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Are they really worth spending the money grip wise, in comparison to say a £30 - £40 pair of DC, Van's or Etnies trainers? Flat pedal mountain biking btw... would appreciate some other views on it. Thanks in advance
Yes.
Why?
Yes. I practice wheelies in my vans cos i can get my feet off the pedal in a hurry. I can't do it anywhere near as quick in my 510s
Over the years me and the girls must have tried every combination out their and always gone back to Five Tens as in my opinion the grip is far superior.
I suppose it also depends on what and where you are riding
Tend to look out for them in the sales and can be picked up fairly easily.
Last few pairs have come from the Five Ten stand at Steel City DH and Peatys BB at £40 a pair
What's the fit like as I have quite wide feet. Ride a mix of trails and XC. Have always found Van's quite tight and skinny but great on the bmx pedals. For now I'm using DCs as they have a nice comfortable wide fit, grip seems ok but they just wear through quite fast
The Adidas ones I've had to go up half a size for length compared to the originals. Not had any problems otherwise.
Mine always seem to wear quite well.
Fit depends on which version you’re looking at. For wide feet, Freerider pro half a size larger than normal would be my recommendation. Don’t pay full RRP though, obvs… deals come up every other month on their website and at dealers/shops.
The new non-skater look shoes don’t need you to up size, they run much more true to size length wise… but aren’t as wide.
Dont know if it's still on the Adidas site but it used to tell you the sizes that needed going up half a size
Proper 5:10s have a stiffer sole (stops foot arch aching on longer rides), a pretty robust construction that resists crank wear, some weatherproofing (more than standard vans, anyway) etc.
I've got some Vans casual shoes that are probably grippier than my 5:10s, the sole is more flexible so you can feel the pedal more. For riding to the shops or a street ride or something they'd be fine. For a 20 mile XC ride in the rain not so much.
Shoes that are made for riding are better for riding. It's not really more complicated that.
As someone who spent many, many years riding in vans etc before flat pedal specific, stealth rubber soled shoes were available I can confirm that yes, they are worth it.
Adidas site still has lots of information to help guide you through their random sizing, yes.
I just scored a pair of Trailcross's last night from a mate who ordered a size too big.
First ride today & they're great. Definitely a bit more ankle support without being too heavy.
They're a 44.5 where my old Freerider Element's & Impact VXI's were 45. The fit is nice & snug with no hot spots, but I'm not going to get a water proof sock in there unfortunately.
Oh well, I hope a winter model is on the drawing boards.
As mentioned, if you check the ones you want on the Adidas website it tells you if they’re made smaller or larger. It recommends you go up half a size on the ones I checked.
Sounds like you're coming from a bmx background judging by the brands you mentioned, 510 grip is a big difference but the lack of pedal feel compared to Vans might take some getting used to. Depending on the pedals you use and pin height, just twisting your foot position when stood up can be tricky, they grip that well.
New to mountainbiking or SPD convert, I recommend freeriders, they always seem to be in the sales somewhere.
I know that Adidas own 5ten, but there is something about the Terrex sole that isn't quite the same as the 5ten sole. Happily do an XC loop in my Terrex, but any glimpse of a descent would become a bit sketchy. 5tens and decent pedals/pins work very, very well.
Well, decision is wait for a sale, pull the trigger on some adidas. Thanks for the input guys👍
Anybody think quality has dropped since Adidas takeover? Pair of freerider pros and the pins have eaten through the soles in less than 6 months (inc. no lockdown riding). Bought a new pair in the recent sale and they just feel a bit cheaper.
Agree with the above re grip though.
Anybody think quality has dropped since Adidas takeover?
Nah, I think they've always been a bit hit and miss TBH. I've had pairs that just won't die...and pairs that have needed replacing in a couple of months. Seems to be still the same
Despite all the bad reports about durability I've been riding on a pair of Five Ten Sam Hills since Christmas, as much as 4 times per week. O my surprise they still look nearly as new, soles included, and that's on Nukeproof Horizon pedals.
Also, fantastic hiking shoes for proper rough trails