Well I’ve finally got myself a pair of Five Ten Impact shoes, well two pairs at the moment. I like them that much.

As most of you will probably know, Five Ten made the old Intense shoes, those awesome shoes for flat pedal bandits that were worn by all the pros. Basically they were just a Five Ten Impact shoe with Intense written on it. So in order to get the shoes somewhat cheaper (the Intenses weren’t cheap by any stretch) many people went out and bought the Impacts. Then Five Ten stopped production of the Impacts which also meant no more Intense shoes.

Which brings us to the present. Somehow, Five Ten found out about the demand for the shoes and after a poll on some mountain bike forums they then decided to start production again.

On to the performance. So what do you look for in a flat pedal shoe? Well the most important part to me is the grip and the feel, followed by how comfortable they are and if they are going to last.

Grip, well yes they do. Bloody well in fact. Their claim to fame is the Stealth Rubber sole, designed for people who climb mountains and cliffs. It just happens that it works just as well sticking to a pedal. The Impacts have a shallow, flat tread pattern allowing greater surface area on the pedal and a relatively thin sole thickness allowing a good feel through the shoe. However it’s not that thin that you can feel each individual pin sticking into your foot.

They're a comfortable shoe. I’ve been able to walk around with a pair on for days on end with no issues at all. The wrap around tongue is really cool. It is attached to the top of the shoe on one side so it will never move. It’s also padded to give a nice snug feel. The toe box is wide so you will not have cramped toes and the rest of the shoe is also wide enough so that people with wide feet shouldn’t have any troubles.

I haven’t used the shoes for long enough to see how well they will last. They look well built though, so it seems like they will, however I do remember that the sole would often separate from the shoe in spots on the Intenses. My Five Ten Mountain Blasters that I’ve reviewed before are still going strong a year on so I’m guessing the Impacts will be the same.

The one other thing I look for in any riding shoe is a reinforced toe box. Not like steel cap boots but some stiff rubber protecting my toes. It’s not fun stubbing your toe on a rock at 50 k’s so it’s good to see that the Impacts have this area covered.

Black, black and more black. Most people I talked to at the last race said they liked the straight black colour. I wouldn’t have minded something more colourful. But who really cares? The colour doesn’t stop them doing their job.

All up I think these shoes are the best things out there. If you run flat pedals you need a pair, end of story. They grip like nothing else, have a great feel and are comfortable. What more could you want?

Yes, thats dirt. I did actually test them...

Five Ten in the US have just stepped up and are sponsoring the Australian Commencal team. I may not have a bike yet but I’ve got the shoes! The review probably looks a bit dodgy at the moment seeing as they’re sponsoring me. However my review wasn’t compromised by this. I said exactly what I thought of the shoes.

I suppose you want to know where to get them from, check out fortheriders.com. A big thanks also has to go out to them for giving Farkin a set for review.