Five Ten shoes deliver legendary Stealth Grip on pedal and trail – from Freerider to Impact Pro.
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Five Ten is the brand for mountain bikers who need to trust their grip – on the pedal and on the trail. What started in 1985 as a California climbing shoe specialist has left a lasting mark on mountain biking. Today, Five Ten mountain bike shoes are built around the legendary Stealth rubber sole, delivering on both pin and clipless pedals. Shop our current range of Five Ten MTB shoes for women, men, and kids – from the classic Freerider, a reliable all-rounder, to the Impact Pro for bike park laps. For tours with hike-a-bike sections, the Trailcross line combines pedal grip with real off-bike traction. With SPD pedals, reach for the Kestrel Boa for XC and trail racing. Find your Five Ten setup.
The Five Ten story begins in Yosemite Valley. In 1985, climber and engineer Charles Cole founded the brand in Redlands, California, aiming to build a shoe that could handle Yosemite's slick descents. That led to Stealth Rubber in 1986 – a sole technology that won over the climbing community first, then found a second home in mountain biking. The brand name comes straight from climbing: 5.10 marks a difficulty rating on the Yosemite Decimal System, the point where every foot placement counts. Five Ten has been part of adidas since 2011, with brand operations now run out of adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach. Street trials icon Danny MacAskill has ridden for the brand as an adidas Five Ten athlete for more than a decade.
The Five Ten range covers every MTB discipline where shoe-to-pedal contact makes the difference. Flat pedal shoes sit at the core: the Freerider and Freerider Pro are the proven trail models, and since 2025 you'll also find the Freerider Pro BOA with its dial closure. For downhill and enduro, reach for the Impact Pro. The Trailcross line rounds out the lineup as the hike-and-bike specialist, while the Kestrel Boa and Hellcat Pro cover SPD setups. For the ride from trail to café, grab the Sleuth.
Five Ten builds on one core idea, continuously refined: a rubber compound that generates exceptionally high friction with the pedal surface. On the trail, that means the pin bites into the sole and stays put, so you're not fighting to reposition your foot. Behind it sits a whole family of Stealth compounds, plus construction details for pedal stiffness, protection at contact zones, and different closure systems.
Stealth S1 is Five Ten's all-round rubber compound, found in classics like the Freerider and Impact Pro. It combines strong pin grip with solid durability – built for daily trail sessions, bike park weekends, and longer tours alike. You'll feel the pins sink into the rubber and lock in place immediately, without the sole wearing soft after just a few rides.
Alongside S1, Five Ten uses Stealth Phantom in the Trailcross lineup – a close relative of S1 that won't leave marks, developed for hike-and-bike use. It delivers reliable grip on flat pedals while still holding up on natural terrain when you're pushing or carrying your bike. If you switch between trail and everyday wear, Phantom gives you a sole that handles both solidly without wearing out too fast.
What makes the Stealth rubber so effective at the sole is the Dotty Tread. This signature dot pattern, made up of many small, tightly spaced tread segments, gives the pins maximum contact area and enough depth to bite cleanly, without the shoe snagging on the pedal when you dab a foot or reposition. The pattern sits centered in the pedal zone, while a chunkier lug tread on the outer edges handles grip when you're pushing or carrying the bike.
Pro models like the Freerider Pro BOA, Kestrel Boa, and Trailcross Pro Clip-In use the Boa Fit System – a dial instead of traditional laces. The payoff shows up on the trail: a half-turn adjusts the fit on the move. Tension spreads evenly across the shoe instead of clamping down only where you'd normally pull the laces. For long tours and race day, that's a real comfort gain.
The Kestrel Boa and Trailcross Clip-In models use an SPD-compatible cleat mount with a stiffer sole construction. Flat pedal shoes keep a more flexible sole so you can feel the pin, but a clipless setup needs a platform that transfers power straight to the pedal. The Kestrel Boa's sole runs especially stiff for XC and trail racing, while the Trailcross Clip-In keeps more flex.
The Trailcross line closes a gap that comes up on plenty of MTB tours: you ride to a technical section, push or carry the bike for a stretch, then get back on the pins. Classic MTB shoes are often too stiff for walking, trail runners too soft for the pedal. Trailcross combines a moderately flexible sole with Stealth rubber and a mid-cut option for extra ankle protection.
The first steep pitch after the warm-up lap, your foot centered on the pins, one short push and the sole locks in. That's what Five Ten is built for, and we stock the full range: from the classic Five Ten Freerider through the Trailcross line to the Kestrel Boa and Impact Pro, you'll find the right model for women, men, and kids. Popular models are in stock – with fast shipping straight to your door. Find your Five Ten setup now.
It comes down to the sole. Five Ten cycling shoes run proprietary Stealth rubber compounds that generate more friction on the pin than most competitors' soles. Add in the Dotty Tread's fine dot pattern, and you get a shoe-to-pin connection that's locked in but never sticky.
For trail and bike park, the Freerider and Freerider Pro are the go-to picks. For aggressive downhill and enduro on flat pedals, reach for the Impact Pro. In a clipless setup, the paths split: the Kestrel Boa is built for XC and trail racing, the Hellcat Pro for downhill and enduro. Tours with hike-a-bike sections ride better in the Trailcross line.
Most Five Ten models run true to size and follow the adidas size chart. The Trailcross line runs slightly roomier, while the Kestrel Boa fits snugger through the forefoot for a more secure hold when out of the saddle. If you're unsure, free returns have you covered if the fit's off.
