Grip shoes and alternatives

[Jere_h]

Couldn't find any recent discussion about the current shoe alternatives, natural/comp riding in mind.

Grips, are they actually good or better over Five Tens, Adidas Terrex or maybe other "non-trials" specific shoe? How do they last? Because currently 150€ for a pair of very cheap and plasticky looking shoes (in my opinion) is a bit risky decision. Also those are sometimes a bit hard to find and I have no idea what's their actual sizing/shape.

I've been running Five Tens all the time, but the latest model Sleuth DLX is too narrow at the toe box, which means walking down a hill is painful. Tried one size up and felt like having baguettes in my feet so that was not an option for trials riding. Purely for riding the slightly small size is ok though, but I feel like the dedicated trials shoes would be maybe more flexy and have better feel on the pedals? Am I wrong? Five Tens feel still a bit stiff and maybe even slippery when they wear out. Also feeling that something less streety could work better when things go sketchy on steep rock surfaces etc.

I've tried the Terrex Swift too at the same time with Sleuth DLX, seems like at least many of the Spanish guys like to run them. The Terrex felt ok (didn't ride on them) but maybe a bit high and clumsy at the sole when standing on pedals, also being on the narrow side again (typical Adidas for me). The sole has a bit awkward pattern for pedals, the Traxxion rubber material didn't feel ideal either. Also I felt like they have too much unnecessary space at the tip of the toe box, making the shoe feel long and clumsy again. People with long and narrow toes might like that, but for me it leaves a huge empty space. The shoe was generally very stiff/plasticky and felt kind of harsh to walk on, not sure if that would change much over time. Five Tens being completely flat and very low profile, they had the best feeling on pedals, so I bought them (again).

I've seen some riders using Merrell or other approach shoes that seem a bit wider generally, but how do they suit riding? I'd probably need those anyway for hiking so might very well order a pair and give them a try for trials as well.

 

Edited July 7, 2022 by Jere_h

[craigjames]

I'm going through this issue myself, my surviving pair of Adidas Swift solo (Stealth rubber - no longer available) shoes are reaching the end of their life. I'm also currently using some Five Ten Sleuth (not the DLX) and they have a better feel than the Adidas Swift solo as they're softer and flex more, but don't have the same sticky stealth rubber as the Swifts.

Five Ten don't seem to produce a lightweight approach shoe anymore, the Five Ten cycling specific shoes tend to be a bit stiff for trials and Adidas don't seem to use Stealth rubber on any of their shoes...

The Grip shoes look like Pixie boots, look a bit cheap; like they'd fall apart and just naff styling wise, especially for £130! The Hebo Bunnyhop 2 black shoes look ok and the Jitsie Air4ce shoes look like an ok option too, but i've no idea what they feel like on the foot.... how flexible are they? Do they have stealth rubber levels of grip etc?

Some of the lightweight approach shoes could be an option, i was looking at Black Diamond Technician and Scarpa Spirit and Spirit Evo shoes, which seem to have a nice flat sole with sticky rubber, but unsure on the support they'd offer or how stiff they would be.

Bit of a mine field!

[Jere_h]

2 hours ago, craigjames said:

Five Ten don't seem to produce a lightweight approach shoe anymore

There are the Trailcross series shoes that I've seen Kenny Belaey using (probably due to sponsorship). I ordered a pair to try but they seemed way too lightweight and vulnerable for trials in my opinion. Like a thin plastic structure but lacks proper padding, very uncomfortable.. The mesh material didn't seem to support or protect at all so your toes will be absolutely mashed if you hit them, plus they would suck all the water in few seconds.
They have a stealth rubber sole but it was a bit thick at the heel and sloped too, as they're probably meant to be more like a mix of trail running and mtb shoe.

I ordered a pair of Merrell Catalyst suede approach shoes as I got a pair for 65€ only, just for hiking and stuff. Will report how they feel on pedals, but I don't expect much as the rubber is what it is. Seen few riders using them in trials though..

Edit: Ordered the Scarpa Geckos too, been very curious about these shoes for a long time.. Those were a bit more expensive but looks like they could suit better for this type of stuff, let's see!

Edited July 7, 2022 by Jere_h

[cwtrials]

I'm riding the fiveten trailcross LT right now, seems like the newer version of the terrax. So far it's my favorite shoe. A way more professional looking construction than a trials only shoe brand would offer. And I like it more than the fiveten Freeriders, which are super flat and always made my feet sore.

