Five Ten Impact Pro flat-pedal shoes review
Flat pedal grip and support in a lighter weight package
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While other brands have come close, none has yet matched the glue-like stickiness of Five Ten’s ‘Stealth S1’ rubber. Our main criticism of the older Impact models was always their clumpy size and weight, and the slimline VXi version that followed was plagued by durability issues. Now though, Adidas’s outdoor subsidiary seem to have got it right, with the Impact Pros.
A reinforced toe cap and abrasion-resistant outer provide ample protection, and the midsole is supportive but not so stiff that you lose pedal feel.
The padding has been slimmed down considerably, so not only do these look less like corrective footwear, but they dry quicker after a soaking. This contributes to a reasonable weight of 1,100g (pair, EU43).
There’s enough padding around the heel to hold your foot in place, but because the internal volume is still quite big and the outsole — with its new ‘multi-dotty’ pattern — locks so solidly onto the pedals, there are instances when you can feel your foot shifting from side to side slightly.
The addition of a Velcro lace strap or Boa closure to improve the snugness of the fit would be welcome.
Authors
Former Mountain Biking UK features editor Ed Thomsett is a downhiller at heart but has been riding bikes of all types since a young age. He's raced both nationally and internationally in downhill and enduro, and has spent several summers living in the Alps and Canada, riding, roadtripping and living the dirtbag lifestyle. Now Ed calls upon his years of experience riding bikes to the limit as a writer and reviewer for MBUK and BikeRadar. He's also an avid trail builder and has scraped out numerous steep and technical lines in the woodlands of his native North Yorkshire. These days Ed will happily turn his hand to any discipline and believes the sign of a good week is when every bike in his shed ends up muddy by the end of it.
