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ProView – Five Ten Men’s Freerider Pro

A good mountain bike shoe can make the difference between an amazing day of riding and a frustrating day of slips and blisters. I recently put the 5.10 Freerider Pro to the test while using it nearly every day for a few months on the trails surrounding Boulder Colorado.

Five Ten Men's Freerider Pro

Product Description: A completely updated version of our legendary Freerider, the Freerider Pro touts superior toe protection and quicker drying than its predecessor and still utilizes a full, S1™ dotty outsole for proven grip and durability. The concept behind the Freerider. Synthetic upper that is fast-drying weather friendly. Impact resistant Poron toe box for added toe protection. Compression molded EVA midsole for long term cushioning. Ortholite® sockliner provides long lasting cushioning with anti-microbial protection. Stealth® s1 rubber outsole for unbeatable grip.

Offer price: $150 MSRP

  • Quality
    (5)
  • Features
    (4)
  • Fit
    (5)
  • Durability
    (4)

Summary

True to size, excellent bike shoes, comfortable to hike and ride in. All in all, the 5.10 Freerider Pros are my new go-to mountain biking shoes, and I’ll continue to use them for years to come. When they finally wear out, I’ll replace them with the exact same shoe. The 5.10 Freerider Pro is the closest thing on the market to a perfect mountain biking shoe. A few small tweaks and I’d call it perfect. Cheers to you, 5.10 design team!

Overall
4.5

Pros

  • Comfortable
  • High-Quality sole material

Cons

  • Lace durability
  • Breathability
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I tested the Freerider Pro primarily on the mountain bike trails near Boulder, Colorado, but I was able to get a weekend in at the incredible IMBA trails at Curt Gowdy State Park in Wyoming. I have the amazing privilege of mountain biking as part of my job, so every day while at work I would change out of my regular hiking boots and lace-up my 5.10 Freerider Pros. I would then head out on a mountain bike patrol of one of the local trails. Some rides were 15 miles of sunshine and dry trail conditions and some rides were 7 miles of mud and puddles. Over the course of the last two months, I put almost 500 miles on my Freeriders. I’ve smashed my toes on rocks and roots, hiked my bike more times than I’d like to admit, and ridden these shoes in a variety of weather and trail conditions. 

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Fit/Comfort

Right out of the box the 5.10 Freerider Pros felt amazing on my feet. This initial feeling only improved with time. They’re as comfortable as just about any shoe I own.

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Look/Style

Not only are they comfortable, I think these shoes look great! Most outdoor gear is trending in the direction of having very bright color options, but not these 5.10 shoes. For someone who prefers earthen tones to the usual neon outdoor clothing, the more muted colors on the 5.10 Freerider Pros made me feel right at home.

Features

The Freerider Pro features a weather-resistant synthetic upper and an impact-resistant toe box. The impact-resistant toe box saved my toes on multiple run-ins with roots and rocks. The weather-resistant and durable upper shoe shows few signs of wear after months of riding and kept my feet dry on all but the wettest days. In my opinion, the 5.10 Stealth S1 outsole is the best all-mountain outsole on the market. I never had a doubt about whether my shoes would slip off the pedals. Not only do you feel secure when riding, but these shoes are great for hiking in too. I know you’re supposed to stay in the saddle, but sometimes you just have to push your bike!

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Room for Improvement

Despite my shower of praise for the 5.10 Freerider Pro, I do have a few areas the shoe could improve. First, the ventilation: these shoes are hot and don’t breathe very well. If your feet sweat a lot, you’ll need some thin socks to avoid wet feet. My feet rarely sweat, but wearing my usual wool socks I could feel them getting hot after shorter rides on warm days. Second, the laces on these shoes could improve. They aren’t very durable and they are hard to sufficiently tighten. Luckily laces are cheap and easy to replace! 

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Friendliness to the Earth

As an added bonus, you can feel good about buying 5.10 and Adidas products. Adidas is regularly listed in the top 10 among the 100 most sustainable companies in the world. In addition, Adidas partners with multiple global NGOs focused on reducing ocean and air pollution. 

Final Word

All in all, the 5.10 Freerider Pros are my new go-to mountain biking shoes, and I’ll continue to use them for years to come. When they finally wear out, I’ll replace them with the exact same shoe. The 5.10 Freerider Pro is the closest thing on the market to a perfect mountain biking shoe. A few small tweaks and I’d call it perfect. Cheers to you, 5.10 design team!

Shop the Five Ten Men’s Freerider Pro on Outdoor Prolink. Not a member? Apply today!

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About the Gear Tester

Outdoor Prolink Pro
sam-kilburn
Sam Kilburn
Ranger-Naturalist :: Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks

Sam’s background is as a farmer, trail worker, ski patroller, and ice climbing guide in New England, but he currently works as a Park Ranger in Boulder County. When not at work, Sam enjoys backcountry skiing, mountain biking, woodworking, volunteering and reading a good non-fiction book. Someday down the road you’ll be able to find Sam in Vermont working in the garden and building his house in the woods.

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