[Closed] Flats - What you people wearing on your plates of meat ?

5:10 spaz shoes all the way...

5.10s. Just not if it's even remotely damp 😕

5:10, thread closed. They're by miles the best shoe if you want the best grip.

Skate shoes do NOT compare.

*devils advocate mode on*

OR...skate shoes will be just fine (vans/duffs/etnies or really old skool airwalks for me)

*devils advocate mode off*

hope this helps 🙂

lister (flat pedal rider since '93)

I like devils advocate, he's cheaper 🙂

get down tkmax...you can't go wrong 🙂

got these:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=20237

not as grippy as 5:10s but do the job fine - and are cheap

5 10 here as well

i wear salomon xa pros there not very good for anything really and are no longer wayerproof cos of the rips in them, the sole is delaminating and there a bit small. if your just "giving them ago" use your trainers.

Just thought i'd share that with you 🙂

vans rowley xlt somthing-or-other on v8's. Very happy with that and look like 'normal' shoes. except muddier.

I use 5.10's and an old pair of Salomon shoes that eventually had the 5.10 rubber sole added (only after my flats destroyed the original sole)

Rowleys are ace.. i've had xlts xl2s xl3s squares and slims, i love rowleys. also rock a variety of other vans, bout 14 pairs in total, on mag v-12s. got some nice vans syndicate bash hi tops at the mo.
LOVE VANS

Some New Balance things I got in Brantano cheap years ago. Nice stiff sole, never slipped off yet and great for walky/carry bits.

Was thinking about a pair of 5-10's (for when my flatty's turn up).

Anyone know how accurate the sizing is? (I'm euro size 45, but needed size 47 shimano shoes and even they are on the tight side).

Vans with waffle soles. Loads of grip and half the price of 5:10s

Shimano Mp56 and MP90 here, both ace.

any old pair of trainers I happen to have at hand. At the moment Im wearing Merrell Vibram soles when it's dryish and an old pair of Nikes for when it's wet and cold.

I hate to agree with everyone else but 5/10s are the best.

some Etnies i got cheap from a skate shop in Scotland

I wear some Regatta light hiking boots I got cheap from a discount shop. They keep my feet nice and dry and are pretty comfy. Grip is ok, apart from on really bumpy trails.

For ultimate grip, get 5:10 impact shoes, I borrowed my friends and did a run of Innerleithen on my hardtail and my feet didnt come off once, unlike with my Etnies.

For dirtjumping you probably want some less grippy shoes, which is where skate shoes excel over 5:10s

5 10s and skate shoes are worlds apart, there simply is no comparison. 5 10s all the way. I've never had a problem with them in the wet either re jimbo's post.

depends on your riding, I use/used lightweight hiking boots with vibram sole, currently raichle, for winter and most of the summer, then merrels with a vibram sole. Both cheap from TK maxx, I have used trainers and skate shoes found them to soft to pedal for ages, ripped to shreads in a short while so stuck with the above. I am sure 5. 10s are brill but the cost puts me off 😥

Nike Air whistlers, very happy with them, nice balance of stiffness/stickiness, any of the Nike 6.0 ones are pretty good and you can get them pretty cheap at the mo.

Go down TK Maxx, ride the skate shoes you get there until you knacker the soles and then get them resoled in stealth rubber so you end up with a pair of cheaper 5-10s. Maybe.

Some old trainers, of course

Vans with waffle soles may be half the price of 5:10s, but will last less than half as long, and are no way as grippy.

I've had my spaz shoes for over 18 months and they look like new, Vans would have been in tatters in that time. 5:10s are the business, especially in really shitey conditions. You have to lift your foot to reposition it if you put it on the pedal in the wrong place they are that sticky, I've not seen that with the multitude of other shoes I've worn over the years.

Shimano AMs, reasonable price, ankle protection, good vibram or something sole, comfy, grippy, terror pins and these completely transformed my crappy slim jims.

Well guess who bought these in the UK in Stiff over Christmas, but didn't have room to bring them back home, and then forgot to bring them back a couple of weeks later when back on business despite me even going to The Big Yellow to pick up a couple of other things in storage 🙁

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Sorry I should say that these are my second pair of 5 tens and although not that cool and very sticky.

