How many shoes can boast that the rubber compound was developed for Tom Cruise to run on glass buildings for Mission Impossible 4? That’s the case with 5.10’s new Freerider Elements VXi or any other shoes with the new Mi6 rubber. After creating the shoes for Cruise and the stunt crew, 5.10 rubber expert Charles Cole had to have a pair for himself because, well, why not? Eventually Cole found himself on a mountain bike with the new rubber and loved the results.
Thanks to the Mi6 rubber, shoes like the new Freerider Elements VXi now offer better grip, improved comfort, and lighter weight – check it out next.
Now that the 48 durometer super sticky rubber is being integrated into shoes such as the Freerider Element VXi, the rubber is thinner than their previous which results in a lighter shoe. The softer rubber also isolates vibrations better which means more comfort at the pedals. The Freerider VXi’s Contact outsole design carries through, with a smooth section under the ball of the foot for easier float on the pedals that allows you to adjust your foot position.
Billed as a “shoulder season” shoe, the Elements are built with DWR coated synthetic uppers to keep your feet dry regardless of the conditions.
The VXi (Five Ten Innovations) theme carries over into the Impact VXi and the Impact VXi clippless which are new for 2014.
As the mountain shoe that started it all for 5.10, the Impact was due for an update – namely in terms of losing weight and adding the new Mi6 rubber sole. Both the flat and clippless Impact VXis lose quite a bit of weight, with 5.10 claiming the clipless version is now lightest in class. Each shoe also receives a hydrophobic treatment to the foam to keep them dry and increased toe protection
. Each shoe will be offered in multiple colors with the flats retailing for $150 and the clipless at $180.
Not to be left out, the Maltese Falcon loses some weight to become the Maltese Light. The new shoe has a lower volume last, a water proof toe cap, and two velcro straps over the laces, and will retail for $140.
Got a little shredder in your life? Forget the Fischer Price, or whatever it is kids wear these days, and buy them some Kid’s Freeriders!
Built using the same construction as the adult Freeriders only smaller, the $70 shoes will help keep junior from slipping a pedal.
