Hi all,

My Shimanos GR7 are finally starting to wear down after an year and half of heavy use, sonow looking for the next pair of flat pedal shoes.
Want very good grip, protection and durability. Also to be used on long climbing days, as well as lots of hike a bike.

Wanted to give Impacts a try, and the Pros seem to be current gold standard. But then the Sam Hill, besides being used by… Sam Hill (that means they’re good, right?) are a little cheaper.

Anyone can help me decide between them two?

Also, sizing. My Shimano GR7 are size 9.5, perfect fit. Which size should the Impacts be?

Thanks

For that sort of riding if be looking at Freeriders. I really don’t like the feel of Impacts the shoe is huge and the sole is stiff as a board, which may work well for clips, but personally I hate on flats. I like to feel I little bit of where the pedal is. I’d be tempted by the Freerider Pros. A bit suffer than the normal Freerider but lighter and supposed to dry faster and have a bit more protection.

Wore my Impacts for the first time in months yesterday, as above no feel the sole is so thick.they are very stiff which is good for pedalling efficiency though.

Freeriders are the ones to get.

I’ve got 3 pairs of freeriders, i’ve tried others, but freeriders are winners for me time and time again.
Even my day to day trainers are freeriders, i do a year of normal day to day stuff, before they then become riding trainers and the cycle begins again.

I’m sure the Freeriders are very good, but I would like an upgrade in stiffness and protection over the GR7s, which both versions of the Impacts seem to offer.
I get foot fatigue over shoe flex on rough lift days, and broke a big toe some months ago after a fight with a rock. The GR7 are great for regular trail riding, grip is good, they’re light and dry fast.

I might be wrong, but the Impact Pros seem to be very similar to the GR7s

Not sure on the GR7 sizing. But in comparison to your regular shoes I’d suggest going up at least half a size (9 to 9.5) if you wear thin socks or a full size (9 to 10) if you wear a thicker sock. If in doubt go the full size as the current 5.10 range do come up very small.

https://www.adidasoutdoor.com/five-ten-impact-vxi-men%27s-mountain-bike-shoe/FTA45.html

I love my impact VXI, lots of folk seem to dislike them, too stiff, welly-like. They’ve lasted pretty well too, though tbf I’ve not ridden as much this year as I used to…

Echo the above, up half a size, means I can wear bridgedale merino socks under knee high sealskinz, which just go over my knee pads, it’s like cheating. 🙂

In typical STW fashion I’m going to recommend something you’re not interested in.

I ended up a a pair of Giro Jacket II’s when I went away for a weekend and forgot my Five Tens. They were all I could get in a local bike shop and now they’re my first choice.

They don’t have the ultimate grip of a Five Ten but they’re much better at just being a shoe. They look less ridiculous, they’re much more comfortable and they dry faster.

The reason I suggested the Freerider Pro is that they are purportedly significantly stiffer than the normal Freerider, but without the bulkyness of the Impact. They also have a reinforced toe box IIRC
The sole of the Impact feels huge. If you’re going to go that way, I’d really recommend either going somewhere to try them, or buying them somewhere with free returns.

They don’t have the ultimate grip of a Five Ten but they’re much better at just being a shoe. They look less ridiculous, they’re much more comfortable and they dry faster.

The problem is, with flat pedals, grip is the important thing. 2FO’s are better shoes than 5-10’s, the Terrex Trails are better than 5-10’s, the Ride Concepts are better as well, but none have the grip of even the least grippy 5-10, the Freerider pro. I’ll put up with slightly goofy looking shoes that take a little bit longer to dry (have 2 pairs and a shoe dryer so it’s not actually an issue at all) and enjoy the feeling of grip.

The impact pros and the SH version feel similar, they are pretty clumpy, but tonnes of grip, not masses of feel through the sole. The former are the newer version so are better made and use better materials, so I would chose them given the choice. Less feel than the Freerider pro, or the impact Vxi which were my favourite, apart from the sole was a bit soft and tore up easily.

They look less ridiculous, they’re much more comfortable and they dry faster.

First part, hmmm… 🙂

2nd, impact vxi dry properly quick, and tbh when wearing sealskinz having dry shoes isn’t critical anyway.

Got both ….very little between them except the Sam Hill is thicker on the heel.
Both are not bad in the wet and dry way faster than freeriders

The Impact pro is SUPER sticky (sometimes too sticky) whereas the Sam Hill is sticky enough…

@ Hob Nob The Freerider pro is IME the most grippy shoe in the Five Ten range , certainly not the least grippy , it’s also lighter , faster drying by far and has a re-enforced toe box . For me it’s the best flat pedal shoe out there . Impacts weigh a ton if that makes any difference to the OP but they do provide undeniably better protection than Freeriders .

for summer the five tennies have been great riding shoes, for winter adi trail cross protect. i’ll take less grip for the lighter quicker drying adidas, would get another pair, but these launch in Feb2020

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/first-look-five-ten-drops-2-lightweight-trail-shoes.html

and then the goretex lined adi boot is due later next year

if you buy on adidas website direct go via vouchercodes for a regular 20-25% discount code..

Don’t the Freerider Pros have a questionable durability track record?
I keep reading on how thin the outer sole is

@ Hob Nob The Freerider pro is IME the most grippy shoe in the Five Ten range , certainly not the least grippy , it’s also lighter , faster drying by far and has a re-enforced toe box . For me it’s the best flat pedal shoe out there . Impacts weigh a ton if that makes any difference to the OP but they do provide undeniably better protection than Freeriders

Not to be obtuse, but they are the least grippy compound of Stealth rubber used on a 5-10 shoe. The most grippy (but also short life) is the Mi6 compound of the Impact Vxi, the new style impact pro uses the original Stealth rubber compound, which is in between the two.

The stealth rubber on the current Adidas Terrex shoes is a less grippy version of the Freerider Pro. I believe the new Adidas shoe coming out now uses the same Stealth rubber as the current Freerider pro.

The Mi6 rubber is indeed the most grippy hence fastest wearing rubber that Five Ten use on a cycling shoe . My understanding is that it is only used on the Freerider contacts whereas the Impacts use the S1 rubber the same as the Freerider Pros and most Flat pedal shoes made by Five Ten . There is a harder wearing/ less grippy outsole than the S1 , that is the C4 . As with tyres the rubber compound is only part of the story as proven by the Freerider Contacts which use the Mi6 outsole being described as giving you more freedom to move around on the pedal . This is because , although using the grippiest rubber available the sole is smooth where it contacts the pedal . I stand by my comment that the Freerider Pro is the grippiest shoe that Five Ten make although it does not use their grippiest rubber compound . Not trying to be an arsehole about this and would be interested in peoples real world experience of riding different Five Ten shoes .

Impacts weigh a ton if that makes any difference to the OP

My impact vxi are lighter than my freeriders.

The impact vxi’s were a great balance between protection and feel, with outstanding grip with the mi6 rubber. Wore out quick mind but still a shame they don’t make them anymore