Five Ten corner the market for flat pedal riders, and rightly so. Incredible grip. Made to take a beating. And the DLX even keep your toes dry.

When it comes to flat pedal shoes, there’s very little that even comes close with the grip that Five Ten provide. The ‘Stealth’ rubber, originally developed for their rock climbing soles, is tacky – sometimes so much so that it feels like unclipping from the pedals even without the cleats.

The regular Freeriders are equally grippy and hard-wearing but don’t have the addition of weather-proofing. That’s where the Five Ten Freerider DLX (previously called the Elements) step in – the DWR coating effectively repels water. Couple this with the synthetic panels on the shoe and they make for dry, toasty feet no matter the weather.

Aside from the waterproofing and grip, the thing I love most about the Freeriders (whether that’s the DLX or the regular version) is that they look normal. They’re the sort of shoe that I can wear out on the trails or nip to the shop in and no-one seems to notice… aside from the mud trail I usually leave behind.

As you can probably see from the photos, I’ve put the Five Ten Freerider DLX through their paces since summer and they’ve held up surprisingly well. The sole shows no dramatic signs of wearing yet and remains strong and stable. The DWR coating hasn’t begun to deteriorate and has kept the water at bay even in the recent snow.

View the full Five Ten range here.

Further Info

Prolonging the life of the DWR coating is something I’ve been aiming for so I simply give the Freerider DLX a bit of a brush down following rides, rather than risk putting them through the washing machine and ruining the coating. Either that or leave them as they are.

In all the rides to date, the Five Tens really have held up brilliantly. Of course, they’re an ankle high trainer and so do let water in from above should you accidentally ride through a puddle deeper than you thought. Speaking from experience on this front, they also hold the water in should you submerge your foot. Whoops.

All in all, I’d not hesitate to buy another set of Five Ten Freeriders although I’d probably fork out the extra again to make sure I’ve got the DLX simply to keep my feet that little bit drier, and therefore warmer, especially through the colder seasons.

Features

• Quick-drying, DWR-treated leather/synthetic upper
• Classic Dotty™ tread
• One-piece molded cupsole
• Stealth® S1™ dotty outsole for proven grip and durability

Follow them on social media here:
Instagram: @FiveTen_Official
Twitter: @FiveTenUK
Facebook: /FiveTen.Official
YouTube: FiveTenTV

Review written by: Lewis – #TotalMTB Photography and Videography
Instagram: @Pedal_Slip
Twitter: @PedalSlip
Facebook: /PedalSlip

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