Five Ten was established in California, 1985, and focus on creating footwear and apparel for mountain biking, rock climbing, slack lining - basically anything dangerous and exciting!

The Freerider Elements shoe is designed for mountain biking and generally mucking about in horrible weather. It features a water-resistant synthetic upper with a water repellent finish and Five Ten’s trademark Stealth S1 rubber outsole. The Stealth S1 outsole is high friction and abrasion resistant, which provides excellent traction on and off the bike. We went jumping about on wet rocks and cycling in the rain and the grip of these shoes was excellent, like you have glue on the bottom of your feet.

What wasn’t quite as good was the water resistance that these shoes are meant to possess. I mean, they would probably keep your feet dryer than if you were wearing nothing at all, but each time these were removed there were wet patches on our socks, especially around the toes and inside of the feet. As for their quick drying action, it would take an evening on the radiator to properly get them dry, which is an interesting balancing act as they are so chunky.

However, we did like the design of the shoes. Their thick bold line and the contrast between the black, grey and orange detailing looks striking. We might have a soft spot for this style, however, as they are a reminder of the emo/skater boy trend during the late 90’s and early 2000’s when everyone was stomping about in oversized trainers and baggy jeans.

As a sport shoe, the Freerider Elements need some work; with a reduction in weight and complete rework of their water-resistant design, they could be awesome shoes. RRP £90

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3 out of 5

Pros

Grippy Stealth S1 outsole

Cool design

Vegan

Cons

Heavy

Soak up water

Take time to dry out