http://www.pinkbike.com/modules/news/?op=articleview&id=2443

Date: Wed Mar 9, 2005
Source: Luc 'Acadian' Albert

I can’t tell you how many times I hear people ask “what are the grippiest pedals out there?”. I agree that nothing beats the feel of a good platform pedal – but what makes it or kills it is the SHOE you’re using. No matter how grippy the pedal is, if you’re not using a shoe with a good proper sole the pedal won’t feel grippy.

I’ve been wearing Five Ten Impact shoes for the past few years and can honestly say; if you use flat pedals, they are the best riding shoes money can buy. How grippy are the Five Ten Impact? I always tell people they are like Velcro when coming in contact with flat pedals – once your foot is planted on the pedal; you literally have to lift your foot off the pedal to reposition it. This might need some getting use to if you’ve been using regular shoes for riding, but once you get used to the grip – you will be addicted! Perfect for DH racing if you prefer the freedom of platforms – just feels like you’re clipped in.

 

Needless to say, I was pretty bummed when 5.10 decided to discontinue their Impact shoe. Even if I babied my Impact’s - trying extend their life as much as possible, I knew they would eventually need to be replaced. That is when I decided to start hunting for new riding shoes. I tried Vans, Oakley, SixSixOne, etc… Although all mega comfortable and somewhat grippy, they all fell short when compared to the grip of the Impacts.

 

That is when I got in touch with Eric Odenthal of 5.10 – I was trying to find a place that offered resoling with their dotted Stealth C4 Rubber. He suggested I take a look at their Guide Tennie shoe. They did look nice, but considering the arch on the sole they probably wouldn’t be as stable as a good flat sole, like the Impacts.

That’s when I brought up the Impact and told Eric they could make a killer if they brought back the impacts - it's almost ridiculous how many people were asking for them on various Mountain Biking forums. Eric decided to spread the word within the Five Ten headquarters – and the rest is history. The Five Ten Impacts are back for 2005 – and we can thank Eric for making it happen!! Finally I can retire my old 4 year old Impacts and get a new pair.

 

The 2005 Five Ten Impact comes in two flavors – High Top @ $89.95 US and a Low Top version @ $79.95 US. Not only are they using the same Stealth rubber sole as the old impacts, but the new shoe also comes in a stealthy black color.

 

For those of you out there that currently own pre 2005 Five Ten Impacts – just a heads up that the new 2005 ones are more true to size when compared to the pre 2005 Impact. i.e. my old Impacts are 8.5, but had to get 9.5 for the new model, which is pretty much true to size, since that’s the size I wear for all other shoes.
 

Note: As the authorized Manufacturers

    Representative for Five Ten climbing shoes,

    you will always get the lowest dealer cost

    through Ames Adventure Outfitters.

    Click here for more information from AAO.

NSMB.e.Magazine

http://www.nsmb.com/gear/gear_shots12_05_05.php

Words and photos by Corey Anderson

Five Ten Impact Shoe
You don't have to keep sacrificing your skate shoes for bike use anymore. Five Ten is a shoe manufacturer that has earned a solid name in the climbing world for making purpose-built shoes.

They have more recently recognized the shoe void in the mountain bike world, and have given the flat pedal people something that stands out from the competition - the Impact shoe.

The Impact is a purpose-built bike shoe utilizing a special rubber compound in the sole to maximize your grip on the pedal, and construction that offers a stiff sole that won't get eaten by the pedals, wrapped in a sturdy suede leather upper.

Five Ten has taken this technology and built it into a bike shoe, where grip, durability and shock absorption can really improve your ride.

The Impact shoe brings a whole new level of grip to your flat pedals, which is going to give you way more control and let you get more out of your flats than a regular show is going to allow. Get on it.

The stealth looking all-black Impact comes in two models, a high-cut and a low-cut. The suede uppers utilize padding on the outside edges of the shoe, a nice feature when you are riding tight, technical trails.

Every seam is double stitched for durability, and the sole of the shoe wraps up high on the toe and outside edge, the areas that take the most abuse on the trail. The interior, tongue and cuff are constructed with Ballistics nylon, and the inside of the shoe features a removable insole.
 

The sole of the shoe is what really separates these shoes from your year-old beaters. The Impact uses what they call their "Stealth" S1 rubber sole, a tacky, shock absorbing rubber compound similar to what has revolutionized bike tires.

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