywhere recently? I asked in a few shops a while ago and they didn't. But Etnies will custom make you Calicuts (8 w any design colour you want for $70 online (it's about a n 8 week wait then shipping gtime tho)

i'll look in my lbs when i go there in a bit. what size?

onceinalifetime - Member
Etnies are THE WORST you could wear as they are harder than a hard thing.

Yes, truely awful! 🙄

UK 10, Ta. 😀

lol@etnies being worse pmsl 🙂

lol @ Jedi and GW thinking they know best! 😡

😆

I love my five ten freerides, great grip and I agree can be very grippy. Miles better than the skate shoes I have used and haven't fallen apart.

Shoes are very personal, buy what feels best and suits your style, if you like to move around a lot get something with moderate grip levels. If your a peddler, then grippy is the best.

What did people used to wear on their feet in the old days...?
How do bmx riders manage..?

I'm not going out on my bike until they invent something better than 5.10's just in case they aren't grippy enough..

That said... The waffle sole is starting to come away on my Vans.. I'm interested in the 5.10 re-soleing service.. does anyone have experience of it..?

Worth the money? Well, they're certainly not good value, the standard of construction is about equal to a £25 supermarket trainer. You're paying far too much for the sticky sole and the name IMO. I really liked mine while they lasted but they started falling apart in about 4 different ways after one scottish winter- not helped by the fact that they take so long to dry out I'm sure. No matter what else you can say about them there's no way you should find a carbon insole in a £75 shoe...

Now, AM40s... Better made, better materials, better weather resistance... And you have the option of adjusting the sole stiffness too. Also the insole and footbed are properly removable to help dry them out when they're wet, which is a bonus. Less clumpy than Impacts. Every bit as hideous, just in a different way. Cheaper too. But, I have to give in to the fanboys on one point, they don't have the same grip, but that doesn't mean they lack grip at all of course- 5 10s have far more than you need, AM40s just have much more than you need.

I ride a lot in an ancient pair of Vans too, and they're excellent riding shoes, but they're a bit flexier than I like and they don't have any toe protection or similiar. They seem to last forever too, these ones were too clapped out to wear to the pub so I retired them onto bike duties, they've seen more miles than my 5 10s managed since despite being halfway worn out before they ever touched a pedal, and they're still not dead. Fab.

Bottom line is, if there was no AM40 I'd be perfectly happy with 5 10s. If there was no AM40 or 5 10s I'd be perfectly happy with my Vans. But I ride in Caterpillar trailboots sometimes and those work fine too so, I don't get too hung up on it.

Vans are good and mine were only 25 quid new from ebay. They are pretty chunky looking and quite ugly though.

i've got a pair of the original impacts, they've lasted so long the soles are starting to get a bit thin. they do soak up water like a sponge but I've been really impressed. never sure why people get funny about the insoles as mine have never caused a problem.

got a pair of their approach shoes. seem to be lasting/wearing really well.

probably get some impact 2's when the originals finally give up the ghost.

I love my 510's (Marzocchi Merch version) - they've done about a year including winter/wet rides and are in decent nick, they aren't cheap but I think on balance they are worth it as I tend to trash skate shoes on the pedals fairly quickly.

510's are very good, insnaely gripy, I dont have any issues with the card getting wet despite a 3 hour bike hike through 2ft of snow at inerleithan last october, they stayed dry and toasty all day. They are awkward to adjust on the pedels, and a little warm in the summer, if not complete overkill for my local pub crawl ride.

I also have a pair of Animal Herston skate shoes which are more apropriate for less agressive riding. If I didnt own a pair of 510's id use them quite happily for everything. They come with some hideous bright yellow laces too, if I should ever feel the need to look like even more of fashon disaster! lol

[img] [/img]

I found the 5:10 sam hills to be quite a bit better than the standard impacts, for fit and comfort, I found the one sided tounge thing to be crap on the standard ones, and with the better footbed well worth the extra tenner.
They are the only cycling specific flat shoes I have used, other than that I used salomon and north face trail running shoes which where perfectly adequate grip wise, but certainly didn't have the grip of the 5:10's and the more flexible soles caused foot pain after a while.
The thing with the grip is when going downhill and generally being more rad and grrrrrr, they where all fine, its when actually pedalling that the extra grip provided by the 5:10's really shines

and the thing with the 5:10 soles is that they are made from the same rubber as climbing shoes, so when you first place your foot you can quickly readjust your foot position, but after a while they take purchase and grip much more to the pedal, I don't know how that relates to the durometer figures given, it may just be the way different rubber consistencies work or if there is more clever science going on.

I've been using 5.10 freeriders for about 6 months now
and have to say that I love em.

