Five Ten is aiming for a slice of the enduro/trail market with a lighter, more securely anchored version of its original Maltese Falcon clipless shoe.
Sole stiffness is high so you can get the power down out of corners or pedally sections, and twin broad Velcro straps with laces underneath lock them on to your feet really securely without crimp or cramp points. Unsurprisingly, feedback feels more remote than with floppier shoes, but the Stealth S1 rubber sole increases grip so you can still twist and drive the bike through your feet.
Slight flex in the toe stops them pulling up at the heel when you’re pushing, and walking grip is OK unless it’s really muddy. They shrug off showers and puddle splashes well and dry really quickly. At 936g (size 44), they’re 300g lighter than Shimano’s benchmark AM45s, which helps your feet feel noticeably faster on pedally sections. They don’t feel like wellies after a full day on the bike and the thinner outsole stops them scuffing cranks and swingarms like other shoes can.
While they’re more expensive than the previous Falcons, they’re competitive with other premium plimsolls. They’ve slotted straight in among our other current hardcore favourites.
