First Look: Fizik's New Gravita MTB Shoes

 Five Ten quality on the freerider pros is horrific now. I got a pair of RideConcepts Livewires at the same time as my friend got his 5Ten Freerider Pros June '20. I ride more than he does and by January he had bad holes in both soles. Mine are perfectly fine

 I've stopped buying them completely. It won't change unless more ppl do. I wore my last pair (trail cross, actually) for a season and half after I started getting wet feet. Tore up. Now I'm on scott shoes. Not as grippy, but seem nice.

 Not sure bowling shoe aesthetic is superior to skate shoe aesthetic but it’s a look.

 It's the Adidas way unfortunately. Even their normal shoes have gone downhill, arriving with obvious glue on. Super disappointing, but good to see lots of others coming in to challenge them (/510).

 @Fullsend2-13: I bought a pair or Freerider Pros for around $225 CAD last summer, rode them for 2 months or so of hard weekend riding at Bromont and Mont-Sainte-Anne and a few week days here and there. And the bottoms are toast, quite a few holes in either shoe from the pins, the bottoms got shredded by my pedals. And then I could see how thin the layer of rubber was that made up the outer sole/bottom of the shoe. Long story short, I can't justify buying Five 10's again :/. I just got a pair of RC's for myself and my girl (Her RC's were on Sale for $75 CAD!) We're stoked to get using them this season! Both pair's together, cost me pretty much the same amount I spent on 1 pair of Freerider Pros, which essentially cost me about $112.50 per month for a total of 2 months of use. Now they're pretty much garbage :/. You can't even stand in 3mm of water without the bottoms of your feet getting soaked. I always bought Five 10's but the quality has gone down so much, the prices are so high, and there's other brans dropping better shoe's at better prices it seems. It's a no brainer for me. I'm not sponsored, I pay out of pocket. I need my equipment to last, especially considering the prices they're charging. No more Five 10's for me. I'm stoked to see how these RC's hold up and take the abuse!
YEEWWWW!!!! \m/

 @kyleluvsdh: yea man! Like I said I'm really interested to see how the crankbrothers stack up because they seem pretty nice. And my RCs are pretty comfy, not tight but almost.

 Maybe this model stands out in their lineup, but I've been on a pair of Five Ten Sam Hills for an year and half, riding 3 times per week at least and they're essentially new. I'm truly amazed at their durability, they're way tougher than the Shimano GR7 I had before

 @gafoto: You nailed it. Comes with a can of Lysol & Spotify playlist "Hot Dance Tracks 1978-82"

 My Sam Hill impacts had durable soles. Just didn't like to stay attached to the rest of the shoe.

 I find it ironic that these Fiziks look more like a climbing shoe than the bike shoes from a climbing shoe brand.

 @Arierep: Well that's at least good to hear, and I'm glad! It could also be that those shoe's from 1 1/2 years ago were just stronger and better quality, and since then the quality has gone down. That could be what happened. But they could also just be very durable. I just haven't found any Five 10's I've purchased within the last 12 months to have lasted, Before my Freeride Pros I have the regular Freeride, they were half the price as the pros if I remember correct, but seemed to be much better quality and lasted much longer. Idk, I just know I'm not happy with Five 10 anymore :/

 @AllMountin: Scott flat pedal shoes?

I own a pair and only used them on one 15 mile ride. They were horrible. Absolutely the worst grip ever. That sticky rubber brand they use has got to go. They need to pair up with a better sole manufacturer.

 @jamesdunford: Hmm...my MTB shoes have the Adidas brand - three stripes, no indication of FiveTen, except for the superb Stealth outsole. But even the outsole is different than FiveTen: the pedal contact tread is made of triangular nubs with linear lugs at the toe and heel. These shoes are fabulous - about as close to perfect as imaginable. I started using them in 2019. Beside being filthy, they show zero signs of wear above the outsoles. The outsoles indicate that they have been used, but at this rate of wear, they will last another three or four years, at least.

I got them closeout cheap because they were the last Adidas-branded shoes before all their MTB shoes came from the FiveTen side of the house. I feel very fortunate to have found these shoes. I never did like FiveTen products and I always had great experiences with Adidas. I had hoped that Adidas would improve the FiveTen line, but it sounds like FiveTen is dragging Adidas down.

 The trick with FiveTen rubber is that it is very tricky to get the compound to bond to the rest of the shoe in a manner that aids durability. Soft rubber is awesome for mountain biking grip. But it means you have to replace it quickly because it degrades more easily.

