Five Ten Freerider Contact Shoe

Stealth Rubber Soles: The highlight of these shoes is definitely the Stealth Mi6 rubber. When locked in, you forget you’re not riding clipless—except you can kick a foot for balance around a bank without a second thought. A generous flat section allows you to easily shift your feet or catch the pedals if you get bucked off.  The one bummer: this rubber won’t last forever. If you’re biking more days than not, you might be running through multiple pairs in a year. However, when compared to skate shoes or even other MTB shoe brands, this damping, grippy sole has reasonable longevity and the grip can’t be beat. 

Design: The design of the chassis is updated from the VXi, a staple in the Five Ten line, but the Freerider’s toe box is armored and can take a beating. In the middle of the Kokopelli Trail, a bikepacking tester jammed his downhill foot into a shark fin of a rock on a fast, tight section. In many other shoes, this would’ve resulted in a lost toenail or at the very least, significant subsequent pain. The Freerider got scuffed, but thanks to the armored toe box, it kept on rolling.

Bottom Line: From bikepacking adventures to mountain bike races, these shoes have proved their worth over and over again. Purchase confidently—then ride even more so