As both the summer days and your rides get longer you’ll find that your equipment will start to wear out. As you start to think about upgrades there is once piece of gear that is worth every penny, your mountain biking shoes.
I’m sure at one point we all rode in Vans or hiking boots and thought it was totally acceptable. But as you spend more time riding or move to clipless pedals you will soon realize the importance of quality mountain biking shoes. Thankfully, there is no shortage of shoes on the market.
Here are my five favorite mountain biking shoes.
The 5 Best Mountain Biking Shoes
The Best Flat Pedal Shoes:
Arguably flat pedal shoes are the most popular category of mountain bike shoes. These shoes can do it all, whether you want to ride trail, downhill, enduro, dirt jump, or commute in style. The Five Ten Freerider Pro and the Ride Concepts Livewire are my favorite flat pedal shoes.
Offered in seven colors The Five Ten Freerider Pro sets the bar high. This shoe has great grip on flat pedals thanks to Five Ten’s signature Stealth rubber compound. It also comes with a weather-resistant upper and an impact-resistant toe box for when you accidentally kick a rock on the trail. This shoe comes in at $150. While not cheap it has great durability and I have worn a similar pair of Five Tens for three seasons with no fuss.
Ride Concepts is a relatively new mountain biking shoe company. Their Livewire shoe is a great flat pedal option. These shoes sport a high grip rubber outsole along with a custom-molded heel and toe. The highlight of this shoe is the D30 high impact rubber insole. D30 is a company that specializes in impact technology. This insole is made to take a beating and offers support on those harsh landings and rock gardens. With three colors to choose from and an attractive $100 price tag, these shoes are a great option for those looking for their first serious mountain biking shoe.
The Best Trail Clipless Shoes:
The second most popular category of shoe is the trail clipless. These shoes are specifically designed to work with clipless pedals. They have rubber outsoles and can be used for minimal walking with no issues. It can be used for a variety of disciplines but is mainly worn by trail, enduro, and downhill riders.
The Giro Chamber II shoe is the go-to shoe for many top downhill and enduro racers. This shoe has a skate-inspired design and features a Vibram rubber outsole. The upper part of the shoe is weather resistant and features a velcro cuff to hold the laces in place. I currently ride in these shoes and enjoy them a lot. They do take a while to break in a run a bit smaller than the Five-Tens. At $150 these shoes are in the middle of the road for clip-ins and my top choice for a trail clip-in shoe.
The Five Ten Kestrel Lace bears a similar resemblance to the Freerider Pro. Except this shoe has a velcro strap to retain the shoelaces. The outsole is made of quality rubber and the insole features a nylon shank adding rigidity to the shoe. This shoe can also be found between the tape at most gravity races and at $150 it is another great clip-in shoe. I have also owned this shoe and can say it’s quality is second to none. When it comes to choosing between the Five Ten and the Giro it comes down to style preference. You cannot go wrong with either of these shoes.
Honorable Mention:
The Afton Vectal receives an honorable mention. This shoe is skate-inspired and has an oversized toe box for clip adjustability. The upper is made of a mixture of natural and synthetic leather. I cannot comment on the durability of this shoe as I have not worn it, but coming in at $120 ($90 at the time of this article) this is another great option for a trail clip-in.
The Cross Country (XC) Shoe:
While cross country riders use clip-in shoes I gave this type of shoe it’s own category because of how radically different this shoe is. These shoes have a fully rigid outsole made out of composite or carbon fiber. This gives the shoe great power transfer but makes it almost impossible to walk in.
The Specialized Recon Shoe is a great option for a cross country shoe. It has BOA dials that get rid of the need for shoelaces. It also comes with rubber spikes that are designed to be grippier than most cross country shoes. In a world filled with hard outsoles this a great option. Coming in at $160 I would recommend this shoe to anyone interested in a cross-country specific shoe.
The Case for a Mountain Biking Shoe
If you’ve never used a mountain bike specific shoe I encourage you to try one. As two of the four contact points on your bike, shoes can make a large difference in how you experience mountain biking. Get yourself a pair today and you will now be disappointed.
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