All these complaints about high performance shoes not being durable is just stupid to me. If you've got ultimate grip and it lets you ride with confidence, that is what matters. I don't care if a pair of Freerider Pro's or Sam Hill's wears out in a years time if I'm glued to my pedals and having the ultimate time of my life.

Not once since soft compound tires came out did I complain about how fast they wear. All I care about is if I hit a wet root or grimey rock, they grip and I don't ping pong down a trail like a wooden wheel.

Give me sharp edged tires & soft soled shoes that grip so I don't bounce or slip off pedal or obstacle & I'll buy new ultimate grip stuff next year.

The FiveTen debacle where the entire sole peeled off the impacts within a few rides was a disaster, but everything elese since then has been an acceptable wear and tear issue because they give me confidence.

 @Fullsend2-13: Agreed, I've had a couple pair and not only the soles, below the laces where you flex are quick to dry-rot. I've been on the Sleuth DLX Leather. They aren't the best for gnar days, since they are softer shoes, but I was disappointed in the way the freerider pros held up, so I gave them a try. The toes are moderately protected, but no support in other areas, really just for trail/DJ. The soles are starting to wear just like everyone claims, reminds me of cork as it wears away. I've Also tried out Leatt's Flats and they had zero grip.

*Most importantly, I went out and ordered these flats. As I have been dying to get away from FiveTen, just like the rest of us. My first impressions are (I'll compare to Freerider Pros):

1. These are not nearly as stiff. They have a moderate flex, but not soft, they feel stable.
2. The sole is not quite as thick, so you don't feel like you're on platform shoes.
3. The medial ankle support isn't quite as padded, but it does come up higher than the freeriders.
4. The insole is a bit thin, so the shoe isn't the most cushioned, some might like that for pedal feel.
5. The heel cup is great and has no slippage, but with that said, if you are going to use different insoles, they must also be thin or the heel fitment will be negated.
6. I really love the low profile of these. I've been out of the Osiris D3 2001s for over 20 years now and I don't want to turn back to that. Even the Freeriders were a bit bulky. (I wear vans on a daily basis for reference).
7. The tread sticks to the pedals, just how the fivetens do and thats why I couldn't leave them.
8. A nice touch on the soles was putting extra thickness on the heel and edge of toe, where they would wear from walking and didn't do anything crazy with the ball of the foot where you might get a pressure point with a pedal.

I'll update after a few more rides, but as of right now, I'm stoked and I don't think you'd be making a bad choice at all.

 @Houckhogan: ok awesome to hear man, feel free to DM me after a couple months with further deets. One question I have about the Fiziks is how much arch do they have for the sole?

My RideConcepts are going strong still so I won't be getting rid of them yet.

 I’m guessing Fizik was too scared to have their flat shoes reviewed.

 Unparallel flats have exceeded Five Ten grip - but high quality features and construction are lacking unfortunately. How I wish they'd up the quality and add toe protection - they'd take the flat pedal market easily..

 From all the reviews the latest Specialized 2fo are gripper.
Haven’t tried mine yet but they’re replacing some disintegrating freerider pros

 It’s amazing that Adidas has literally gutted the 5.10 brand and strewn its reputation across the landscape but still produces the most desirable flat shoes on the market. It’s like if all the 2021 cars in the world were still getting compared to a 1996 Pontiac Grand Am....and were regularly losing.

 @gafoto: +1000... LOLOLOLOLOL...! literally..

 @CDT77: Have you tried the roosts? Would love to support the original 5.10 crew and these look pretty cool. Curious about longevity though

 @erikvehmeyer: I haven't, but given that they are supposed to be as sticky as 5.10's (as per a pinkbike review) I might try a set after I wear out my impact pro's.. which I must say are pretty darn good.. but a bit heavy.

 @CDT77: I have the roosts, plenty stiff, grip is phenomenal, but the rubber is wearing quickly, faster than on my old fiveten freerider elements. Otherwise very good shoes.

 @CDT77: I love my Unparallel's, more grip than my 5ten freerider pro, and more comfortable. Mine have very good quality, they just lack toe protection.

 @Merc3017: Agreed - but two broken toes later... that's enough for me to switch.

 Because the focus probably leans more towards function, with fashion being secondary. Think about it, both examples you mention have to be highly functional, just like mtb shoes.

 What is it that you want them to look like?

 @RonSauce: I agree, it would be interesting to hear what folks would consider desirable in looks? Jordan's? High heels? Logger boots? Bowling shoes? Elmo slippers? 90's skate shoes? Moccasins?

 @JDFF: Jordan 1s or sb Dunks with a proper flat pedal sole, is that to much to ask for?

