Five Ten steps up its shoe range for 2016

Classics evolved from the well renowned shoe brand

Published: August 27, 2015 at 1:30 am

Five Ten have continued to evolve key models of their shoe line up for 2016. Here are a few that really caught our eyes at Eurobike this week…

Kestrel Laces

The new kestrel lace is 15 percent less stiff than the pricier boa version: the new kestrel lace is 15 percent less stiff than the pricier boa version

The new Kestrel Laces

Though the Kestrel shoe had a fairly recent makeover where it received, most notably, the BOA closure system (which proved to be a touch hit or miss between our testers), Five Ten have launched a more affordable version, minus the pricier indexed tightening dial.

The Kestrel Lace (yep, you guessed it, laces rather than the BOA system to tighten them up) gets a nylon shank which makes it roughly 15 percent more flexible than the top tier Kestrel, making it, according to Five Ten, even more comfortable off the bike.

Unlike the more expensive kestrel that uses two types of rubber on it’s sole, the lace version just gets stealth s1 dotty rubber throughout: unlike the more expensive kestrel that uses two types of rubber on it’s sole, the lace version just gets stealth s1 dotty rubber throughout

The outer sole uses Five Ten’s S1 rubber throughout, rather than a mix of S1 and Mi6 as seen on its more expensive counterpart.

Alongside the laces, the Velcro strap should help to keep them securely fixed to your feet.

There’s two colour options for the guys, and two colour options for the ladies.

Impact Sam Hill

Five ten have tweaked their popular impact shoe to help it last even longer: five ten have tweaked their popular impact shoe to help it last even longer

The silhouette of the Impacts hasn’t changed hugely over the past few years, but with the help of a certain Australian shredder, Five Ten have refined them somewhat and added some great little updates to help improve wear, comfort and grip.

The new Sam Hill version (along with the regular Impact) gets properly reinforced lace eyelets to ensure nothing pulls through or damages the upper when you’re really cranking the laces up super tight. There’s also a stitch that runs across the front of the foot, helping to keep the Stealth S1 outer sole attached to the upper of the shoe.

Where the Sam Hill Impact differs from the regular Impact is that it gets a full synthetic upper (rather than a more breathable mesh over the toe area) for better weather protection.

If you’re keen for more support around the ankle, Five Ten have also revamped their Impact high top and it’s available in two different colours.

Freerider ELC

The weather resistant upper also gets a dwr coating to really help keep moisture out: the weather resistant upper also gets a dwr coating to really help keep moisture out

If you’re after a bit more protection from the elements, the Freeride ELC could well be just the ticket. The most obvious addition is easy to spot. The DWR coated upper and massive Velcro lace flap help to keep the moisture at bay, crud off the laces takes some of the hassle out of the cleaning process.

On the underside, Five Ten have opted to go for their Stealth Ph Dotty rubber in a bid to keep your feet glued to the pedals. For those that don’t mind a bit of pedalling, the Freeider ELC gets a stiffer, more efficient midsole than the standard Freerider shoe.

There’s two wild colours to choose from too.

Check out more news from Eurobike at our Eurobike homepage.

Robin Weaver

Technical editor-in-chief

Technical editor-in-chief, Rob Weaver, manages all of the testing here at BikeRadar and across our magazines, Mountain Biking UK and Cycling Plus. Rob first graced the pages of MBUK back in 2001 when working as a freelancer and went on to start testing bikes for the title in 2007. In 2010 he joined the team full-time and has been keeping a close eye on all things test-related ever since. Rob’s expansive knowledge of bikes comes courtesy of his passion for racing. He cut his teeth racing cross-country mountain bikes in the early 90s before finding his feet in the discipline of downhill. After many years competing on the UK national circuit (including a year attempting to race UCI DH World Cups), Rob realised his know-how and passion for bike setup, tech and writing clearly outweighed his racing ability. A degree in Sports Technology and decades of riding experience all help to give Rob a thorough understanding of what’s needed to create a great bike or product. It helps that he’s more passionate about riding than ever and will spend much of his free time consuming just about every bike-related publication he can get his hands on. While Rob’s a mountain biker at heart and never happier than when he’s sliding down a Welsh hillside, he’s more than happy to put the miles in on the road or gravel bike, too.

Accessibility Links