Can a limited edition model of an existing shoe cut the mustard? Ben runs the Troy Lee Designs edition of the FiveTen Freerider Pro through the test machine.
Would you pay more money for a gawdy colour and some brand collaboration? The Troy Lee Designs limited edition Five Ten Freerider Pro is essentially that, but do they cut the mustard?
Ben has been running these lurid green trail kicks through the winter to see if they stack up.
Key Features
- Stealth S1 rubber soles
- Impact-resistant toe box
- Quick drying OrthoLite liner
- Exclusive Troy Lee Designs collaboration and design
- £130.00 RRP
- Adidas.co.uk
The Five Ten Freerider Pro needs no introduction. A modern classic from the masters of the flat pedal shoe game, they feature the Dotty tread pattern Stealth rubber soles that all other shoes are measured against. These bright yellow and blue numbers are part of a collaboration series of shoes between Five Ten and Troy Lee Designs and are eye-catching to say the least.
Construction is built around a compression moulded EVA midsole which aims to give a blend of pedalling stiffness and all-day riding comfort. The synthetic upper has a tough toe box, ventilation holes and is fastened by old school laces. When Five Ten first got taken under Adidas’ wing there were a lot of durability issues with soles coming unstuck from shoes. I experienced this myself as did a number of my riding buddies. Hopefully these newer models would hold up better, especially through the wettest winter in recent memory.
Over the past 5 months these shoes have done countless miles of wet, gritty and grim winter riding. As expected, the grip and feel the soles provide is, in my opinion, untouchable. There is just something magic in that rubber formula that keeps you glued to the pedals without the need to run crazy long pins.
They feel stiff enough to be efficient and I happily and comfortably pedalled them on 40km enduro epics. Obviously they are not winter specific shoes, so your feet will get wet, but they don’t soak up tonnes of water or become too heavy, and I would mostly wear waterproof socks with them anyway. Drying out time is in line with most other modern shoes.
What do we think?
Overall they have been absolutely bang on and barely show any signs of wear. All the stitching and glue is rock solid and even the soles look pretty much like new so I have no doubt that your large £100+ investment should last you a long time.
The showy, in your face styling won’t be to everyone’s taste, but if you are into it then these are a top quality, high performance pair of flat pedal shoes. If your feet are blowing of the pedals in the Five Ten Freerider Pro then it isn’t the shoes, you need to see a skills coach.
We Love
- Those soles…
- All day comfort
Could Do Better
- Expensive compared to the competition