[The dab]

I tried terrex solo years ago on platform pedals and didn’t get on with them well but when I got a bike that came with echo caged pedals a couple of years ago I found my ordinary ribo shoes didn’t feel stiff enough for caged pedals 

So tried the terrex solo and best shoe/pedal combination I’ve ever had just learnt my lesson and had to buy a new pair half a size bigger than I normally wear for wiggle room(think Adidas sizing is small) and removed the insoles

[Jere_h]

Merrell Catalyst suede:

Just a great feeling shoe, super comfortable, maybe a bit on the flexy side but not much. I'd really like to have these for riding, but the sole is definitely not ideal. It's quite high profile (obviously for walking and hiking) and the rubber isn't that sticky at all. Returned them because the size was a tad too small, but also because I'd really like to have one shoe for everything and this is not going to be it.

Scarpa Gecko:

Not so great fit as the Merrell (to my wide-ish square feet), feels quite stiff (good for climbing obviously) and has a lot of spare room in the toe box (a bit awkward feeling). Felt a bit too clumsy overall to be honest, but it was probably 1 size too large for me. The rear end of the shoe is particularly high and clumsy, for better damping and support when walking on trails. Not sure if that affects the feel on pedals though on the long run. However at the front it felt pretty nice and lower profile, not as sensitive as Five Ten Sleuth but at least noticeably lower profile than Merrell. The sole was pretty good too, it's flat and has a reasonable simple pattern for pedals. Also the special rubber compound is quite sticky in these, might very well work for riding when getting used to. Returned due to large size (and not really that good fitting shoe design for 150€ in my opinion).

Still, the Five Ten Sleuth DLX has been the best feeling shoe on the pedals so far, simply because the sole is such a low profile and has predictable pattern design. But I noticed that my pair is getting a bit slippery now after 1 year, like the compound is not that sticky anymore?

Have to keep searching, and now came across one really good looking shoe, La Sportiva TX2 (leather or knit). Those seem like they have almost perfect sole for riding and dabbing on awkward rock surfaces. It's made of Vibram megagrip and has the typical ball pattern, a bit more aggressive than Five Ten. They look like very low profile as well, maybe a bit too flexy though?
Finding those is really hard currently, but managed to find a pair (maybe a size too large) to try soon. If that's more like "the shoe" then I'm going to stick to it, and find my size no matter what the price is going to be.

This stuff is almost getting harder than learning sidehops..

Edited July 25, 2022 by Jere_h

[Target]

I'm using Fiveten Trailcross LT, and absolutely love them. They feel stiff, but not too stiff, the toes are more or less protected, the stealth rubber grip is just fantastic, and they breath so much better than any other trials shoes! 

[Jere_h]

I was almost reconsidering the Trailcross LT as they are only 70€ everywhere now. But can't get over the fact that they are super narrow at the tip so it will never fit my square feet perfectly. Also still not really the ideal riding shoe in my opinion, due to their thin mesh constructed upper and tough plasticky feel. This made me feel a bit insecure, in the same way as riding on lightweight running shoes. I personally like that the shoe has some supportive material on top as well so it's going to hold well in every angle on the pedals, when landing sideways etc. Plus it's getting cold and wet here soon, doesn't work for that. I hope Adidas would make something that sits between this and the Sleuth or Freeride models.

I just gave up and ordered the Grip shoes for whopping 170€ shipping included.. They just technically seem like the best for the job and hopefully no need to look further. Supportive ankle with plenty of height and cushion, flat low profile sole with a good predictable pattern. Possibility to tighten the toe area to fit different shapes of feet seems like a really valuable design feature, will see how the overall fit is going to be though. So many riders using them regardless of the price so can't be without a reason, I'm really curious to be honest.

I've now tried a plenty of approach shoes (not ridden though) and most of them have the same issue: The soles are quite high and clumsy and feel like walking on high heels after the Five Ten Sleuth (or my previous Macaskill). Doesn't exactly feel like an upgrade.
Another issue might be, that even though there are few very good (and a bit lower profile) feeling shoes out there like La Sportiva Tx2, the Vibram rubber part in these is super thin between the knobs and I reckon there will be deep holes very quickly. These soles are replaceable, but pedals usually digging so deep through the midsole that I don't know..

Edited July 31, 2022 by Jere_h