In January, a Facebook post in a local kayaking community caught my attention:
“Good deals on 5.10 rubber shoes.” Mountain biking shoes? For whitewater? And that’s what this, I ordered a pair and found that the Five Ten Trailcross LT Mountain Bike Shoes are the best whitewater shoes in 2024.
The grip is fantastic, the best I’ve felt with a shoe. This is due to the Adidas Stealth Phantom rubber and Dotty outsole. Walking on slick rafts and wet rocks the shoes feel good and don’t want to slip. This article from the aptly named Climbing Shoe Review offers an excellent history on Stealth Rubber and the story behind the material.
They fit comfortably (without socks, obviously) and a huge plus over the Astral Rasslers is they are very easy to take on and off. I found the sizing (12) to be a true fit. The shoe is a bit stiff, which is good, but not uncomfortably so, meaning normal walking isn’t an issue.
I found the weight to feel about right for their looks, not heavy and clunky like Chacos, but not super light compared to some Astrals.
And the price. The price is hard to beat. Currently they are on sale from Adidas at 50% off, coming in at $70. This deal has been live now since January (three months) so hopefully it doesn’t mean that they are blowing out the remaining inventory and calling it done, but we shall see. If you’re worried about that, then buy a pair and if you love them, buy a second pair, and soon.
Want to read the comments from the paddling community on these shoes? Here’s the link.