Hi All,
I would really love to get a Five Ten shoes, but here in Israel they cost almost $200 (while the same model in U.S. costs around $100).
But still nevertheless I was wondering what good replacements exist in the market.
I want shoes mainly for "36 long rides, but also for "26 XC.
Any recommendations?
Thanks a lot!
I can recommend Shimano AM41 MTB Shoes.
Pros: protected ankle bone which is very good, covered laces, not too hot.
Cons: not found yet.
Using Shimano AM40 fourth year (only sole print worn due to pedals pins) and ready to switch to AM41 
Looks like a decent shoe but the soles look way too thin, at least compared to the 5.10 Karver. It’s also synthetic leather (Vinyl) which tends to get hot, and for $100 I want real leather.
Hi. I live in a neighborhood here in MD with lots of people coming and going to and from Israel.
Maybe we could work something out. I could put you in touch with someone. IM me.
I just found a great deal on 5.10 Karvers. I’ve been wearing them for years now and love them. I just ordered a new pair with free 2-day shipping (from Utah) for only $83! Go here.
I did not use 5.10 Karver yet and can’t compare. But I belive that sole of 5.10 is thicker.
Are they made of real leather? Looks like same material as Shimano.
The dot matrix soles of the Karver are amazingly grippy, thick, firm and durable. They have “Action leather” uppers. And the link I posted has them for less than the Shimano, and with free shipping. A great deal for the Best MUni shoe ever! 
Yes sure… if you live in US or Canada… They doesn’t want to ship goods to me at all 
I use five-ten Impact highs. I love them for muni and for distance. For distance I might want the lows, but the highs are great for muni. They protect my ankles against rocks and are very supportive.
I love them.
The deal on the karvers are great. I might have to buy them too. I once had a major UPD on my 36 because of the laces getting wrapped around the crank, so a flap would be nice like on the karver.
For flatland-type tricks, I use Nike Mogans (half size larger than my usual size). They are lighter than the five-tens, have great grip and also protect my ankles.
How about Teva The Links?
That’s my fav shoe for all around riding, lightweight and durable.
+1 for the Teva Links!
Works very well with flat pedals and they made the difference in my schlumpf riding experience 
five tens are affordable if you can buy online. I havent seen much similar. Some hiking shoes could fit the riding well if your not sporting a Guni
check out Five Tens @
I like the Mad Rock Fury. It’s narrow, but if that will work for you it’s a great shoe for around $50 in the US. It is a lot like the old 5.ten High Fives. Same dot sole sticky rubber, and lighter than the Impact. Leather, mid height. And they fit my B width feet.
I’m not so sure the 5.tens have much rubber on them. My last pair finally fell apart, and I was surprised how thin the sticky rubber really was. The way they mold the rubber around the Eva is deceiving. To be fair they lasted a good long time, and the soles weren’t worn through they just unglued themselves.
I would look at approach/bouldering shoes from climbing shoe companies. There are probably brands and models available to you that we don’t have in the states.
My Carvers are as much grippy in summer as slippery in winter. Can’t use them below 0 at all. Pity.
Hi All,
Thanks a lot for you recommendations!
There’s just one thing I need to know from your experience - most of the shoes like Shimano and others come with sole compatible for cleats/ SPD.
However, of course I won’t be using cleats but would the surface of the sole still be good enough for the flat pedals I have or not?
Thanks!
Been reading user reviews on the Teva links vs 5.10 impacts and/or karvers, and the general consensus leans toward the 5.10s for superior wear and grip. The Tevas are a much lighter shoe, and the fit and style is closer to that of skate shoes, and a few reviews claimed that pedal pins tear up the soles in a short amount of time.
A couple negatives on the 5.10s were the heavy weight and “butt ugliness”, lol. The bottom line from most users seemed to be that the Tevas are a decent shoe, but fit a narrower than the impacts/karvers, and won’t get near the amount of life as the 5.10s.
Reagarding to Shimano shoes - they have both modifications SPD and flat pedals. They have no “plugs” as 661 so you will have cleats mounting holes.
Check description and see photos. They usually metion it.
I’ve actually run into this review - which says in the bottom line that the sole got wear out very fast (see the photo in there).
http://www.bikemag.com/gear/review-shimano-am41/
Did you encounter anything like that as well?
How much kilometers do you have on yours and what’s the soles condition?
Thanks!
I bought them (AM40) in the middle of 2010 and sole started to wear. But that actually what I was expecting using DMR V8 pedals on my bike.
Much more wear showed when I started use them on unicycle in March 2012 with Vellgo Magnezium pedals.
Sole worn very badly and have one hole but they are still good.
Now we can see that sole worn for about 1,5 year of almost daily usage (I working 28x28 shifts so six month a year I can’t ride).
Need to add that thay are very comfortable during ride and walking.
Here some snaps of my current Shimano AM40:
Hudson,
I have worn all of the shoes mentioned so far except for the Mad Rock.
The Shimano AM 40 wears extremely fast in the sole, the pedal pins shredded the sole in weeks, after two months they were done. I would not recommend them. The AM 41 is a clipless shoe, the sole is too hard for pin use.
I have ridden Five Ten Impacts, Freerides, and Red Barons, and though they are not bad shoes, they are also not great shoes. The Freerides are very flexy in the arch and sole wear is poor. The Impacts, carvers, and their like are heavy, sole wear is fair, and they don’t always stand up to heavy use. Another issue I have with Five Tens is that the midsole is made of cardboard and softens appreciably in a matter of months. They also don’t dry fast and they get to stinkin quickly.
The Teva The Links is the only shoe I have ridden that has lasted more than a year, in fact I still have them and Ride them on wet days, they are like a Timex watch; they just keep on tickin along. The Tevas are also hydrophobic and lightweight, which are not characteristics of any Five Tens. The Tevas are still ~75% of their original stiffness, and that’s with hundreds of trail miles. Sole wear is as good as any Five Ten, which is not saying much since all sticky soled rubber is fast wearing. If I were riding road, the Links are the best choice because they are lightweight and breathe well, which are not chracteristics of any Five Tens
sticky sole = soft rubber = fast wearing.
As for shoes with clipless cleat “holes”, those shoes are often too stiff, the soles are not designed for pins so they wear poorly, and the cleat hole combined with the curvature of the sole (rocker) make sole to pedal contact a little less secure.
I have found that no matter what sole you get, they will all slip when wet unless they have deep lugs that grab the pedal pins. Even the stickiest rubber will not grab when coated with mud, but a lugged boot sole will shed mud and even when coated with clay, will still grab the pedal pins.
My daily driver shoes are a pair of Mtb clipless shoes that I had resoled with a lugged Vibram rubber. These were kinda pricey to have made and it was trial and error to get them just right. You can see my review on on the gear page.
My “travel” shoes that serve double purpose for hiking and riding are Keen Bryce WP, they have a flat wide sole that works very well for muni. If I were going to have one shoe that worked for all things, this would be the one I’d choose.
If it were me, knowing what I know now, and living where you live, I’d get a lugged sole and forget about bike specific sticky rubber shoes. Notice that my daily driver is a lugged sole…however, seeing as you live somewhere that is hot and dry, the Teva Links would be a nice lightweight comfortable shoe.