I am thinking about these Shimano MP66s, but actually for SPDs:
[img] [/img]
[img] [/img]

gw, no calicuts. but culicuts have the etnies original sole 🙂 as do other models

excuse spelling as i may have had a pint 🙂

I cant comment on 5,10's as never owned any , That said I got a pair of Nike 6.0's about 3 months ago and they have been ace . My wife then bought me a pair of D.C Rob Drydek Specials for my birthdays which I have found to be no where near as good. I'd love 5.10's but they are so expensive I'd rather have shoes I can wear to knock about In when Im not biking at half the cost.

have heard that 5-10's are a bit like sponges in the winter & fall apart.

There are a lot of opinions of 5:10s from people that have never tried them. They are the best bit of bike kit I ever bought. My original impacts are on their 4th year of year round Scottish and Welsh riding and refuse to fall apart. I wish they would because then I could bring out the blingier black and white ones I bought in a sale last year to replace them. As for drying out - a disposable nappy or puppy pad inside for about 8 hours and then next to the radiator or in the conservatory and they are dry in a day. Simples. In snow, merino sealskinz and 5:10s is the toastiest bestest option ever! I've got Vans and DCs and they just don't come close. The grip is no where near, especially in the wet, they flex too much and the soles are too thin. On big days you really feel the pedal pins on the soles of your feet. You do look cooler, however, but then again wearing some clogs or clowns feet would be cooler than the original impacts.

Bought 5.10s as a nervous newbie to flatties and was totally underwhelmed. No more grip than my worn-out waffle soled Vans, and the biggest negative for me was the stiff sole meant no feel. You had to assume you had decent contact with the pedal. Might not bother other people but after 18yrs riding spds I have struggled to regain the same level of confidence with flats, and being able to feel the pedals under my feet is/was a big factor. I like the feeling of my shoes bending "around" the pedal. And no theyre not too soft, Ive done all-day XC rides with no foot ache. Having wide feet I also struggled with the one-sided tongue design offering enough coverage.

AM40s apparently come with a sole insert so you can tune the shoe stiffness to suit. May give some a try at some point but they have to offer a lot of added value in other departments (ankle protection, lace cover etc) to beat 20 quid a time Vans.

my am40 soles are knackered and i only use em for proper riding (not commuting liek all my other shoes i have had) - lasted 1 winter and the uppers are coming unstitched - i dont even ride that much any more. but i move my feet about alot which doesnt help. thinking about getting em re-soled as i quite like em but hte price of re-soles is fairly prohibitively expensive.

Skate shoes do the job if you're on a budget but 5:10s are a mile better.

I used to use vans, etines DC etc but the grip on the 5:10s is another level up entirely, anyone who says they're not grippier need their heads read.

I like the stiff soles as you feel like all your power (pretty meagre in my case) is being transmitted to the pedal, I always found skate shoes a bit soft, better foot protection from the 5:10s too.

My 5:10s have lasted three years now and still going strong, they seem very well made, only downside is they soak up water, but sealskins socks are a must in the winter whatever shoe you're riding with.

Cheers for looking Jedi, I still have 3 pairs in various states of wear and saw other Etnies with the same sole so I'l just need to see if any of them come stealth enough for my taste 😉 failing that I can always order custom, my daughter has been pestering me for custom (probably as tasteless as MrNutts DCs) calicuts for ages so I better get her some anyway

A wee history lesson

5:10 first made riding shoes for intense team DH riders back towards the end of the '90s then a little later be sold them the public. they were as sought after as Comp 16s by savvy DH racers everywhere. Intense discontinued them a few years later but there was an outcry from DHers to re-introduce them a few more years passed and 5:10 finally listened and realising how popular they were made their own brand version. fast forward another few years and the same sole Kovarik used to destroy everyone on a very wet aanoch mor (probably the roughest WC track at the time) by a massive 14 seconds can now be seen ridden tentatively at every trail centre in the country by nervous mincers who rarely ever seem to stand up on their pedals never mind attack a corner.

Why folk think they need that level of grip for XC (same with DH compound tyres) baffles me.

Had my 5:10s for a couple of winters - good bit of kit, nice and warm when combined with sealskins - I always hose them down after a winter ride, just pop them on a radiator and they're dry in no time!

GW - Member

"Why folk think they need that level of grip for XC (same with DH compound tyres) baffles me."

I think a lot of people benefit from it tbh. Just not neccesarily for the right reasons, if you've got crap footwork then more grip can seem essential when actually, what they should be doing is improving their technique. But I'd bet money there are plenty of people out there who really do need that grip for the way they ride, and who'd have problems if they were to switch to a less grippy shoe. No different from people who think you need SPDs because otherwise you get shaken off the bike 😉

yeah, the world's full of "special" people

I guess I should send back my supertacky tyres if grip is considered a bad thing....

Why folk think they need that level of grip for XC (same with DH compound tyres) baffles me.