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The Five Ten Freeriders are a versatile pair of flat pedal shoes that have long been popular amongst mountain bikers. They’re super comfortable, they look sharp, and most importantly, they give you excellent grip and feel on your pedals.
What we liked
- Very comfortable
- Stealth rubber soles provide excellent grip and feel
- Versatile on trail and off
- Good breathability
What could be better
- Soles are not the stiffest which reduces energy transfer to pedals
- Not as protective as some shoes
Related: Best Flat Pedal Mountain Bike Shoes of the Year
Comfort and feel
Whether its mountain bike shoes or some other type of shoes, when it comes to footwear, the comfort factor is always going to be important.
The Five Ten Freerider shoes are very comfortable shoes, which was obvious from the moment we put them on.
Fit
The Freerider shoe fits true to size, so get whatever size you normally wear in other casual or athletic shoes. They aren’t overly narrow and because of this they will fit a wide range of feet well.
Breathability
The Five Ten Freerider offers your feet excellent airflow thanks to the design of the shoe. There is no material covering the laces area similar to most casual shoes, and the suede and mesh upper allows for solid breathability.
Soles
The soles of the Five Ten Freerider shoes are less stiff compared to many other models. This makes the shoes way more comfortable for walking around in and wearing as a casual shoe compared to stiffer models.
This also makes the shoes comfy for short and mid length rides, but on longer rides (we’re talking 3 plus hours) the lower level of support in the soles can cause fatigue and some foot soreness.
Most mountain bikers who’ve ridden a decent variety of trail systems know that there are some trails where you are going to have to get off and hike your bike through sections. The reduced sole stiffness of the Five Ten Freerider shoes makes them ideal for these situations.
As for the feel of the Freeriders on your pedals, the softer sole gives you better feedback of your foot placement on the pedals compared to stiffer soled alternatives, and this is a boost for your confidence to know your feet are well positioned and you’re ready for whatever lies ahead on the trail.
The shoes also give you a feel of almost wrapping around the pedals thanks to their relative softness, which is another confidence booster.
Pedal grip
The Five Ten Freerider mountain bike shoes are among the best in class when it comes to pedal grip for flat pedal shoes.
Rubber compound
The specialized, Stealth S1 rubber compound found in the sole of the Five Ten Freerider is designed to provide an excellent grip between your flat pedals and the shoes, and is a major reason why the Five Ten Freerider is among the most popular mountain bike shoes in the world.
The Stealth rubber soles work very well at keeping you locked in to your pedals regardless of which type of riding you do. They grip well while climbing, descending, and everything in between.
They also do a great job at keeping their grip even in wet conditions, like if you’re riding in the rain or decide to venture out on snow covered trails.
Dotty tread pattern
The Dotty tread pattern, a staple of the Freerider lineup, helps to provide better grip on flat pedals, but also works great to give your feet better traction on the ground – especially useful if you’re doing rides that involve having to walk your bike, or when you need to put your foot down to catch yourself.
Softer sole
The softer, Stealth rubber sole of the Freerider actually helps the shoes provide even better grip. This is because by virtue of being less stiff, the shoes bend or wrap around the pedals slightly, and dig in to the pedal pins a bit more than many other flat pedal mountain bike shoes do.
This feeling of having your foot almost wrap around the pedal slightly helps to keep you locked in while riding all sorts of terrain, whether that be fast descents, hitting jumps at the bike park or riding over rough sections of trail.
Energy transfer
The Five Ten Freerider shoes provide solid energy transfer and extra stiffness that you will notice if you’re used to riding with skate shoes or other shoes that are not mountain bike specific.
Sole stiffness
While they’re stiffer than skate shoes, the Freeriders are not the stiffest mountain bike shoes on the market. This makes them versatile and good to use for a variety of trails and styles of riding, as well as excellent casual shoes outside of MTB, but they do leave something to be desired on longer rides.
Generally speaking, stiffer soles transfer the energy from your pedal strokes more efficiently than less stiff soles. Less stiff soles, like the ones in the Five Ten Freerider, lose some of the energy from your pedal strokes in the flex of the shoe.
