It’s amazing the difference a new distributor makes. Five Ten have been available here in New Zealand for a while but the range has been inconsistent and here at Spoke we never heard Boo from them. Well that’s all changed now with their new distributor (who has also picked up Fox Clothing) and they’ve kicked things off by sending us a pair of the already classic Freerider VXi shoe (which you can buy on the Burkes store right now) to test for our February edition. It’s not a new new shoe but chances are unless you were near a big store you may not have seen it. And the new pricing is pretty sharp too; Burkes have the the Freerider VXi for $189.90.
Like all Five Ten MTB shoes they feature their infamous Stealth Rubber, as found on all their climbing shoes.
The Free Rider VXi features Five Ten’s Contact outsole, which is tread-less at the pedal contact point, allowing a little more freedom to move/remove your foot around.
The new Freerider VXi has a breathable, abrasion-resistant upper, a new performance-fit, and an asymmetrical welt that provides extra crank-side durability.
These are really grippy shoes and very comfy, but beware. I’ve had them since May and they have worn through. I’ve ridden in them for only 70 hours (Strava everything) and they have a pea sized hole through the sole from the middle-ish pins on my pedals. The UK distributor says this is wear and tear!! That means they cost me £1.22 a ride. It’s winter here and a hole means wet feet. Oh, and Evans Cycles (UK) where I bought them from said they were only for Free Riding in, not pedalling and they are a high performance shoe only!!!
Five Ten (USA) have been in touch and want my shoes to study for faults, so I am looking forward to hearing their verdict.
That’s $2.70 a ride in your money a ride.
whose the distributor?
Level Ltd. They also do Fox, Etnies, Emerica, Altamont and 32 Snowboard Boots…