Dubbed the Stealth Marathon, the sole is said to be non-marking and provide grip on “ever-changing terrain”.

With the cleat sat flush with the bottom of the sole, I found pedal pins (on the Nukeproof Horizon CS pedals I use) dug into the sole aggressively at the start. This made releasing from the pedals a little stiffer than I expected, though after a week’s use, pedal and shoe meshed nicely, and I no longer suffered from stiff releases. These shoes are compatible with MTB pedal systems, which use the 2-bolt cleat standard (SPD standard), e.g.: Shimano SPD, Time ATAC, CrankBrothers, CrankBrothers Race, Look MTB, Xtreme MTB, Wellgo MTB, Ritchey MTB. My Shimano cleats didn’t sit proud of the sole, and so while there’s some cleat chatter on rough surfaces, I could walk through a restaurant without turning heads. Adidas Five Ten regularly features in our list of the best mountain bike shoes, but the footwear king has an extensive and sometimes confusing range of options. Such that, shoes that look similar can often perform differently on the trails, thanks to different materials, construction and rubber. Which is why we’ve created this guide to which Adidas Five Ten shoes are right for you. Five Ten mountain bike shoe models Heel lift is near non-existent, in my experience, largely thanks to the Velcro strap. It gets in the way when tying the laces, but other than that is an integral part of the shoe’s overall fit.

Adidas Five Ten Trailcross Clip-In shoes specification and details

Thanks to the Gore-Tex membrane, the Trailcross GTX can be comfortably submerged in water up to the membrane’s limit for prolonged periods (I submerged them for 20 minutes) without any ingress.

They are truly waterproof, then, especially given on-trail wettings will be splash-based or, at the worst, brief submersions in deeper puddles or water crossings – much less demanding than a 20-minute bath. THE TRAILCROSS CLIP-IN IS FIVE TEN’S FIRST CLIP-IN SHOE THAT IS SPECIFICALLY ‘CREATED FOR ADVENTURE’. DESIGNED FROM THE GROUND UP TO PERFORM EQUALLY AS WELL ON THE BIKE AS IT DOES WHEN HIKING OFF THE BIKE.

From what we call see, the only MTB shoe not offered in a Women’s version is the Kestrel Pro Boa clip-in DH race shoe. Recommended models This means, on walked descents, those with average-to-wide feet might find their toes getting squashed – again, the Velcro strap really helps mitigate this. When pedalling, the first thing I noticed was how well ventilated these shoes are. A cool breeze easily cuts through the tops of the shoes. As such, I’d be wary of wearing them on cooler days if you suffer from cold feet. However, in hotter temperatures this is a real bonus. They also took a long time to dry out, caused by the impermeability of the Gore-Tex membrane holding the moisture in.

In line with what many brands have done with their adventure shoes to make them more suitable for walking, Five Ten has made the sole of the Trailcross Clip-In more flexible than its other Trailcross mountain bike shoes. The heel doesn’t feature particularly bulky protection. There’s ample padding around the heel, though, with a fairly well-defined heel cup. The shoe’s tongue uses the same mesh material as the upper, and is thin compared to some of the best mountain bike shoes. The proprietary EVA mid-sole is said to have the necessary toe flex for walking, but without sacrificing the stiffness needed for effective power transfer in the rest of the shoe. The heel section of the shoe appears pretty deep, but also offers ample bump absorption when bailing from the bike or during prolonged on-foot descents.The bulk of the upper has a fairly open mesh construction, but it’s bolstered in key areas to ensure longevity. The Five Ten Trailcross Clip-In is a shoe for a specific kind of rider who requires comfort while walking and the ability to clip in - and it does this very, very well. However, if you ride in anything but bone-dry conditions, you will need to buy another set of shoes as these have a propensity to take on water owing to the prodigious ventilation on offer. Five Ten‘s hallmark is the brand’s Stealth rubber, used on the soles of all its shoes. The Trailcross Clip-In uses the Stealth Marathon rubber, a slightly harder-wearing version of the compound than you’d find on, for example, the Five Ten Impact Pro flat-pedal shoe. The only criticism I have is with the toe box. It’s narrower than many other Five Ten shoes, though I’d counter that by saying if you fit in a pair of Adidas Sambas, for example, you won’t find the shape surprising – it’s much more Adidas trainer than Five Ten Impact. When riding, you can feel that the shank of the shoe is softer than most dedicated MTB shoes, especially lighter, more XC-oriented options, and this does decrease the feeling of instant power transmission when you stomp on the pedals. On bigger rides or longer days in the saddle, my foot / arch would often also feel more tired than I’m used to due to the increased flex. The wider toe box (than the Five Ten and Pearl Izumi shoes that I normally wear) does also allow more movement from the front of your foot, which makes it feel like less of a performance fit in the front half of this shoe. But these same traits are very welcome when hiking in the Trailcross. The softer sole helps avoid that awkward heel-first rolling step I find myself often adopting in shoes with a stiffer sole, and the wider toe box gives your feet (toes) a bit of room to spread apart and increases stability when walking.