With the cleat sat flush with the bottom of the sole, I found pedal pins (on the Nukeproof Horizon CS pedals I use) dug into the sole aggressively at the start. This made releasing from the pedals a little stiffer than I expected, though after a week’s use, pedal and shoe meshed nicely, and I no longer suffered from stiff releases. When riding, you can feel that the shank of the shoe is softer than most dedicated MTB shoes, especially lighter, more XC-oriented options, and this does decrease the feeling of instant power transmission when you stomp on the pedals. On bigger rides or longer days in the saddle, my foot / arch would often also feel more tired than I’m used to due to the increased flex. The wider toe box (than the Five Ten and Pearl Izumi shoes that I normally wear) does also allow more movement from the front of your foot, which makes it feel like less of a performance fit in the front half of this shoe. But these same traits are very welcome when hiking in the Trailcross. The softer sole helps avoid that awkward heel-first rolling step I find myself often adopting in shoes with a stiffer sole, and the wider toe box gives your feet (toes) a bit of room to spread apart and increases stability when walking. This means, on walked descents, those with average-to-wide feet might find their toes getting squashed – again, the Velcro strap really helps mitigate this. The heel doesn’t feature particularly bulky protection. There’s ample padding around the heel, though, with a fairly well-defined heel cup.

Five Ten‘s hallmark is the brand’s Stealth rubber, used on the soles of all its shoes. The Trailcross Clip-In uses the Stealth Marathon rubber, a slightly harder-wearing version of the compound than you’d find on, for example, the Five Ten Impact Pro flat-pedal shoe. THE TRAILCROSS CLIP-IN IS FIVE TEN’S FIRST CLIP-IN SHOE THAT IS SPECIFICALLY ‘CREATED FOR ADVENTURE’. DESIGNED FROM THE GROUND UP TO PERFORM EQUALLY AS WELL ON THE BIKE AS IT DOES WHEN HIKING OFF THE BIKE. Five Ten has added reflective details on the Velcro strap and on the heel. Adidas Five Ten Trailcross Clip-In shoes performance They are truly waterproof, then, especially given on-trail wettings will be splash-based or, at the worst, brief submersions in deeper puddles or water crossings – much less demanding than a 20-minute bath. From what we call see, the only MTB shoe not offered in a Women’s version is the Kestrel Pro Boa clip-in DH race shoe. Recommended models

Value

The shoe’s tongue uses the same mesh material as the upper, and is thin compared to some of the best mountain bike shoes. Thanks to the Gore-Tex membrane, the Trailcross GTX can be comfortably submerged in water up to the membrane’s limit for prolonged periods (I submerged them for 20 minutes) without any ingress.

The combination of durable synthetic materials and mesh zones gives a shoe offering instant comfort. Abrasion-resistant zones are also deployed, boosting durability and ensuring the rough and tumble of mountain biking doesn’t take its toll on your footwear. Five Ten’s famous rubber soles are the cornerstone of its reputation, but there are a few different types it uses, and each has its own pros and cons, which we’ve listed above for you to reference to. Five Ten Stealth rubber types The proprietary EVA mid-sole is said to have the necessary toe flex for walking, but without sacrificing the stiffness needed for effective power transfer in the rest of the shoe.In regard to sizing, something important to note about the Traillcross Clip-in is that the stated fit (length) of this shoe seems to be large for its listed size. I sized down a half size to get the normal fit/feel compared to my other Five Ten shoes, and was glad that I did so. Five Ten offers the Trailcross Clip-in in a range of US Men’s 7 to 15, with half sizes up to a size 13, and in a women’s version with half sizes from 6.5 to 11. Adidas Five Ten regularly features in our list of the best mountain bike shoes, but the footwear king has an extensive and sometimes confusing range of options. Such that, shoes that look similar can often perform differently on the trails, thanks to different materials, construction and rubber. Which is why we’ve created this guide to which Adidas Five Ten shoes are right for you. Five Ten mountain bike shoe models On the bike, the flexible sole that so aids walking gives the shoe its one minor downside, certainly from a dropped-bar point of view. The shoe really benefits from a platform-style pedal, rather than an unsupportive XC pedal. I found when run with smaller pedals, a hot-spot under the foot would appear after a couple of hours. My Shimano cleats didn’t sit proud of the sole, and so while there’s some cleat chatter on rough surfaces, I could walk through a restaurant without turning heads.