[Closed] Approach shoes for flats?

The rubber compound isn’t likely to be as good as proper riding shoes. Might be ok though.

The original 5.10 riding shoes (initially sold by and branded Intense) were actually approach shoes

Probably be fine, I used normal walking boots for years with no problems and I have some trainers with a simillar sole to those above which work fine.

I'm sure they'll be perfectly suitable with decent pedals. We all rode absolute crap for years before you could buy magic bikes shoes anyway.

The Adidas Terrex Trail Cross shoes have the same "Stealth" rubber as 5:10s. https://www.adidas.co.uk/terrex-trail-cross-sl-shoes/CM7562.html

In fact, you can get 5:10s on there, if you do a search for "Stealth" on there you get a big list

https://www.adidas.co.uk/search?q=stealth

Was looking at the Cross SL's but not in my size

not all stealth rubber is the same.

my 510 freerider bike shoes and 510 access approach shoes have a much stickier rubber then teh adidas terrex shoe i also have.

the 510 access approach shoes are great to ride in and offer a bit more foot support than the freerider while still maintaining pedal feel without going to teh stiff clumpy 510 impact style sole. the heels are wider than normal bike shoes so if you heel rub with normal shoes it will be annoying. luckily i dont.

I`d happily ride the ones above.

Van Halen
Member

not all stealth rubber is the same

Yup, various different ratings are worth paying attention to. This list is likely out of date now (2017), but shows what we mean:

Five Ten Stealth rubber types

Stealth Mi6: 52a durometer, Five Ten’s grippiest rubber, superior cushioning
Stealth S1: 64a durometer, Five Ten’s most versatile rubber (grip, cushioning, durability)
Stealth Phantom: 65a durometer, essentially coloured version of S1
Stealth C4: 76-80a durometer, typical skate shoe-style grip
Marathon: n/a durometer, harder wearing less grippy rubber

They can work well but there are some issues, like some approach shoes being very tight fit and soles can be too flexible for riding. That said, I used 5.10 Guide Tennies for flats when I did occasional lift assisted days and biggest issues were that they did not dry for week and they do no have more protection in toe area.
I got Guides because I don't fit to normal Freeriders but now Pros are OK. A mate rode years with Adidas and La Sportiva approach shoes.
Adidas actually had special shoe for slacklining which had very good sole for riding but toe area is too low for full day comfort. Funny colours though but for a 20€ outlet buy there were OK.

The Adidas Terrex Trail Cross shoes have the same “Stealth” rubber as 5:10s. They have a mountain biking section on their website ( https://www.adidas.co.uk/terrex-mountain_biking-shoes )

Whilst as an 'overview', they do, it's not that back & white, as there are quite a few grades of Stealth rubber.

They have historically used the harder stuff, which isn't as grippy as say, a Freerider Pro, or the next level S1 rubber on the Impacts, or even more sticky Mi6 rubber on the Vxi shoes.

I put the current Terrexs ahead of something like a Spec 2fo shoe, but noticably less grippy than any of the above.

The new Terrex Trail Cross shoes now use the same rubber as the Freerider Pro, so should be grippier.

Used the 5.10 version for a couple of years and preferred them to the 5.10 freerider which took an eternity to dry once wet

I think my Guide Tennies are offficially approach shoes, I love 'em as a winter shoe, and there's no shortage of grip but they're stiffer and don't have the feel of my freeriders

I'm sure plenty of approach shoes with flatter soles with few lugs will be quite reasonable for calmer trail riding or bikepacking.

But then the question arises, why use an approach shoe when the market has more proper flat pedal shoes by the day? You have pretty much every kind of flat pedal shoe available these days, stiff, flexy, bulky, airy, water proof, etc etc.
5 years ago or so people resorted to approach shoes (I can recall some big bikepacking names back then) because the available dedicated options were a pair of models from Five Ten

Gone for a pair of 5:10 Access shoes.
S1 stealth rubber but a bit more trainer-like so I can use them for walking.
£61 off Adidas with a 20% discount code.

zezaskar:

But then the question arises, why use an approach shoe when the market has more proper flat pedal shoes by the day?

Shoe fit and being able to use same stuff for more than one purpose would be good reasons to me.

I hear you, and that's a point, but today more than ever there are plenty of flat pedal shoe lasts available, as well as plenty of quite versatile models.
This is not a very objective comment on me, but I'd go as far to say that generally flat pedal shoes make better as an approach shoe than approach shoes make as flat pedal shoes

that generally flat pedal shoes make better as an approach shoe than approach shoes make as flat pedal shoes

i dont know what shoes you use but i`d not want to walk anywhere far in a freerider shoe!. the sole is thinner/harder than my etnies skate shoes!. something clumpy like a 510 impact or terrex trail cross is probably fine as an approach shoe (both derived from an approach shoe) but i cant ride in them as i cant feel where my foot is on the pedal.