I do feel somewhat mildly vindicated after today's ride, where Roper asked me yet again if I plan to move to clip ons. I don't feel I have enough technical ability to feel confident in them. Anyway, our ride today was so claggy with clay, on the way beack he couldn't even clip in it was that bad.

I am sure it could be different though next weekend if we do the ride with the 20km climb.

i've got shimano mp56's. good in filth as they've got a lace-cover. i might try 5.10s in the summer (if we get a summer) but i can't see them comparing to the shimanos in the wet.

[url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=9492 ]link to shimanos on CRC[/url]

theyre a bit stiff at first but they're loosening up

bomberman, new vibram Shimanos are a lot grippier than the MP56. They are however even stiffer (and the MP90 comes with a extra stiff sole option!).

My MP56 are a bit floppy now, not so good when you put a foot down on a rooted track!

bomberman

i've got shimano mp56's. good in filth as they've got a lace-cover. i might try 5.10s in the summer (if we get a summer) but i can't see them comparing to the shimanos in the wet.

Am I the only one who thinks they look even more "special" than 5 10s? The current generation of 5 10's are thoroughly waterproof, and the old ones weren't bad. With sealskinz...fuggedaboutit.

The shimanos dont really compare in terms of grip.

I think the issue with 5.10 shoes is that when wet, it takes till next winter for them to dry out

rockthreegozy
I think the issue with 5.10 shoes is that when wet, it takes till next winter for them to dry out

Not really a problem anymore, even with the older ones it was only a problem when you totally immersed them or were out all day in monsoon conditions.

5 10s

"5 10s and skate shoes are worlds apart, there simply is no comparison. 5 10s all the way. I've never had a problem with them in the wet either re jimbo's post."

They function fine in the wet, gripping like a...grippy thing. However, they soak up a LOT of water and take a good few days to dry out.
This was in massively wet conditions (i.e. last summer) however. In light rain/staying away from the puddles, they're sufficient.

Anyone used the AM40s? Quite tempted, if just for a change...

i don't do staying away from puddles. in Calderdale they're pretty much unavoidable (and lots of fun!)

I've found that any skater style trainers with my Easton Cullys are griper than a grippy thing. However with what everyone says about 5.10's I'm going to have to give them a blast.

I do have to revert back to clipless in the winter tho with Shimano boots. As there are no flatty shoes that can take the weather in the lakes without getting cold, wet, soggy feet.

So if anyone knows plase let me know!

Don't be tempted to try Inov8 running shoes with flatties. Grip is superb but managed to ruin two pairs within a month - pins just eat through the sole.

I wear some cheapy AirWalks I found for about £12... old stock I think. I never buy expensive shoes for cycling as they always get completely trashed after about a year or so. I don't care about waterproofness, I just wear a pair of SealSkinz and buy shoes one size too big.

-j

I use 5.10s or skater shoes,5.10s are much better though. Sealskinz socks are good for dry feet with flattie pedals,i find a thin pair of 'office' socks inside them stops any dampness/sweat from touching my feet before it's had time to work it's way through the sealskin sock.

Flatties and 5.10 and Sealskinz are a pretty good mix imo

element skate shoes have quite stiff soles which is nice.

airwalks always felt a bit wobbly and you can feel the pins though the soles.

gnargnar, your begining to sound like one of those people who spends too much on a full susser and feel the need to justify it to one and sunday every 5 minutes.

If you want to experience too much grip buy some burgtec's!

thisisnotaspoon

gnargnar, your begining to sound like one of those people who spends too much on a full susser and feel the need to justify it to one and sunday every 5 minutes.

Damnit. Now how can I not respond to this? If someone asks "what's the best show for flats" then it is pretty clear what the answer is.

The only problem seems to be cost, which I find strange. The same people who baulk at the idea of speding £70 for a pair of shoes to ride in probably think nothing of spending fifty or sixty quid on shorts or 150 quid on a jacket....or indeed many thousands for a bike in the first place.