Stiffer soled alternatives do not flex as much, so less energy is lost from this phenomenon. For this reason, mountain bikers who do a lot of long rides, and people who ride mainly cross country where your pedaling efficiency is more important, may prefer stiffer shoes than the Five Ten Freerider.
With that being said, if your riding consists mainly of shorter rides and you do a good mix of different things on your mountain bike (not just cross country), you likely won’t notice any problem with the stiffness of the Freerider soles.
Durability
One of the reasons the Five Ten Freerider line of mountain bike shoes is so well loved is their durability.
Soles
The Stealth rubber soles are very durable and hold up well with very little wear showing even after a season of frequent use.
If you’re coming from regular shoes or skate shoes, you may have noticed those tend to get chewed up by the pins in your flat pedals. That definitely isn’t a problem with the Freeriders.
Uppers
The suede and mesh upper on the shoes have good durability. They are quite resistant to damage even after a season of frequent use in all sorts of conditions.
The shoes are not bullet proof, and some riders report that the uppers have been damaged from striking rocks and other obstacles on the trail.
If you want extremely durable shoes and like the Freeriders, you should take a look at the premium version, the Five Ten Freerider Pro.
Protection
Protection from strikes
The protection offered by the Five Ten Freerider is decent, and your feet will definitely be better protected compared to casual or skate shoes thanks to the relatively stiffer sole and sturdier construction.
But compared to some higher-end models, including the Freerider Pro, the Freeriders do leave something to be desired in terms of how well they protect your feet from striking rocks and other obstacles while you are riding.
In particular, the Freeriders do not have the same level of cushioning or toe box protection when compared to the Freerider Pro version of the shoes.
Water resistance
The Five Ten Freeriders have good water resistance for those rainy days which makes them excellent wet weather riding shoes.
They aren’t water proof, but that is rare for MTB shoes. However, it is almost surprising how dry your feet will be after a ride through wet conditions in the the Freeriders.
Style
While the style of any shoes is going to depend on rider preference, we find the style of the Freerider shoes to be perfect and very versatile.
On trail
Go to any busy trail system or bike park and you’re sure to notice lots of riders wearing some variation of the Five Ten Freeriders. Of course, a big part of this is because of how effectively they work to grip your pedals and ride in. But do you think they would be this popular amongst riders if they didn’t also look the part?
This obviously depends on your own preferences, but we find the Five Ten Freeriders look great on the pedals.
Off trail
As mentioned above, the relatively soft soles make the Freeriders a great choice of MTB shoe if you want something that can also double as your casual shoes after your ride is done.
These shoes look classy with their suede and canvas uppers, but they are not over the top.
They do not look out of place just about anywhere you wear them, whether that’s your local pub after a ride, or even for a casual shoe to walk around in day in and day out.
Frequently asked questions
About 425 grams (15 ounces) per shoe in a size 10.5.
Five Ten shoes including the Freeriders we tested run true to size.
Freeriders fit comfortably out of the box and don’t require a long break in period. However, they do tend to fit and conform to your feet better the more you wear them.
Five Ten Freeriders use a specialized, Stealth rubber compound in their soles, which paired with their Dotty tread pattern provides excellent grip, both on flat pedals and on the ground. The relative softness of the soles allows them to slightly wrap around the pedals, which gives riders a feeling of being locked in to their pedals.
The Freeriders have some protection in the toe box area, but do not have the same level of protection in the toe box compared to the higher end Five Ten Freerider Pro version.
How we review mountain bike shoes
When reviewing mountain bike shoes, we look at the following factors:
- Comfort and feel
- Pedal grip
- Energy transfer
- Durability
- Protection
- Style
For a detailed breakdown of how we assess each of these factors, check out how we review mountain bike shoes here.
Conclusion
Overall, the Five Ten Freeriders are an awesome choice if you’re in the market for flat pedal MTB shoes. They’re grippy, comfortable, and versatile enough to wear for all sorts of trails and riding styles, and they work just as well at the pub for a post ride beverage too. If you’re looking for solid all-around mountain bike shoes, the Five Ten Freeriders should definitely be a pair you check out.