KIT ESSENTIALS

A look at the flat and clip-in shoes that have kept the Singletrack staff (mostly) on their bikes this summer.

Decent cycling shoes are one of those non-negotiable essentials for cycling. After all, you’re probably on your pedals more than you’re on your saddle and once off the bike, you’re still probably in your cycling shoes. Those shoes need to be stiff enough to transfer your power to the pedals for as long as needed and, unless you’re in a race, they’re going to have to be comfy and grippy off the bike on surfaces as disparate as rocky steps and carpeted pub floors.

Here’s a look at eight pairs of shoes that have kept the Singletrack team pedalling this summer.

ADIDAS FIVE TEN TRAIL CROSS MID PRO

Amanda Price: £129.95 • From: Five Ten, adidas.co.uk

I have very narrow feet, and prior to this pair of shoes I’ve struggled to find comfort in a pair of Five Tens. Generally speaking, they seem wide while being true to size in length. The Five Ten Trail Cross Mid Pro break the mould and fit me like a sock.

I got my hands on these in April 2020 at the beginning of a heatwave. Trails I had never before ridden dry were up in the air in clouds of dust and sunshine, and a lightweight set of boots with D30 ankle protection was well timed, and ideal for me getting used to how much looser dust is to mud.

They slip on really easily thanks to the elasticated neoprene ankle gaiter, and once on they fasten up equally as fast because I don’t have to loosen the laces right off to get my feet in. Using the top lace hole, you pull the D30 protection snug to your ankle.

There is a good deal of arch support that adds to the comfortable, secure fit and contributes to how confident these shoes make me feel. Every part of my foot feels held in tight without rubbing or hurting after a length of time.

I don’t find these to be as breathable as the materials would suggest. A neoprene ankle sock that fits close is never going to allow for air flow, and the combination of outer protection and mid/inner mesh creates a little oven for your feet on a warm day. In fact, the wettest these shoes have been is from sweat and I am not a sweaty-footed person! That said, when they are wet I am shocked at how fast they dry out. You can be lazy with these shoes – you can forget to stuff newspaper in them or put them near a radiator and still find them dried out the following day. The skinny laces don’t hold much water and a large portion of the outer material is water repellent, so it really is just the neoprene inner ‘sock’ that needs to dry out.

Most importantly, on the bike these shoes are a huge upgrade to anything I’ve ridden in before. They have the protection of a boot without the added bulk, the grip of a top end pair of mountain bike shoes while not being slippy as hell on foot, and they’re such a great, lightweight fit that I don’t want to rush to take them off after a ride – I’ll quite happily have these on all day. They feel neat. My feet and ankles are nowhere near the cranks, which has left me feeling very clumsy in other boots, and I can honestly say that even on the muddiest rides, I don’t slip off my pedals thanks to the Stealth® Phantom rubber.

I do have concerns about the amount of wear I’ve experienced in a short time. If you have a set of ankle shredder pedals it seems quite easy to tear the outer fabric, and in my case the soles have begun to wear at the ball of my foot. If you want lightweight, high performance shoes I guess you have to sacrifice on durability.