# Which Five Ten Shoes to get - XC, Texas



## lardo5150 (Oct 20, 2014)

I am trying to decide which shoe would be best from Five Ten.

I will be riding a lot of miles at one time. I am here in Dallas, and will never ride during a rain, only when the trail is pretty much dry (they close the trails here anyways until it is dry enough to ride).

Five Tens because of what I have read based on grip of the sole.
Not having a shop here that sells them so I can try them out, looking for experience. Something that will not make my feet hurt after riding 10 - 15 miles, or hurt after taking some hard hits.
Would the impact be the shoe for this? I was looking at the Freerider Element VXI, due to it supposedly being able to grip just like the others, but because of the part of the sole that is smooth, you can move the foot somewhat better. But would a shoe like this be better for longer miles?


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## Legbacon (Jan 20, 2004)

Well I hear that it can get hot in Texas so maybe the element line is not for you. They are water resistant and don't breath as well. Look at the Freerider as it has mesh. I had the VXI clipless which are also water resistant and they were fine up here in BC. A little warm in the heat of our summer, but our summer is nothing like yours.


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## lardo5150 (Oct 20, 2014)

Anyone know how the freeriders compare to the impacts stiffness wise?
Curious if normally a less stiff sole would cause foot pain on longer rides.


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## hartwerks (Oct 2, 2011)

A soft shoe can definitely result in some foot pain on long rides, I've experienced this with the Spitfire shoes that are aimed more at dirt jumping than trail riding. Freerider VXis are stiffer than the standard Freerider, but not as stiff as the new Impacts. I find them to be perfect for trail riding, as they offer better pedal feel without being too soft. I've also used them for downhill occasionally (but I tend to prefer the Impact for DH.) I don't think you'll find them to be too soft for long rides.


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## GlazedHam (Jan 14, 2004)

I say don't get five-tens. The quality is really down lately. I bought two pairs this year and am really dissatisfied with both.

I bought the Danny MacAskill FreeRider in March in they already went out with the garbage. I wore holes in both soles after maybe 30 rides. That's probably my fault as I ride way back on the mid foot and i bet the soles are thinner there. But the shoes were poorly constructed when I got them. Several eyelets where rough and had to be filed down just to adjust the laces. There is no way that they person (assuming it wasn't a machine) that laced them didn't notice that. Two of the eyelets eventually pulled loose from the shoe. Lame! These shoes were heavy but I used them all summer in Texas without complaints about the heat.

Because I have had good luck in the past with 5-10 SpitFires, I picked up a pair for XC use. I prefer the FreeRiders for any type of rough trails but I've ridden the SpitFires on our roughest trails with no problems. However, the SPitfires have had issues too. They didn't come with the same color laces pictured on the website. No big deal, but the laces were about 50 longer than they needed to be. I usually tuck my laces into my shoes but there was so much extra lace it was just too much. I could not tie the laces in such a was as to not have a bunch of it dragging the ground as I walked ...so I had to replace them. Also, the 5-10 patches glued to the back of the soles fell off. WTF? Maybe 5-10 new these shoes were poorly built and designed them so that their name would jettison after a few rides.

I'm going down to the specialized dealer and getting a pair of 2FOs as soon as I am able.


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## GlazedHam (Jan 14, 2004)

I forgot to mention that I've done multiple 4-6 hour rides in the softer soled Spitfires with no foot fatigue, but then again I'm riding midsole.


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## AndrewBikeGuide (Nov 12, 2014)

I switched from the old style Impacts to the Danny McCaskill Freeriders because I felt that I could not really feel the pedal with my foot. The DMFs were a great in-between, you can feel the pedal but not in a negative way. The better insole (has two gel inserts) than the standard 5.10 insole is also a bonus. I would not consider 10-15 miles to be a long ride so it is a lttle hard to tell how long you will be on the bike. I have done Tyax rides (8 hours and lots of pedalling) in the McCaskills and my feet have been fine. I also wear them all day, every day, all summer as I work as a guide. They can handle heavy hits ie if I mess up a drop or a jump. Bonus is that a quick brush or wipe with a damp cloth and you can head straight to the bar without looking like an extra from Terminator. 

That said I have recently switched to the new Impacts as they are a lot lighter, the soles are thinner but stiffer ie I can feel the pedal but again only in a positive way. I would suspect that they are going to be pretty sweaty for a summer in Texas. But the fact that they are reasonably water resistant is a bonus here in BC especially in the Spring and Autumn.

The first thing I do for any 5.10s, other than the McCaskills, is switch out the insole to a Montrail insole or my new favourite Currex BikePro insoles (found out about these in the summer and they are amazing).

The Freeride VXi s have a good rep, with the only drawback being the flat bit can slip on wet rock, but if you only ride in the dry then perhaps that is the best option for you. Happy Trails.


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## lardo5150 (Oct 20, 2014)

Very nice, thanks guys! Good imput.


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## lardo5150 (Oct 20, 2014)

Can you guys recommend some pedals that would gel nicely with the 5.10s that are under 100 bucks?


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## AndrewBikeGuide (Nov 12, 2014)

I run the Blackspire Sub 4 Mark II - very happy with them and they sell a full re-build kit. The Mark II is a little stronger than the Mark I and comes with longer pins and washers so you can tune the pin length. If you are hard on your pedals then the Blackpsire Big Slim Mk II is what I run on my DH bike. Same deal just more material left in the pedal during the machining so they are less likely to bend if hit really hard.


