I recently bought a pair of Five-Ten Impact Hi shoes. My old pair of leather boots I used for muni were falling apart and I wanted something more substantial than the “school daps” type skate shoes that are so popular. I considered light-weight walking boots and 661 Duallys, but in the end went for the Five-Tens. They’re quite pricey because nobody seems to have any cheap deals on them yet (I paid £65 from Chain Reaction Cycles), but no more than the normal price of the 661s. They’re designed for mountain biking on pinned pedals, and have a sort of “octopus sucker” sole pattern, a bit like some climbing boots.
So far I’m very happy with my choice. They look very well made and look like they should last well, even in Dartmoor’s wet gritty environment. They’re extremely comfortable with loads of padding round the ankle and they grip my pedals (DMR V8s) like limpets. The grip is very reassuring and only took me a few minutes to get used to (felt almost too grippy at first). It’s easy enough to adjust foot position using the good old “tilt and swivel” technique.
The only thing I can’t comment on at the moment is the longevity, but they certainly have a very good-quality, well-made feel and look like they should last for ages. I’ve done about 100 miles on them so far and there’s hardly even a pin mark on the soles - impressive, as the rubber seems quite soft. We’ll see how well they stand up to the usual Dartmoor weather when this weird dry spell is over, but so far it’s a big thumbs up.
Rob
) I’m ready for another pair! Many websites sell them for over $100, but I found a place locally that sells them for only $79.98! So I’m picking them up tomorrow and save shipping. These are flat out the best shoes I’ve ever owned!
