If Five Tens are the best flat pedal shoe, then what's 2nd best?

[AlanD]

Ive been using skate shoes for a while but find the soles too thin amd flexible. Can feel a bit of fatigue on my soles at the end of my ride.

 

Cant find the trail cross shoes anywhere but seen the swift ones at due south that look like a great option (would like 5-10s but they just too pricey):

 

 

http://www.duesouth.co.za/pdp/adidas-men-s-terrex-swift-solo-hiking-shoe-black-red/_/A-194614AAAH3;jsessionid=AFC3D889969196019F0CEDEE0BB9EAA4.node5

[Amberdrake]

Id even buy 5ten (after saving up some), but they don't manufacture above size 13.

[stefmeister]

Is it just my feet, or are the Spez 2FOs the worst shoes ever? Cuts off circulation if I just look at the laces.

 

[Steady Spin]

19 minutes ago, JackJS said:

 

You must check out tenth sports much better, much cheaper at the same time with such an adhessive grip

Post links to these great shoes please? 

 

[Robbie Stewart]

9 minutes ago, stefmeister said:

Is it just my feet, or are the Spez 2FOs the worst shoes ever? Cuts off circulation if I just look at the laces.

 

I have a pair and I don't have any issues with mine. I also suffer from a very fat ankle at present so getting the shoe on is a challenge requiring me loosening the laces 2/3 of the way, but I have never suffered circulation issues.

I must say I find mine very comfy and super grippy. 

 

[Steady Spin]

I have fairly high bridges and I get a lot of pinching on the top of my foot. Also some dead toes about 15km into a ride if I don't move my foot around or stop frequently. 

I ride with very loose shoes. Yet to have one come off my foot so it works just fine. 

Loosen the laces. 

I ride in either Ride Concepts of Bontrager. The RC is a true 10 and I got a 10.5 in the Bontragers. I basically alternate thick and thin socks to get a good fit. 

Try to use a thinner sock. I find the ones from SOX to be extremely thin and comfortable in the RCs and I have some merino wool socks for the Bontragers.

[ChrisF]

22 minutes ago, stefmeister said:

Is it just my feet, or are the Spez 2FOs the worst shoes ever? Cuts off circulation if I just look at the laces.

 

 

Nope, just your feet .... 

 

2FO's simply fits me perfectly .... then again, I need inserts in most other shoes, so maybe 2FO is not for normal feet .... 

[Steady Spin]

1 minute ago, ChrisF said:

 

I need inserts in most other shoes, 

Oh yes, there is that. 

I ended up switching inserts like a man possessed. RCs have Nike insoles from a pare of naked running shoes, the Bontragers have Specialized footbeds. 

[stefmeister]

48 minutes ago, Robbie Stewart said:

I have a pair and I don't have any issues with mine. I also suffer from a very fat ankle at present so getting the shoe on is a challenge requiring me loosening the laces 2/3 of the way, but I have never suffered circulation issues.

I must say I find mine very comfy and super grippy. 

 

 

42 minutes ago, Steady Spin said:

I have fairly high bridges and I get a lot of pinching on the top of my foot. Also some dead toes about 15km into a ride if I don't move my foot around or stop frequently. 

I ride with very loose shoes. Yet to have one come off my foot so it works just fine. 

Loosen the laces. 

I ride in either Ride Concepts of Bontrager. The RC is a true 10 and I got a 10.5 in the Bontragers. I basically alternate thick and thin socks to get a good fit. 

Try to use a thinner sock. I find the ones from SOX to be extremely thin and comfortable in the RCs and I have some merino wool socks for the Bontragers.

Same here, I have to loosen the laces 3/4 wat just to get my foot in, and then gently tighten the laces. Just tucking the laces in the bungee ends up overtightening it too much. The way the heel cup fits, probably makes it impossible to come off.

I looked at the RCs, but there's no way I'm paying over 3k for those shoes. I'd rather 5-10/adidas again, and pay all that import duties. At least they were super comfy, albeit the inner sole wasn't the softest.

 

 

[MajG]

4 hours ago, Robbie Stewart said:

I have a pair and I don't have any issues with mine. I also suffer from a very fat ankle at present so getting the shoe on is a challenge requiring me loosening the laces 2/3 of the way, but I have never suffered circulation issues.

I must say I find mine very comfy and super grippy. 

 

Also got the 2fo, and it's grippy enough, very hard wearing and no issue at all with circulation and I have broad feet.

Soles are very stiff,  not the best if u pushing bike uphill often 🤣

Latest 2FO are not to my liking. So I won't be buying them again, unfortunately.

I have these black and red

Won't buy this new style tho

Edited January 24, 2022 by MajG
.

[Old and Slow]

I have the 2FO Roost and I find them very comfy.

Stiff under pedaling but still great to walk in.

I have a pressure point in the top of my left foot, so I have to lace them strangely to avoid pain, but this is the case with all my shoes.

I tie the laces in a comfortable position and then slip my foot in and out as necessary.

[MajG]

11 minutes ago, BaGearA said:

I had those first ones in the white and black , hated them 

 

 

 

On fiveten kestrels since mid 2019 and they still look 95% 

How come hated?

[MajG]

40 minutes ago, BaGearA said:

juss they felt plastic , like they were stiff everywhere the uppers,  sides , heel  like tightening the laces didn't feel like it did anything.

 

They weren't uncomfortable on long days but definitely not comfortable to the point id be happy to be wearing them all day.

 

Kestrels changed that , id wear these things to work. and regularly drive to or from the trails in them 

The super stiffness I agree, they too stiff for all day missions and definitely not comfy for alot of walking.

2hr to 3hr sessions is max

[Jewbacca]

As always, there will be somebody who disagrees. This time it's me.

While I agree they are stiff and a bit awkward to get in and out of, I had a pair of the clip in version as well as the flat ones. That particular clip in pair did 2 x Expedition races (with up to 30 hours on the bike non stop), 1 x Rigid SS Lesotho Sky (I pushed a bit some days), 2 x Rigid SS Tankwa Treks and many, many 12 hour plus rides. 

I loved them. 

They eventually fell apart unsurprisingly. 

I replaced them with some Shimano AM5's which were also awesome.

(As an aside I do own carbon dancing shoes and boa dial things but they suck for all day riding, hike a bike and stomping on pedals)

[Chadvdw67]

I have/had 510 freerider pro, they were nice, but they didnt last that long, I still have them and they can be used, but only in the dry, they have holes in the soles and the sole seems to have started delaminating on the pressure points on the pedals.

 

I now have Leatt DBX 3.0 really enjoying them so far, they grip well, have a nice stiff sole for pedaling, but not so stiff that hike a bike is uncomfortable, I regularly wear them for walking around in while shopping, but you need to be careful when lacing them up, they have no stretch laces, so they have NO give if you do them up tight

[Robbie Stewart]

2 hours ago, MajG said:

Latest 2FO are not to my liking. So I won't be buying them again, unfortunately.

 

2 hours ago, Trashy said:

I have the 2FO Roost and I find them very comfy.

I also ride the Roost and they are indeed very comfy. I have zero issues on climbing, hiking a biking, or even just pedalling the West Coast cycle path on lazy days.

but they really come into their own when the bars point down and the trail turns gnarly. The amount of confidence I get from those shoes is amazing. Even now after my injury I still manage to ride with no thought about my feet. They stay on the pedals no issue.

I rode Contermans this past Saturday and even in that heat my feet never felt hot and uncomfortable. On the bits I decided to hike I felt like I was walking with normal hiking shoes, not the stiffness of cleated mtb shoes. I don't miss riding with traditional cleat shoes and likely won't return any time soon.