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## dirtrider76 (Sep 19, 2012)

I've rode Impact high's and Samhill's the past 3 seasons. Both work great but the Samhill's breath a lot more.


I used to ride with Answer Rove pedal's with longer pins in them and just switched a few months ago to Chromag Contact's. Either can be found online under $100 but its going to take to discount codes for the Chromag's.


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## lardo5150 (Oct 20, 2014)

Anyone wearing the freerider elements?

I am just curious how this shoe would be in 100+ degree weather (north Texas)


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## GlazedHam (Jan 14, 2004)

I'm running Xpedo Sprys on both my bikes. I think I paid $59/pair.


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## AndrewBikeGuide (Nov 12, 2014)

I have the Barons, and they are the previous generation of 'more water resistant' free riders. I would say that they are uncomfortable at anything greater than about 15degC if pedalling. I use them as my winter commute shoe (we have five months of snow) as they are a little warmer and get soaked less easily.

I think that you will regret the Elements model where you live given that you said you are more of a summer rider. If you like the idea of the flat sole area and the slightly stiffer sole then go for one of the Freeriders VXi models (choose your favourite colour).

Here is a review you might not have seen: Review: Five Ten Freerider VXi Elements | Singletracks Mountain Bike Blog


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## lardo5150 (Oct 20, 2014)

Thanks! I will take a look at that.

Ya, over the past day or so I have come to the conclusion I will be grabbing the freerider vxi. I wish there were some more color variants than the three, but no big deal.

Only reason i am not going the impact route is the reviews of not being able to "feel" the pedal. To me that sounds like not really knowing the position your foot is on the pedal.


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## matadorCE (Jun 26, 2013)

I've been wearing my Freeriders in North Texas for over a year now. They're heavy but they don't get too hot in the summer IMO. I have no idea about the Elements version but I'd rather have something that breaths, although if you ride through water crossings regularly then that's probably the way to go.
Mine have held up pretty well and I don't treat them gently, the only thing I don't like is that they run wide for my personal taste but not a deal-breaker.


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## lardo5150 (Oct 20, 2014)

matadorCE, do you have the VXIs?
Those are the ones I am looking at getting since everything I have read says they are stiffer.

How do the soles hold up to the pins/spikes in the pedals?


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## matadorCE (Jun 26, 2013)

lardo5150 said:


> matadorCE, do you have the VXIs?
> Those are the ones I am looking at getting since everything I have read says they are stiffer.
> 
> How do the soles hold up to the pins/spikes in the pedals?


I just have the regular Freeriders. I have pretty aggressive pins and the soles have held up fairly well, a little bit torn where my feet tend to pivot on the pedals but is superficial and the sole itself is still in great shape.


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## AndrewBikeGuide (Nov 12, 2014)

lardo5150 said:


> Only reason i am not going the impact route is the reviews of not being able to "feel" the pedal. To me that sounds like not really knowing the position your foot is on the pedal.


As far as feeling the pedal the new Impacts are amazing, you can feel it just enough to be happy about foot position but it is stiff enough that the foot doesn't feel bent or get tired. They transmit good power to the pedal as well. I use the Impacts as my trail shoe in autumn and spring as they are more water resistant than the Danny McCaskills. They are lighter as well. The toe box is wider on the Impacts so I size a half size smaller (10 in a Freeride and 9.5 in an Impact). The newer Stealth Mi6 certainly wears faster than the previous generation but that said I have about 60 days on a set of Impacts and there are only a few dots that are torn up and every seam is still sound.


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## GelatiCruiser (Oct 11, 2012)

I wear Impacts...they're super durable and stiff, but a *wee* bit on the heavy side. Work great though. I use Forte Convert pedals...got them on sale for ~$45. Threaded replaceable pins and a nice wide pedal. Also heavy though, and the color selection sucks.


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## Thustlewhumber (Nov 25, 2011)

GelatiCruiser said:


> I wear Impacts...they're super durable and stiff, but a *wee* bit on the heavy side. Work great though. I use Forte Convert pedals...got them on sale for ~$45. Threaded replaceable pins and a nice wide pedal. Also heavy though, and the color selection sucks.


I live over in Tyler, and I ride all the trails in Dallas when I can. Just picked up some Guide Tennie's for $29 on closeout. Super stiff sole, same tread pattern as the Sam Hill's, and super light. Five Ten | Online Store


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## GlazedHam (Jan 14, 2004)

I got a chance to try out the Specialized 2FO and was a bit underwhelmed. Pretty comparable to the 5-10 FreeRiders but not as stylish IMHO. I'm going to give the new impacts a try.


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## Mangchi BB (Jan 7, 2015)

I have the Impact XVI's and they are really light which is nice, but I feel like they are no where near as grippy as my Freeriders were. I have never had a slip issue with the Freeriders, hands down my favorite riding show I have worn.

My local shop gives me some good deals 5-10s, but if there is not shop in your area you should check online at like Art's or PricePoint.

PP actually has a ton of options right now.

Mountain Shoes | Shoes | Discounted Mountain Bikes, Road Bikes and Cycling Gear at PricePoint.com


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