5 10s are an investment - like a good pair of hiking boots, they'll last for years and perform exceptionally well.

Excluding your arse, you only have four contact points with the bike, so for me shoe choice is important especially considering how much better 5 10s are than virtually any other shoe. It seems to me a lot of people on stw are dipping their toe into the murky waters of flat pedal lake for the first time. I'd like them to be sure which shoe to buy and not (as I see it) waste their money on lesser products and diminish their experience of riding flats. Is that sufficient justification for you? Am I allowed to continue posting now?

CRC are still doing marzocchi shoes for £65 btw.

try the 5.10 Guide Tenne rather than the Hill Models, flatter sole, lgith shoe and stiffer sole, more grip and better for pedalling. Of course they don't have 'bike' cred....

Waffle sole vans here.

*Flat pedal rider since forever*

no need to take quite so much offence!

in your oppinion the best flat shoe is the 5.10, in mine its the element townsend, neither of us is wrong, its an oppinion. I just dont feel the need to voice it 5 times in the same thread whenever it's disagree'd with.

As for cost, why not get some good skate shoes from TKMax for say £30 (beware, not all skate shoes are created equal, look for good solid flat stiff soles for cycling otherwise the pins will poke through into your feet!). Be wary of airwalk (had some good ons and some rubbish). Stick with Vans, etnies and element and you'll not go far wrong. Its like anything, buy one pair then next time you'll have a better idea of what too look out for.

And give them some time to break in, the grip usualy gets better with use, i usualy wear a pair in for a long walk scuffing my feet to soften the rubber a bit.

Then when they'r worn down completely, £35 for some re-soles in stealth C4? Still comes to less than a pair of 5.10's.

BTW, not all 5.10's look like spazz boots!

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

are they the case for or against?

the bottom one is almost acceptable.

Having never been a fan of 5.10's purely because they look so horrendous, I would say these newer ones are definitely 'for'!

It seems to me a lot of people on stw are dipping their toe into the murky waters of flat pedal lake for the first time. I'd like them to be sure which shoe to buy and not (as I see it) waste their money on lesser products and diminish their experience of riding flats.

If you're switching to flats from SPDs you'll find it hard to keep your feet on the pedals all the time, even with 5:10s, as it takes time to get used to them and alter your technique. I have some 5:10s and like them a lot, but any old skate shoe will do the trick as long as you've got good technique.

TK Maxx it is then. Thanks for all your replys ladies and gents

vans rowley xl3 the vegan ones are the best shoes i've had
i'm riding canvas vans originals now. £15 from the office. coupled with sealskins when its wet and long pedal pins.

i dont like stiff soles.

I use Guide Tennies and like them,i asked my dad if i could have his which he bought as crag approach shoes,and used them for climbing in before i realised they'd work on flat pedals.

I thought of it all by myself. 😉

An old pair of Nike Air 95. Stiff sole, ace grip, and waterproof in all but the worst conditions.

Cnergy, why TK Maxx.

I did a quick scan of replys and more are for 5 10s than anything else.
The people who were advocating other alternatives had generally not tried 5 10s, while many of the 5 10 advocates had used other shoes (I used Vans for years).

As someone else pointed out people spend far more on other aspects of their riding gear, why don't people want to spend a little bit extra to get the best shoes for the job. as someone else said, your feet are two of only four contact points on the bike when you're really going for it.

Would you buy two sets of superstar brake pads instead of one set of OEM pads? then buy skate shoes instead of 5 10s.

Not this thread again! 5:10s are ok, but their not 'better' than a decent skate shoe. If you can't stay stuck to a skate shoe a pair of 5:10s isn't going to magically fix the problem. I've used both, and I'm not sure I'll buy 5:10s again.

I went to Vancouver for a year, rode in vans as I'd always done, They lasted about 3 months, bought 5 10's and rode the rest of the year with them, they have come back with me and I have done about 6 months riding back in the UK. They are still not looking anywhere near like they will need to be replaced soon.

Hmmmn,my post above maybe came across as more sarky than intended.

5.10 shoes are great,for rock or for alu ladder rungs or for flat pedals.

Tim