Unparallel Dust Up review

The Unparallel Dust Ups are flat-pedal mountain bike shoes, designed for gravity-focused riding.

They boast a dual-compound outsole, with a softer ‘Virtual Damping’ – or VD, as Unparallel calls it – compound rubber in the middle that's claimed to absorb vibrations. The outer perimeter, toe and heel feature a harder ‘Real Honor’ (RH) rubber.

The soul has a softer portion, with a waffle-like pattern that sits beneath the ball of the foot, with deep indents for pedal pins to sit in.

Fitted with a ‘55 asker C’ midsole, Unparallel says the Dust Up’s stiffness is ‘hard’. This, the brand states, is to ensure all-day comfort.

An OrthoLite footbed, made from recycled materials, is fitted.

The vegan-friendly synthetic thermoplastic polyurethane (or TPU for short) upper is designed to be breathable and has perforations on the top of the toe box for cooling.

Traditional laces are paired with a Velcro strap, so fit and tightness can be dialled in.

Available in two colours – grey, as tested, or dark grey and black – the Dust Ups look more like clipless mountain bike shoes than flat-pedal ones.

At $149.95, they’re not cheap, but are priced similarly to Five Ten’s Impact Pros. However, the Five Tens have legendary performance to back up their cost.

My pair of EU42 test samples weighed 840g, lighter than a pair of Impact Pros (EU42, 996g), but heavier than the Trailcross XT (EU42, 772g).

Unparallel Dust Up shoes performance

Exuding quality, the Dust Ups feel robust and sturdy in hand.

It’s easy to spot the difference in outsole compounds by pinching it between your fingernails, with the central VD rubber feeling more malleable and supple to touch compared to the outer edges’ RH material.

With generous openings, the Dust Ups are easy to slip on. However, the criss-cross lacing pattern, wide lace anchors and chunky Velcro strap make tuning tightness and fit quick and easy.

Their length feels true to size; I wouldn’t want to size up or down to get a better fit.

However, in width, the toe box feels relatively narrow, while the heel is quite wide. This might cause issues – such as foot movement or discomfort – for some, but wasn’t an issue for my feet.

I mitigated any potential foot movement caused by the wider-feeling heel by tightening the laces and strap more than other shoes, such as Endura’s MT500 Burner Flat Shoe.

On-foot, the hard midsole lives up to Unparallel’s claims. When walking, they feel particularly robust and stiff; clumpy, even.

While riding, this has its positives and negatives.

Your feet are well supported; clawing and flexion is all-but eliminated compared to softer models (such as Five Ten’s Trail Cross), especially when used with smaller pedals such as DMR’s V6.

This helps reduce foot fatigue and ‘buzz’ through the soles especially on long, rough descents.

But that same stiffness makes it hard to distinguish exactly where your feet are on the pedals.

This numbness can lead to foot-placement errors or unnecessary re-adjustments in a bid to find the right spot.

However, it is mostly felt when climbing and pedalling or descending on smoother, less extreme trails where my feet would sometimes lift from the pedal’s surface rather than remain stuck to it.

Outsole grip is impressive, however. The pedal’s pins both penetrate the stickier, softer VD rubber, and sink into many of the sole’s waffle-like depressions.

Generally when descending, to adjust your feet on the pedals they need to be lifted clear of the pins and then replaced, akin to the grip offered by Five Ten’s Stealth rubber.

There is, however, some very limited slip on rougher trails. The outsole is likely not the cause of this, it’s instead the stiff, flex-limiting midsole.

A marginally softer shoe wouldn’t add to fatigue or foot claw, but would improve grip by enabling your foot to cup the pedals slightly.

The upper feels protective, helping reduce the chances of foot injury or pain from floor, rock or root strikes. They’re significantly more protective than Five Ten’s thin Trailcross shoes, feeling closer to the Endura MT500.

With less padding but a harder feel than FiveTen’s Impact Pros, they soak up less water and dry quicker, but feel less cushioned as a result.

The upper’s smooth surface is easy to wipe clean, too.

Unparallel Dust Up shoes bottom line

Breaking into the flat-pedal shoe market – that’s dominated by Five Ten’s undisputed traction – is a tricky task.

The Dust Up shoes offer impressive grip, thanks to the tacky rubber. However, the stiff sole might not suit everyone, numbing feel and reducing traction a little too much.

Cost is another factor that might put some off, but they’re priced similarly to Five Ten’s closest competitor, the Impact Pro.