Five – Ten Sam Hill…Mixed Reviews…Should I Buy?

Fancied a pair of these for a while, I’ve been looking at reviews but I’m totally confused, everyone concurs that the grip is awsome but when it comes to build quality people seem to of either had a great experience or terrible experience. Some say they don’t last at all and fall apart, others say they last years without problem!?

Is they’re a logical reason or is it just a poor QC issue?

To buy or not to buy?

Or should I go Shimano AM?

Cheers

I have 2 pairs and love them. Only brought the 2nd pair as they were going cheap. They’ve done 2 years so far with a couple of Alps trips to. I throw them in the washing machine once a month and they are still like new. They grip to my Vaults like #### to a blanket and give good support. They are pretty heavy but they feel solid. The sole is only just showing signs of wear and I reckon it’ll be another 2 year before the 2nd pair come out of the box.

Hope that helps

people rarely post praise, only whinge. Therefore I ignore online reviews.

I had a set, used them every weekend for a few years and a few alp trips… still in the cupboard in perfectly useable condition. Don’t use them now as I don’t ride/race DH anymore so all my current bikes are fitted with spd pedals.

Cheers, how heavy is heavy compared to the likes of Shimano AM41, ok for trail ridding or too heavy? I do play at a bit of DH & 4X but mainly (circa 75%) trail ridding is on the cards.

Shoes can be too heavy for trail riding? FWIW my Sam Hill’s are 3-4 years old now, starting to get a little rough around the edges but have plenty life left in them yet

Cheers, because they’re bulky and I read they were heavy, not something I’ve ever considered but thought I would ask as they’re marketed at DH use.

Looks like I will be pulling the trigger on them (plus the green will match my Neon Green Five).

I loved mine. I got *nearly* 2 seasons of Alpine guiding (about 150 days of riding) out of them before they died.

I have the normal 5-10’s and really like them, grip is excellent and theyve taken a lot of abuse and wet muddy rides. I couldnt see the reason for extra cost of the Sam Hills and didnt like the white colour either.

I had a set of Impacts, which seem to be exactly the same shoe. They were ace in the dry, though a bit clumpy, horrible in the wet. Then they fell apart in half a dozen different ways- stitching burst all over, the sole delaminated, the inner lining wore and the footbed turned out to be made of cardboard which is just ridiculous from what’s supposed to be an outdoors product.

I’ve seen some Sam Hills that have a plasticky footbed instead of hte cardboard one, but I don’t know if they all have it. Even then, that was the worst criticism I had but far from the only one, teh shoes just didn’t seem to be up to all-year UK use.

I’m in a similar boat. Just about worn my Barons out, which have lasted a couple of years. Now I’m torn between Freeriders or the Sam Hill Impacts, anyone care to compare?

I used to have a pair of impacts but they did fall to bits after about 18 months of abuse. I don’t think they liked the washing washing as it caused the felt to break down and the soul to come away. What really stopped me getting another pair though was the weight and clumpy feel of them. They also used to soak up water and keep your feet pretty wet. I went for free rider elements as a replacement and I much prefer them. They’re not perfect (the bald bit on the soul makes muddy hike-a-biking a bit slippy) but IMO they are much more comfortable and seem to dry a lot quicker after splashing through puddles. They are built better than impacts as well, though I now keep them away from the washing machine and rinse under the tap to clean…

I’d get free riders over impacts….

Freeriders or the Sam Hill Impacts, anyone care to compare?

Want a stuff shoe? Get Impacts/Sam Hills/etc
Want a flexible shoe? Freeriders
Something in the middle? Danny Macs and whatever the other similar option is

Are the Danny Macs actually any stiffer? I thought it was just a different colour freerider. The Baron fitted nicely between the 2, but nothing seems to have replaced it. Could do with trying both on really.

Had them for ages – got a pair of Teva Links as a second pair of shoes, as the Sam Hills tended to retain water, if I rode them in the wet at a weekend, they were still wet ona Thursday night. Once I got the Tevas, I realised just how heavy and bulky the Sam Hills were – got rid soon after.

They are abit heavy and look abit sporty spice, but the grip is great and mine are holding up fine. I do want to get something abit less cumbersome for trail riding so im looking at giro jackets and save the Sam hills for DH.

I like my Freeriders, but as Stevomcd kindly pointed out after I broke my toe on La Varda, “Not much toe protection on those”. No there isn’t. Ow.

love the grip of five ten but really struggling to buy them again. Had my current pair of freeriders for a year now and they need replacing as have cracks in the shoe and the sole is starting to come away. I’d like a pair of shoes where the laces are covered up as hate taking em off at end of ride and have to touch soggy laces, also want something that keeps the water away a bit more. Impacts hold the water wayyyyyy too much! I may have to go for some of the shimano dancing shoes, i just wish they have five ten soles. Have you seen some of the new design five tens, my god they need some serious help with looks!

Loved them however they are heavy if your doing enduro/all mountain but not that much to make a big difference. I used them all through winter and were great in snow rain etc, however and I think its down to being washed to many times they did start to fall apart. I rode at least twice a week and as it was winter it was wet and muddy so needed to wash regularly. I have managed ot glue them up again where they were breaking off but am back on SPDs as comming into racing season but and dont use them currently. I do think ill get another year out of them though

Was surprised by how chunky they were when they arrived. My impacts are only for dh use. Don’t think I’d want to do a lot of pedalling in them. Quality wise can’t say. Not had them long enough.

A bit sporty spice is the reason I went for standard Impacts. Or it could be because I’m not fast enough.

My experience and conclusion is exactly the same as mmel’s hth

andeh – Member
Are the Danny Macs actually any stiffer?

IIRC the marketeers pushed them as being stiffer when the “pro” versions came out. I’ve not used normal Freeriders due to the fear of breaking toes as mentioned above 🙂

The 5.10 website still implies that they’re a bit more meaty http://fiveten.com/products/footwear-detail/12014-freerider-danny-macaskill as opposed to http://fiveten.com/products/footwear-detail/14579-freerider-grey-blue

I’m on my 3rd pair. Think tey are great.

The falling to bits is an issue if you do not dry them properly.
Take the inner out & dry really well after use.
That way they will last twice as long.

had 2 pairs and no complaints

bought the Sam hill V1 when it was launched, these lasted several years and eventually the sole went bald and the shoe split on the sides where the toes flex

bought the Sam hill V2 and these lasted 3 years until once again they wore out, started going balde and the shoes split on the sides where the toes flex, but I was doing lots of trail work in them

the bald sole never effected their grip on the pedals (if anything it was better as I could move my feet around a little more) but it was starting to stop me pushing up in mud where mud would clog what was left of the sole tread and cause slipping.

now have the new Karver high-top, really nice shoe. only got these because I could not find the Sam Hills in stock (maybe too popular?)

no complaints about 5-10, easily best flat pedal shoes for proper mountain biking

I’ve had 2 pairs of Impacts the a pair of Sam Hills since they were first released many years ago. They’ve all been abused, left wet in the back of the van for days and ridden 3-4 days a week and thy’ve all lasted fine. I think the Sam hills are a bit better designed and still going strong after 18 months of abuse. Slightly less ugly as well.

Tom KP

Cheers for all of the replys, waited till today to order, glad I did CRC had an extra 10% of at a few pennies under £60 I’ll give them a go 🙂