 @blazekelly: I love dunks, and I think the 1's are ugly... you can't please everyone. But when it comes down to it, I take function over form any day with sports specific shoes.

I think mid Dunks aren't a bad idea style wise in a vacuum, one of my buddies rides in dunks, and they do look strange with the rest of the attire when you're in the woods.

 @blazekelly: so true. Although there have been many commenters saying they appreciate the move away from skate shoe style (I recognize jordan 1s are not skate shoes lol), which I do not understand because skate shoes (vulc style ones eg vans etc) are the best looking shoes out there and often are timeless designs.

 @RonSauce: and @JDFF fair question. I think the move away from the big loafy skate shoes (Five Ten Impact) is probably a good call, but I think something like a Vans shoe wouldn't take much modification to be a good MTB shoe. Stiffer sole, a low key toe box, deeper heel cup, etc

Agree with everyone else that substance definitely takes priority over style on this one. I'm just not sure they're mutually exclusive.

 @rodponton: my 5.10 freeriders are almost identical to my vans caberlleros, just with bike specific spec. You just need to keep in mind almost every sport has their hard-core purpose built shoe, and then the do-it-all lifestyle shoe. Any shoe that is "at home on the trail or the pub" is always going to have a polarizing look. Im an adult, there is no skate style shoe i can wear in public and not look goofy. Its fine if you want to wear a lifestyle shoe and be critical about how it looks, but shoes like these I think you just need to ignore. I hope nobody is wearing these out in public thinking its the fit.

 Maybe they worked with Nike? that was my first thought when I saw them...they look like hypervenoms

 @Supergirl56: asym laces is far from a Nike thing.

 @NorCalNomad: Adidas Predators did it first, no?

 I think we all know the sole reason anyone even clicked on this article.

 @unrooted: you guys have not laced enough puns here.

 Surely looking like a 14yo heading to a Papa Roach concert is a win style-wise?

 Fizik is narrow with a long toe bed, reminded me of Converse

 @singleandluvinit: good to know. And photos kind of suggest that. Unfortunately the exact opposite of my foot.

 @JDFF I don't have super wide feet and even after sizing up half a size they're still comfy (I have the livewires) the quality is quite good tho so I'm willing to deal with it. Interested to see how the Specialized, Crankbrothers and now these Fiziks stack up

 @singleandluvinit: which ones - the Tensor or Versor? A wide toe box is a must for me and I laid them out in Photoshop to compare against Freeride Contacts and 2FOs (both with wide toebxoes) and the Versor looks just as roomy while the Tensor looks narrower.

 looks like they have a blacked out coloway too

 Are you seriously upset about the colour of the soles of a pair of shoes? How much time do you spend looking at the bottom of your own feet?

 Perfect match with the new Fox collection

 @codfather1234: if I spend 200$ on shoes, yeah, I want to like em, not only that but the light colour blue is going to look super old in no time...Thats a dumb colours choice for a shoe that is meant to be trashed in mud and shit...but I bet all he hipsters thinks it looks so cool on the shelf tho.

If you forget aboutthe fashion, and look at the function of the shoe, darker shades makes all the sense in the world...

 I have Adidas Terrex MTB shoes, and I'm glad I do - they are just about perfect. Super-durable and functionally superb. However, I can't find them on the Adidas website. I believe that all Adidas MTB shoes are now sold under the FiveTen brand. Fortunately, it looks like my Terrex shoes will last another four or five years. Appearance-wise, I don't consider them to be good-looking, but they beat the crap out of some of the goofball fashion statements that MTBers are embracing lately.

 You can ride a kangaroo in them if you want to

 no. you will spontaneously combust if you attempt to go up a climb with these shoes on.

 They're enduro specific, actually

 Each version of shoe gets both flat and clipless. So yea, you can have your velcro with flats with this one.

 I did a weekend riding DH at Panorama using my Vibram flat soled hiking shoes (forgot to pack my Freeriders) and had no problems with grip at all. You could do a lot worse!

 @src248: it's well known that bike shoes manufacturers are not using the grippiest Vibram rubber used for walking or climbing shoes for instance.

Had some Giro Jacket ll with Vibram, and moved on to Shimano GR7 with Michelin rubber, difference in terms of grip is night and day.

 @src248: When I began riding flats, I was unsure, so I didn't immediately invest in MTB flat shoes. I used my Keen hiking shoes. The pedal grip was great. However, the pins did chew up the soles. Now I run Adidas Terrex with the FiveTen Stealth outsoles. The grip is about the same as the Keen hiking shoes, but the pedal pins are not shredding the Stealth rubber.