About Five Ten:
Founded in 1985 by Charles Cole and named after a difficulty rating in the Yosemite decimal system of rock climbing grades, Five Ten quickly grew into a leading brand in climbing footwear. Five Ten was the first to launch a sticky rubber shoe called the Five Tennie, which became a favorite amongst rock climbers. In 2000, Five Ten started producing mountain bike footwear. Five Ten became the brand of choice for mountain bikes using flat pedals. Today Five Ten is known for its tacky and dependable flat pedal shoes, but also for a range of cleat compatible shoes.
Five Ten was acquired by Adidas in 2011. Five Ten’s amazing shoes are now enhanced with Adidas technology, creating the ultimate product in climbing and mountain bike shoes.
Shoe reviewed: Five Ten Impact Pro (size 11, color: black/black/bright orange)
Bike: Pivot Switchblade
Pedals: Canfield Crampon
MSRP: $160
Specs from Five Ten:
- Regular fit
- Lace closure
- Synthetic weather-resistant micro-perforated upper
- Textile lining; Stealth® rubber outsole for unbeatable grip
- Stiff polyurethane midsole; Enjoy the comfort and performance of OrthoLite® sockliner
- Impact-resistant Poron® toe box
Recommended for:
Any mountain bike enthusiast looking for a flat style shoe for enduro, downhill, and all-mountain riding with maximum protection.
Review:
If you are anything like Chris and myself when the lifts stop spinning and the snow melts, you yearn for the mountains, the speed, and the freedom snowboarding provides. In recent years, I’ve reconnected with mountain biking. It has a lot of similar qualities to snowboarding that I miss when the snow melts. It allows me to go to places of solitude, be in the mountains, go fast, and keep my legs in shape for winter.
We met with Five Ten at OR 2019 and were stoked to try out some of their mountain biking shoes. The Five Ten Impact Pro is designed for flat pedals and impact protection while biking.
The thing that really stands out about these shoes is the overall protection they provide. I’ve used them on lift-served downhill days, enduro rides and more. I put well over 200 miles on these shoes and they have held up exceptionally well. The Canfield pedals I use have pins to lock your feet into place. Five Ten’s Stealth S1 rubber sole with traction bumps was a perfect match and really provided unprecedented grip, even when wet. The Stealth rubber really glues your feet to the pedals, a necessity when bombing rocky descents.
The toe box is coated with Impact-resistant Poron®, an industrial polyurethane, which really provides a lot of protection for your toes. I’ve had my toe box snag on a root, stump or rock and felt next to nothing, the toe box is really solid.
The entire shoe has ample padding but the padding around the ankle is really nice for protection and overall comfort.
The midsole is really stiff which is beneficial for delivering power to the pedals. The midsole is constructed from polyurethane to help prevent the shoe from packing out over time.
The Impact Pro also features an OrthoLite® sockliner, the shoe fits really well and does not move around.
I did find the Impact Pro to be a bit heavy and strange to walk around in due to the stiffness and added protection elements. However being a mountain bike shoe, they have everything you could want for riding. The Impact Pro upper uses a synthetic abrasion-resistant material that has some weather-resistant elements to it also.
Overall:
If you ride a mountain bike on a regular basis, you really should use a dedicated mountain bike shoe. The Five Ten Impact Pro offers tremendous protection and an unmatched grip for all your trail adventures.
Pros:
- overall protection
- durable materials
- Stealth S1 rubber sole
- dries quickly
Cons:
- a little heavy
- a bit pricy but worth every cent
| Price: |  (4.0 / 5) |
| Performance: |  (4.8 / 5) |
| Design: |  (4.5 / 5) |
| Overall: |  (4.4 / 5) |