Five Ten Freerider Shoes

When it comes to riding flat pedals good shoes are absolutely essential, and the undisputed king of the flat pedal shoe market is Five Ten. Although their Impact models are popular with the pure gravity set, trail riders have opted for the skate shoe styled Freerider. Other brands have tried to topple Five Ten from their throne, but thus far no-one has been able to match their combination of comfort, durability and, most importantly, grip.

A year or so ago Five Ten released the Freerider VXi; a model that’s intended to complement, rather than replace, the existing Freerider. Selling for $130, it’s around the same price as a pair of high-end skate shoes, and our set of size 42s weighed a quite reasonable 830g for the pair.

Before going into the shoe talk, let’s just step back and get a little history. Five Ten was founded in the mid-80s to manufacture climbing shoes, and their proprietary ‘Stealth’ rubber soles quickly earned a reputation for incredible traction on rock. A decade or so later they diversified, and a small range of dedicated MTB shoes was born—they steadily earned a cult following amongst riders in the know.

As years passed the range remained relatively unchanged but the number of riders who swore by Five Tens steadily grew until they became not just the dominant player in the flat pedal market, but virtually the only player. Fast forward to 2011, and sportswear giant Adidas purchased Five Ten for US$25 million; these guys know a thing or two about shoes, and quickly got to work combining their design experience and economies of scale with the proven track record of Five Ten’s rubber. The Freerider VXi is one of the first new products to be born out of that partnership.

Go Gripless

One of the few ‘complaints’ riders levelled at existing Five Ten shoes was that the sole was so sticky that in order to reposition yourself on the pedal, you need to lift your foot slightly. The new Freerider VXi is designed around a sole that has absolutely no tread in the pedal contact area. In theory this makes it easier to move your feet, and it also provides more surface contact between your shoes and the pedals, so they’re claimed to be both grippier when you need and less grippy when you want—the best of both worlds. The sole is also a little stiffer than the existing Freeriders to provide more efficient power transfer to the pedals, whilst also having a bit more rocker at the forefoot to make walking easier.

So what are the VXIs like on the trail? Well, I’ve been using the older Freerider model for around two years now, so I can offer a pretty good back-to-back comparison. The first thing you notice when taking them out of the box is that the VXis are a lot less bulky, especially around the rear of the shoe. They’re more form fitting than the somewhat boxy looking standard model, which relies on thick padding to conform to your feet—the input from Adidas is quite apparent.

The improved fit extends to the toe box as well. They offer a little more width in the forefoot – especially around the ends of your toes – without feeling sloppy elsewhere. Although the actual weight is a few grams heavier, the improved shape makes them feel lighter and more like a pair of runners despite the added sole stiffness. There’s a little more protection against crank rub on the inside of the ankle too, which will be most noticeable if you’ve got larger feet. Call me old school, but although the VXis are holding up perfectly well after four months of use, I’d personally prefer it if Five Ten had stuck with the fully stitched sole of the older model; the new ones are only stitched around the inner front quarter, and in my experience adhesive is less reliable than stitching in the long run.

As for the smooth sole, it definitely feels glued to the pedals when you’ve got weight on your feet. At first I didn’t think it was any different to the dot tread sole of the older Freeriders, but a few rides with an older model on one foot and a VXi on the other (quite a fashion statement) quickly convinced me that the treadless design does offer improved traction. Although it’s marginally easier to reposition your feet when they’re unweighted, you still need to do the lift/move manoeuvre just like the original Freerider. We’ve heard reports that the smooth sole doesn’t work well when walking in muddy conditions, but we haven’t had any wet weather to put this aspect to the test.

The stiffer sole provides a very efficient feel; more akin to a stiff soled clipless shoe than a skate shoe or runner. In this respect the VXis are a new breed of flat pedal shoe, being both very comfortable and sporting excellent power transfer. On the flipside they offer noticeably less pedal feel when compared to the older model, so it’s a little harder to tell where your feet are positioned. I suspect this will improve somewhat as they break in and soften a little.

As more trail riders rediscover the benefits of flat pedals, the demand for quality shoes is bound to increase. In this light it’s great to see Five Ten stepping up to redefine what a modern flat pedal MTB shoe can offer. Whilst I still prefer the stitched construction of the standard Freeriders, and some riders will also prefer the more supple sole and enhanced feel they offer, there’s no doubt that the Freerider VXis offer better pedalling efficiency, improved traction and a far more refined fit. Regardless of which model you prefer, the advent of the Freerider VXi has further cemented Five Ten as the first, and almost the only, name to consider when you’re looking for your next pair of flat pedal kicks.

Lusty Industries (02) 4964 2227 / www.lustyindustries.com