Review: Five Ten Freerider Pro 2017 MTB flat-pedal shoe

- Full special Stealth S1™ dotty outsole

- Synthetic, light-weight, weather-resistant upper

- Impact-resistant toe box

- Compression-molded EVA foam midsole

- Removable Ortholite molded insole

- EVA foam padded heal and toe with ant-abrasion protection

You can decide for yourself, but I like the looks of the new Freerider Pro. I think the design is a step forward from the older models and moving on from the all-so-successful previous Freerider was inevitable. The unicoloured, ventilated, synthetic upper gives the shoe a nice and sleek finish. The seams are well-machined all around and the anti-abrasion heal and toe add an extra layer of protection where it matters. If anything, these shoes promise to be even more durable than previous models.

I love the dotty Stealth S1 sole as it basically glues the shoe to the paddle and still handles OK on muddy, slippery slopes when pushing the bike. Five Ten simply has this part figured out.

A little historical sidenote, Jeff Steber, founder of California-based Intense Cycles requested a pair of sticky soled shoes for mountain biking in 2000 and that’s how the nearby climbing shoe manufacturer Five Ten got into MTB cycling shoes. The rest is history.

Apart from the new design, one thing that really stuck out to me was that the shoe felt noticeably lighter, like a lot lighter. Enough for me to get the scales out. And voila, new vs. old in my US size 11.5 meant 410 grams per shoe compared to 475 grams for the old shoe. That is a great improvement.

Let’s be honest, shoes either fit or they don’t. With Five Ten it’s the former for me. I have feet that are rather wide and this brand, which since 2011 is part of Adidas, makes MTB shoes that are generally wide and comfortable. So comfortable that I keep a pair of them as everyday sneakers as well. Beware, the S1 soles do leave black marks, especially on the wood floors of our bc office.

I knew that I needed US size 11.5 and that’s what I always get. No difference this time, the 2017 Freerider Pro sizing is dead on for me. They don’t run either big or small in comparison to other sport shoes and sneakers I own. The Ortholite insoles are removable and fit smoothly into the shoes.

The Freerider Pro has a simple, laces closure system. No ratchets, Velcro or other gizmos. That’s cool with me.

Enough talk, the day the shoes arrived on my desk, I left the office early and took the Freerider Pro on its first ride. It fit like a glove on my foot with the first pedal stroke. Actually, I totally forgot that I was wearing new shoes. That is a great sign, after all, who wants to think of his shoes while shredding trails?

I already gave my opinion on the Stealth S1 sole. It provides endless grip on the pedal. By the way, I did machine-wash my old Freeriders a few times. Although Five Ten probably does not approve, washing actually seemed to activate the stickiness of the sole’s rubber even more and it did not hurt the shoes one bit.

After a few weeks and dozens of rides, the Freerider Pro still performs as its name promises. It’s lightweight, it sticks to the pedal, my feet don’t get hot and are still well protected against rocks, dirt and underbrush. The shoe even withstands some moisture and rain and wear and tear is barely noticeable so far. I couldn’t ask for more from a flat-pedal shoe.

Switching my bike-components office chair for some product review-time every once in a while is great!