In our never ending quest to find the best kit to ride our bikes in, we’re moving around the contact points, from grips last issue and now to flat sole mountain bike shoes …
From Dirt Issue 134 – April 2013
Words by Ali Todd. Photo by Ben Winder.
There are a few important things that make a really good pair of riding shoes: they’ve got to have a grippy sole compound, plenty of support on the pedals, good material for wet–weather riding, a good width over the ball of your foot, and it’s nice to have a bit of ankle protection too. On the grip front, there’s a fine line between just enough and too much, when you can’t move your feet on the pedals – a line balanced nicely by Vans, with 5:10 and Teva on each respective side. The width is more often overlooked, but a pair of shoes to match your pedals is a good combination. So we’ve got some of the best here – though perfection hasn’t been reached yet. Here are the specs:
| Shoe | Weight | Price | Contact | |
| 1 | Shimano AM41 | 844g (size 8) | £85 | www.madison.co.uk |
| 2 | Etnies RVM Ben Lewis | 1015g (size 8) | £65 | www.etnies.com |
| 3 | 5:10 Freerider VXi | 885g (size 9.5) | £95 | www.bigstone.co.uk |
| 4 | Giro Jacket | 790g (size 8) | £90 | www.madison.co.uk |
| 5 | 5:10 Freerider | 818g (size 9) | £80 | www.bigstone.co.uk |
| 6 | Sombrio X-Float | 936g (size 10) | £80 | www.bike.sombriocartel.com |
| 7 | 5:10 Impact Sam Hill | 1020g (size 9) | £95 | www.bigstone.co.uk |
| 8 | Etnies Metal Mulisha Cartel | 804g (sixe 8) | £60 | www.etnies.com |
| 9 | Teva Links | 925g (size 9) | £85 | www.teva.com |
| 10 | Vans Gravel | 944g (size 11) | £85 | Available online |
