The Five Ten Trailcross is pretty exciting as it kicks off a totally new category–footwear designed for both biking and hiking. As far as we can tell, these are the very first shoes designed for both sports.
We’d discovered that “adventure bikers,” bike packers, and people who were on trips that included both biking and hiking, were wearing either our Freerider Pro or Guide Tennie, but both were a compromise when it came to needing a stiff shoe for pedal power, and a shoe with rocker for hiking.
The Trail Cross series (we’ll introduce a Gore-Tex in the fall) has just enough toe lift to make it a great hiker, a lightweight EVA midsole for cushioning, a unique design where it stays stiff for pedals, and flexes on the trail (concave vs convex tension). And the sole is a non-marking Stealth Phantom.
The Trailcross LT is 100 percent hydrophobic, has drain holes, and a seamless fit so you can even wear it barefoot (as a water shoe). The shoe has drainage ports in the midsole and sole, as well as 4 side ports (two each at the forefoot flex points). The shoe is made for warm-weather biking and hiking, but testers have reported that it is also ideal for watersports and travel. Basically, it is a quiver-killer for multipart athletes.
The Trailcross Mid Pro has a protective ankle collar with D30 material on the medial and lateral sides. The “smart” foam is flexible, but upon impact (with scree, a pedal crank) it immediately hardens up like body armor). This is the shoe for multi-day backpacking, hiking through scree fields, pedaling through rock gardens, or for anyone who desires extra angle support.