Five Tennies are not a mountain bike shoe, though it could be said they are a mountain bikers’ shoe. Really, any shoe could be for that matter, but few shoe brands have the same level of mountain biking and climbing cred as Five Ten.
This classic-looking tennis shoe is dubbed an “approach shoe,” as in a shoe that can be worn on approach to the climbing spot or naturally, the mountain bike trail. Most of us tend to do more driving than hiking to the trailhead, but the idea is the same.
The Five Tennies sole is incredibly flexible, more akin to a running shoe than a shoe designed for pedal power. The outsole features Five Ten’s famous Stealth rubber for excellent grip should you need it in the parking lot or as a part of your daily activities.
And I do mean daily activities. I’ve been wearing Five Tennies to the office for months now, and on the weekends — pretty much everywhere I go. The bold colors and throwback design gets a lot of compliments, especially from folks who are not familiar with the brand.
The upper is made from a variety of materials including real suede and leather. The top of the foot is covered with a stretchy, sock-like material and the toe box is roomy enough for my wide feet. All of this adds up to a super comfortable shoe for wearing all day. In addition, the toe is wrapped in a wide, protective rubber band for extra durability.
The teal, pink, and purple color scheme probably doesn’t work for everyone. There’s also a mostly black version with red highlights, and a dark green with black and orange version that sits somewhere in between on the loud-color scale.
In a casual shoe market dominated by big, well-known athletic brands it’s nice to have a choice that reflects the mountain bike lifestyle.
MSRP: $125.
Thanks to Adidas for providing the Five Tennies for testing and review.
