Five Ten IMPACT shoes

For those of you out there who know the real truth and run flat pedals, the quest for the perfect riding shoe never ends. Are you the type who confuses the shop assistant by buying Vans based on the pattern - on the sole? Do you have a cherished pair of waffle soles which offer grip that other shoes can only dream of? Well, your quest could be over. Five Ten have re-released the IMPACT and it rocks!

Fresh out the box - they will never look this good again!

First up, let's get the origins of these bad boys straight. Five Ten are a climbing shoe company, who make some of the best rock climbing shoes that are shod with their Stealth sticky rubber, designed to help climbers stick to the rock. Awesome stuff, sticks to rock like the proverbial shit to a blanket.

Following on from their success in climbing shoes, they branched out and made an 'approach' shoe. This breakthrough footwear was basically the legitimate offspring from a coupling between rock boots and skate shoes. Designed for walking to and around the crags, these were the forerunner of the Impact.

We have seen the Impact before in both Five Ten and INTENSE brands and a few riders caught on to the sticky rubber properties. With the INTENSE and Five Ten shoe dropping out of production, Five Ten bowed to enormous pressure from the riding community and the new stealthy black IMPACT shoe rose from the ashes.

What's on your shoes? Mine are shod with Stealth S1!

First impression is of a shoe built for function. The all black suede finish follows on from the Stealth name of the rubber. A swing tag informs you that this particular flavour of Stealth rubber is the Stealth S1, designed for maximum friction and energy absorption (see label image). The dimply sole allows maximum surface contact while gaps make room for mud removal. They also allow the pedal pins to hook up.

Sliding your foot in, the asymmetrical tongue wraps around your foot from one side only. Nice touch - the tongue won't go out of line when you are relying on your shoes as the interface to the bike! The sizing is good, with a UK 10 matching my expectations. Inside, there is a good supportive instep and a firm sole feels good on the pedal with enough stiffness to transfer power.

This is where the magic is! Quite simply, it's dimply - and super sticky!

The sole is pretty flat (a must when running flat pedals - an arched instep won't do) and features a dimply tread. As well as the fact that the rubber is sticky, these dimples lock onto pedal pins like you wouldn't believe. Did we mention that the soles are super sticky?

In action, these shoes stuck to my Burgtec Penthouse Flats like nothing else. The interface took a while to get used to as none of the usual slip-slide was there. Simply place your foot (carefully!) and ride. To start with, the grip caught me un-awares and I had to think about lifting my weight off the shoe to disengage the pins so I could put a foot down!

Another big side effect of a shoe with rock climbing heritage is shown when walking rocky courses. Scoff in the face of your friends as you conquer rocky slabs with ease, while their inferior soles leave them pushing up the long way round!

An essential riding shoe for anyone looking for the ultimate in flat pedal grip. Tough, durable and purposfull. Available in both Hi and Lo versions - black only. What you waiting for?

Rating :

Impact : £60 | Impact Hi-Top : £65

UPDATE - Five Ten have updated the Impact - the Impact II is available here.

Oh, you want to know about looks? Check out our pictures page and decide for yourself...